Anne Murray's New All-Star Collaborative Album, 'Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends,' Enjoys Strong Debut Across Several Billboard Charts: #8 Country; #3 Internet; #42 Top 200

Anne Murray's New All-Star Collaborative Album, 'Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends,' Enjoys Strong Debut Across Several Billboard Charts: #8 Country; #3 Internet; #42 Top 200

New Duets Album Pairs Music Legend Anne Murray with a Who's-Who of Top Female Recording Artists, Including Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Nelly Furtado, Carole King, k.d. lang, Shelby Lynne, Olivia Newton-John, Shania Twain and More

Anne Murray to Tour to Several U.S. Cities in February and March

NEW YORK, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Anne Murray's new all-star collaborative album, Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, debuts this week at #8 on Billboard's Country chart and at #42 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart with first week CD and digital album sales totaling 13,091. Released by Manhattan/EMI America Records on January 15, Duets: Friends & Legends, a 17-track collection of Murray's top hits and favorites newly recorded as duets with some of the world's top female recording artists, also bows at #3 on Billboard's Internet chart, with online CD sales totaling 2,534 for the week.

Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends showcases a wide variety of Anne's favorite female vocalists. Among the album's tracks and collaborating artists are "Snowbird" with Sarah Brightman, "You Needed Me" with Shania Twain, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" with Anne's daughter Dawn Langstroth, "Danny's Song" with Martina McBride, "Another Pot O' Tea" with Emmylou Harris, "A Little Good News" with Indigo Girls, "Cotton Jenny" with Olivia Newton-John, "Could I Have This Dance" with Amy Grant, "Daydream Believer" with Nelly Furtado, "A Love Song" with k.d. lang, "Time Don't Run Out On Me" with the song's writer, Carole King, and more.

In 1979, Anne and Dusty Springfield each recorded the song "I Just Fall In Love Again." Anne's version became a hit single that garnered her Canada's Juno Award for "Single of the Year" in 1980. Anne and Dusty remained friends until Dusty's passing in 1999, and for Anne, releasing an album with this type of sisterly theme wouldn't seem complete without Dusty's inclusion. With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, a new version pairing Dusty's original with Anne's newly recorded vocals is featured on the album.

Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was produced by one of the most respected music producers in the world, Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel), who counts 14 Grammy Awards and 32 Grammy nominations among his many honors. Together, Anne and Phil decided they would treat the songs on their own terms and not adhere rigidly to the arrangements of Anne's classic versions. While Anne had designs on how she imagined the arrangements, she gave Phil free rein to rework the songs.

"We approached the sessions as if we were just handed these songs and told to make this record," explains Ramone. "While arrangements were changed, there are also licks on some songs that I didn't mess with. We stayed true to the song."

Working with Anne for the first time, Ramone adds, was an easy task. "What I love about Anne is there are no words minced about whatever she feels," he says. "This is not a person you have to think, 'Will she tell me the truth?' When we met for a few hours in Michigan before we started, we agreed we wanted to bring some daring ideas and some freshness to this album."

"I said to Phil," joked Anne, "The only reason I asked you was that I'm the only singer left that you haven't worked with!"

"I've done duets throughout my career," Anne says. "I did duets when I started out on (CBC Television's) 'Singalong Jubilee.' I did a duets album in 1971 with Glen Campbell. Growing up I did lot of group singing at school and sang with my brothers. I've always loved singing harmony."

Music icon Anne Murray has sold more than 50 million albums in a distinguished career that spans four decades. Since releasing her debut album in 1967, Murray has been honored with a spectacular number of awards. She is the proud recipient of four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Canadian Country Music Association Awards and twenty-four Juno Awards. Anne has also been honored with the Legacy Award from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006), the East Coast Music Association Directors' Special Achievement Award (2001), induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2002), and induction into the Juno Hall of Fame (1993).

Anne Murray will tour to several U.S. cities in February and March. For updates and additional information, visit Anne Murray's official Website: www.annemurray.com.

   Anne Murray: Confirmed U.S. Tour Dates    FEBRUARY    09  Providence, RI       Providence Performing Arts Center   10  Uncasville, CT       Mohegan Sun   12  Lancaster, PA        American Music Theatre   13  Lancaster, PA        American Music Theatre   14  Shippensburg, PA     H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center at                             Shippensburg University   16  New York, NY         Avery Fisher Hall   17  Morristown, NJ       Community Theatre at the Mayo Center for the                             Performing Arts   18  Red Bank, NJ         Count Basie Theatre   20  Greenville, SC       Peace Concert Hall - The Peace Center   22  Sarasota, FL         Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall   23  Clearwater, FL       Ruth Eckerd Hall   24  Clearwater, FL       Ruth Eckerd Hall   26  Melbourne, FL        Maxwell C. King Center for Performing Arts   27  West Palm Beach, FL  Kravis Center   28  Coral Springs, FL    Coral Springs Center for the Arts    MARCH    03  Lakeland, FL         The Lakeland Center - Youkey Theatre   04  Lakeland, FL         The Lakeland Center - Youkey Theatre   06  Fort Myers, FL       Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall   08  Silver Springs, FL   Silver Springs Park - Twin Mansion Theatre   09  Jacksonville, FL     Times Union Center - Moran Theatre   11  Columbus, GA         River Center for the Performing Arts   12  Knoxville, TN        Tennessee Theatre   13  Charleston, SC       North Charleston Performing Arts Center   15  Myrtle Beach, SC     Alabama Theatre   16  Charlotte, NC        Belk Theatre   18  Bethesda, MD         The Music Center at Strathmore   19  Easton, PA           State Theatre   20  Lowell, MA           Memorial Auditorium  

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080123/NYW138
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Manhattan/EMI America Records

CONTACT: Melani Rogers, Manhattan Records-Blue Note Label Group,
+1-212-786-8637, melani.rogers@emimusic.com; or Jennifer Ballantyne, EMI Music
Marketing, +1-323-872-5494, jennifer.ballantyne@emicap.com

Web site: http://www.manhattanrecords.com/
http://www.annemurray.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment