Fly (Dixie Chicks album)
Fly is the fifth studio album by American country band the Dixie Chicks, released in 1999. The album was very successful for the group, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. It has received diamond status by the RIAA on June 25, 2002, in the United States, for shipments of 10 million units.
The tracks "Ready to Run", "Cowboy Take Me Away", "Without You", "Goodbye Earl", "Cold Day in July", "Heartbreak Town", "Some Days You Gotta Dance" and "If I Fall You're Going Down with Me" were all released as singles; "Sin Wagon" also charted without officially being released. "Some Days You Gotta Dance" was previously recorded by The Ranch, a short-lived country trio founded by Keith Urban in the late 1990s. Urban plays guitar on the Dixie Chicks' rendition.
The album earned four Grammy nominations in 2000, and the group won two: Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Ready to Run and Best Country Album. It was also nominated for Album of the Year and the writers of Ready to Run, Marcus Hummon and Martie Seidel were nominated for Best Country Song.
Track listing
Note- Track 13 is unlisted on the back cover and disc, though it is listed as "Ain't No Thang But a Chicken Wang" in the booklet. On some pressings of the CD, "Heartbreak Town" lasts 3:47 on track 12 and fades into track 13, which plays the last six seconds of the song. On other pressings of the CD, track 12 lasts for the full 3:53 seconds, and track 13 contains no audio, only lasting for 0:01. Digital versions of the album remove the blank track completely, bumping "Let Him Fly" up to track 13.
Personnel
Dixie Chicks
- Natalie Maines – lead vocals, background vocals, handclapping
- Emily Robison – acoustic guitar, guitar, banjo, steel guitar, vocals, handclapping, lap steel guitar
- Martie Seidel – fiddle, mandolin, viola, background vocals
- Strings conducted and arranged by Dennis Burnside.
- Violins – Martie Seidel, Carl Gorodetsky, Pamela Sixfin, Lee Larrison, Connie Ellisor, Alan Umstead, David Davidson, Mary Katherine Van Osdale, David Angell, Janet Askey, Karen Winkelman, Cate Myer, Catherine Umstead
- Violas – Kris Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean, Gary Van Osdale, Monisa Angell
- Cellos – Bob Mason, John Catchings
- Blake Chancey – handclapping
- Steve Conn – accordion
- Terry McMillan – percussion
- Bob Mason – cello
- John Mock – concertina, bodhrán, tin whistle
- Greg Morrow – drums
- Steve Nathan – Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards
- Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
- Tom Roady – percussion
- Charlie Robison – handclapping
- Matt Rollings – Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards
- Keith Urban – electric guitar on "Some Days You Gotta Dance"
- Paul Worley – background vocals
- "Iffy harmony" vocals on "Goodbye Earl" performed by the "Do-Wrongs": Blake Chancey, Paul Worley, Charlie Robison.
- Producers: Blake Chancey, Paul Worley
- Engineers: Tony Castle, Mark Martin, Chris Rowe, Clarke Schleicher, Billy Sherrill
- Assistant engineer: Tony Castle
- Mixing: John Guess, Patrick Murphy
- Mastering: Denny Purcell
- Assistant mastering engineer: Jonathan Russell
- Editing: Tony Castle
- Art direction: Tracy Baskette-Fleaner, Bill Johnson
- Design: Gina R. Binkley
- Photography: Ed Rode, Albert Sanchez
- Photo consultant: Dari Marder
- Stylist: Renee Fowler
- Hair stylists: Jennifer Davis, Alex Dizon, Daniel Erdman, Melanie Shelley, Michael Silva
- Make-up: Debra Ferullo, Stacey Martin, Maital Sabbon
- Cover lettering from Butterfly Alphabet by Kjell Bloch Sandved.
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Certifications
Accolades
Grammy Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
| 2000 | Fly | Best Country Album |
| 2000 | "Ready to Run" | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal |