Oxygen (Avalon album)

Oxygen is Avalon's fifth studio album, released on May 22, 2001, and produced by Brown Bannister. The album included six singles that reached #1 on Christian adult contemporary or Christian contemporary hit radio, the most of any Avalon album to date.

A collector's edition of the album was released, including one bonus track, "Beyond the Clouds."

Personnel

 * Avalon - vocals
 * Janna Long
 * Jody McBrayer
 * Cherie Adams
 * Michael Passons
 * Dan Needham – programming (1), synthesizers (4)
 * Dan Muckala – programming (2, 3, 6, 7, 10)
 * Blair Masters – synthesizers (2, 5), acoustic piano (5), keyboards (6, 9), additional keyboards (10)
 * Jeff Savage – programming (4, 7)
 * Bernie Herms – programming (5, 11)
 * Alan Pasqua – keyboards (6, 8, 9)
 * Phil Madeira – Hammond B3 organ (11)
 * Chris Rodriguez – electric guitar (1, 3, 4), BGV arrangements (1), acoustic guitar (4, 10)
 * Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (2, 6, 11), guitars (5, 10)
 * Michael Thompson – electric guitar (3, 6-9), acoustic guitar (9)
 * Tim Pierce – electric guitar (6-9), mandolin (8)
 * Leland Sklar – bass (6, 8, 9)
 * Steve Brewster – drums (5)
 * Neal Wilkinson – drums (6, 8, 9)
 * Chris McHugh – drums (11)
 * Eric Darken – percussion (1, 2, 5)
 * Luis Conte – percussion (6, 9)
 * Patrick Kiernan – violin (7)
 * Michael Mellett – BGV arrangements (1, 2, 4, 10)
 * Carl Marsh – string arrangements (5, 11)
 * Gavyn Wright – concertmaster (5, 11), violin (7)
 * The London Session Orchestra – strings (5, 11)

Production

 * Brown Bannister – producer
 * Grant Cunningham – executive producer
 * Michael Mellett – vocal production (1, 2)
 * Steve Bishir – recording, mixing
 * Bill Deaton – additional engineer
 * Patrick Kelly – additional engineer
 * Russ Long – additional engineer
 * Hank Nirider – mix assistant
 * Jonathan Allen – strings recording (5, 11)
 * Andrew Dudman – strings recording assistant (5, 11)
 * Fred Paragano – digital editing
 * Steve Hall – mastering
 * Traci Bishir – production coordinator
 * Michelle Bentrem – production coordinating assistant
 * Christiév Carothers – creative direction
 * Jan Cook – art direction
 * Dan Harding – art direction, design
 * Matthew Barnes – photography
 * Gino Tanabe – stylist
 * Sheila Davis – grooming, make-up
 * Marybeth Felts – grooming, make-up
 * Brady Wardlaw – grooming, make-up
 * Proper Management – management

Studios

 * Recorded at The Sound Kitchen (Franklin, Tennessee)
 * Strings recorded at Abbey Road Studios (London, England)
 * Tracks 1 & 2 mixed at Seventeen Grand Studio (Nashville, Tennessee)
 * Tracks 3-11 mixed at The Sound Kitchen
 * Mastered at Future Disc (Hollywood, California)

Radio
Oxygen was successful on Christian radio, with all of its singles reaching #1. "The Glory," the album's first Christian adult contemporary single, was added by all 41 reporting stations its debut week. "Make It Last Forever," released simultaneously to Christian contemporary hit radio (CHR), received an initial 14 adds out of 19 reporting stations.

Sales
Oxygen sold more than 33,400 copies its first week of release, debuting at #37 on the Billboard 200 and reached #1 on Billboard's Christian albums chart. Both chart positions represent the highest performances on their respective charts in the group's career.

Limited edition single
A CD single containing four tracks was released at Christian retail as a free bonus to customers who pre-ordered the album. The single included the album's first two singles, "The Glory" (in its radio version) and "Make It Last Forever"; "Fly to You," from the 1999 film Jesus, also presented in its radio version; and a live version of "Testify to Love" from the group's second album, A Maze of Grace.