Winds of Change (Russ Taff album)

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.

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."