Winds of Change is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Russ Taff, released in 1995 on Reprise/Warner Bros. Nashville. It is Taff's first, and only, full-length mainstream country album. The title song and "I Cry" are the only two songs from his 1989 album The Way Home that he re-recorded for this album. The first country single "Love Is Not a Thing" debuted on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart on January 14, 1995, at number 64, peaking at number 53 on February 25, 1995, spending a total of 9 weeks. "One and Only Love" and "Bein' Happy" were also released as singles and music videos performing moderately well on country radio and CMT. Well-known country songwriter/producer/musician Randy Scruggs produced the album's first six tracks, while Taff and his long-time guitarist James Hollihan Jr. produced the remaining four tracks.
Contents
Track listing
Tracks 1 - 6 produced by Randy Scruggs
Tracks 7 - 10 produced by Russ Taff and James Hollihan Jr.
Personnel
Russ Taff – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Larry Hall – acoustic piano
James Hollihan Jr. – acoustic piano, keyboards, organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, bass, percussion, string arrangements
John Barlow Jarvis – acoustic piano
Steve Nathan – keyboards, organ
Matt Rollings – acoustic piano
Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar
Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
Randy Scruggs – electric guitar
Jerry Douglas – dobro
Terry Crisp – steel guitar
Paul Franklin – steel guitar
Al Perkins – steel guitar
Mike Brignardello – bass
Jackie Street – bass
Willie Weeks – bass
John Hammond – drums
Paul Leim – drums
Tom Roady – percussion
Rob Hajacos – fiddle
John Darnall – string conductor
Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor
Nashville String Machine – strings
Michael Black – backing vocals
Cynthia Clawson – backing vocals
Michael English – backing vocals
Bonnie Keen – backing vocals
Mac McAnally – backing vocals
Jonell Mosser – backing vocals
John Wesley Ryles – backing vocals
Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
Curtis Young – backing vocals
Production
Doug Grau – executive producer, A&R
Lynn Fuston – recording
James Hollihan Jr. – recording
Russ Long – recording
Ron "Snake" Reynolds – recording
Paul "Salvo" Salveson – recording
Steve Tillisch – recording, mixing
Brian Hardin – second engineer
Benny Quinn – digital editing and mastering at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee)
Laura LiPuma-Nash – art direction, design
Peter Nash – photography
Zack Glickman – management
Walt Quinn – management
Critical reception
Tim Griggs of AllMusic said "With the aid of Nashville's elite studio musicians, Russ Taff makes a joyful noise on 'Bein' Happy,' the album opener on Winds of Change. Taff and gang then tackle topics such a marriage, love, and heartache with mixed results."