Diamond Rio Celebrate 25th Anniversary With Live Album
Diamond Rio have accomplished a lot in the past 25 years. The six-man group has sold more than 10 million albums, earned numerous awards -- including a Grammy -- and landed 22 Top 10 singles. But one thing they haven't done is released a live album ... until now.
To celebrate a quarter century as a band, with all six original members, the group will release their first-ever live album, 'Diamond Rio Live,' on Nov. 18.
"It's something we've wanted to do for a while,” lead singer Marty Roe says. "Our live show plays a major role in who we are. I didn't start as a recording artist. I started on stage."
"As a group of guys goes, we are some of the best procrastinators there are," mandolin player and background vocalist Gene Johnson jokes. "We’ve been known for a long time as the live band that sounds just like the record, so it was time to capture that."
The Grand Ole Opry members added some of their biggest hits, including 'One More Day' and 'I Believe,' to the disc, along with two never-before-recorded highlights from their shows, a Western medley and a newgrass medley.
"After all these years, this is the first time we ever recorded [the Western medley], and I’m so glad it is part of this CD," bass guitarist and baritone vocalist Dana Williams notes.
"Bluegrass is a huge influence on our sound both vocally and instrumentally," Roe adds. "I can’t imagine not including [the newgrass medley] on this project. Most of us grew up in the '70s listening to pop and rock. This just seemed to make sense and is a lot of fun for us to perform live."
'Diamond Rio Live' also includes two medleys of some of the band's hits, to get even more of their singles onto the record.
"Medleys come about because, as time passes in your career, you realize that there is no way to include every radio single in your show. Obviously some songs were bigger hits than others, but you can’t discount that there are still big fans of these songs," Roe explains. "We've taken the chorus and the hook elements and made them into a couple of what we call 'hits medleys.' It was important to us that we didn't discount a bunch of songs that speak to our career."
'Diamond Rio Live' also includes a DVD featuring interviews with the band members, behind-the-scenes footage and memories of their early years. See a track listing below, and order the entire project here.
Diamond Rio, 'Diamond Rio Live' Track Listing:
1. Show Opening
2. 'Unbelievable'
3. 'Norma Jean Riley”
4. Hits Medley #1 ('This Romeo Ain’t Got Julie Yet,' 'Oh Me, Oh My Sweet Baby,' 'Imagine That,' 'Sweet Summer' and 'Wrinkles')
5. 'Mirror Mirror'
6. Talking
7. 'One More Day'
8. 'Beautiful Mess'
9. Hits Medley #2 ('You’re Gone,' 'In a Week or Two, 'Mama Don’t Forget to Pray for Me,' 'Walkin’ Away,' 'Holdin’,' 'Love a Little Stronger' and 'It’s All in Your Head')
10. 'In God We Still Trust'
11. 'This Is My Life'
12. 'I Believe'
13. Newgrass Medley ('Walk This Way,' 'Carry on My Wayward Son' and 'Born to Be Wild')
14. Talking Break
15. 'Meet in the Middle'
16. 'How Your Love Makes Me Feel'
17. 'Bubba Hyde'
18. Talking Break
19. Western Medley ('Cattle Call,' 'El Paso,' 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds,' 'They Call the Wind,' 'Mariah' and 'Way Out There')