Strait Out of the Box

Strait Out of the Box (retroactively known as Strait Out of the Box: Part 1) is the first box set album by American country music artist George Strait. It contains four albums' worth of music, dating from 1976 to 1995. It mainly consists of Strait's singles, except for a select few that he decided to exclude. They were replaced by his choice of album cuts and several studio outtakes. It also contains his three singles recorded in the 1970s for indie label D Records, one of which, "I Just Can't Go on Dying Like This", was re-recorded for Strait's 2013 album Love Is Everything.

"Check Yes or No" and "I Know She Still Loves Me" were both released from this set as singles. Respectively, they reached number 1 and number 5 on the Billboard country charts.

The album was certified 8× platinum by the RIAA on July 29, 2003, indicating shipment of 2 million copies. This made the album at the time the best-performing country music box set of all time, and it was second only to the Live 1975–85 box set by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band overall. It had sold 1,525,100 copies in the United States as of October 2019.

Personnel

 * Tim Alexander – piano on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * David Anthony – acoustic guitar
 * Ron Anthony – acoustic guitar
 * Joe Barnhill – acoustic guitar
 * Eddie Bayers – drums
 * Richard Bennett – acoustic guitar
 * Ray Benson – acoustic guitar and background vocals on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Chuck Berghofer – upright bass
 * Matt Betton – drums
 * George Binkley III – strings
 * Pete Bordonali – electric guitar
 * John David Boyle – strings
 * Clyde Brooks – drums
 * Ronnie Brooks – acoustic guitar
 * Larry Byrom – electric guitar
 * Sandra Callaway – background vocals
 * Buddy Cannon – background vocals
 * Jimmy Capps – acoustic guitar
 * Jerry Carrigan – drums
 * Cindy Cashdollar – steel guitar on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Marcy Cates – background vocals
 * Margie Cates – background vocals
 * Marvin Chantry – strings
 * Steve Chapman – acoustic guitar
 * Joe Chemay – bass guitar
 * Gene Chrisman – drums
 * Roy Christenson – strings
 * Virginia Christenson – strings
 * Doug Clements – background vocals
 * Mike Daily – steel guitar
 * Hank DeVito – steel guitar
 * Floyd Domino – piano
 * Steve Dorff – conductor, string arrangements
 * Glen Duncan – fiddle
 * Stuart Duncan – fiddle
 * Gene Elders – fiddle
 * Buddy Emmons – steel guitar
 * Mark Feldman – fiddle
 * Gregg Field – drums
 * Rito Figlio – background vocals
 * Phil Fisher – drums
 * Pat Flynn – acoustic guitar
 * Tom Foote – drums
 * Michael Francis – saxophone
 * Paul Franklin – steel guitar, dobro
 * Gregg Galbraith – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Sonny Garrish – dobro, steel guitar
 * Bob Golette – drums
 * Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, hi-string acoustic guitar
 * Johnny Gimble – fiddle, mandolin
 * Emory Gordy Jr. – bass guitar
 * Carl Gorodetzky – strings
 * Ruben Gosfeld – steel guitar
 * Lennie Haight – strings
 * Rob Hajacos – fiddle
 * Owen Hale – drums
 * Terry Hale – bass guitar
 * Arlene Harden – background vocals
 * Bobby Harden – background vocals
 * Hoot Hester – fiddle
 * John Hobbs – keyboards
 * Jim Horn – saxophone
 * Ronnie Huckaby – piano
 * Sherilyn Huffman – background vocals
 * John Hughey – steel guitar
 * Mitch Humphries – keyboards
 * David Hungate – bass guitar
 * Leo Jackson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * John Barlow Jarvis – piano
 * Gwen Kay – background vocals
 * Dave Kirby – acoustic guitar
 * Jerry Kroon – drums
 * Mike Leech – bass guitar
 * Larrie Londin – drums
 * Benny McArthur – electric guitar
 * Randy McCormick – piano
 * Wade McCurdy – background vocals
 * Rick McRae – electric guitar
 * Bill Mabry – fiddle
 * Liana Manis – background vocals
 * Steve Marsh – saxophone
 * Brent Mason – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Bill Miller – piano
 * David Miller – bass guitar on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Dennis Molchan – strings
 * Alan Moore – string arrangements
 * Bob Moore – upright bass
 * Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
 * Nashville String Machine – strings
 * Steve Nathan – piano, organ, synthesizer
 * Fred Newell – electric guitar
 * Jody Nix – background vocals on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Louis Dean Nunley – background vocals
 * Mark O'Connor – fiddle
 * Gary Van Osdale – strings
 * Pamela Van Osdale – strings
 * Larry Paxton – bass guitar
 * Leon Rhodes – bass guitar
 * Hargus "Pig" Robbins – keyboards
 * Judy Rodman – background vocals
 * Matt Rollings – piano
 * Jack Ross – bass guitar
 * Brent Rowan – electric guitar
 * David Sanger – drums on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Walter Schwede – strings
 * Randy Scruggs – acoustic guitar
 * Eldon Shamblin – electric guitar on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Donna Sheridan – background vocals
 * Jerry Shook – acoustic guitar
 * Frank Sinatra – vocals on "Fly Me to the Moon"
 * Leland Sklar – bass guitar
 * Buddy Spicher – fiddle
 * Harry Stinson – background vocals
 * George Strait – acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
 * Henry Strzelecki – bass guitar
 * Donald Teal – strings
 * Bobby Thompson – acoustic guitar
 * Hank Thompson – vocals on "Six Pack to Go"
 * Diane Tidwell – background vocals
 * Ricky Turpin – fiddle and mandolin on "Big Ball's in Cowtown"
 * Billy Joe Walker Jr. – electric guitar
 * Jamie Whiting – keyboards
 * Patrick Williams – conductor
 * Bobby Wood – keyboards
 * Stephanie Woolf – strings
 * Glenn Worf – bass guitar
 * Paul Yandell – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Chip Young – electric guitar
 * Curtis Young – background vocals
 * Reggie Young – electric guitar
 * Andrea Zonn – background vocals