Love & Mercy is the seventh studio album by Christian singer - songwriter Kathy Troccoli, released on April 29, 1997 by Reunion Records. The album is produced by
Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff.
The lead single "Love One Another" features Troccoli and 40 plus Christian artists like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Carman, Sandi Patty, First Call, Out of the Grey and Jaci Velasquez among others. The song was released commercially as a limited edition CD single on March 18, 1997 to Christian retail stores in advance of the album's release and the single's proceeds went to His Touch Ministries in Houston, Texas, which is a non-profit organization that was established to educate the church, provide support groups for HIV victims, create teams to visit AIDS patients and provide housing for men, women and children suffering from the illness. The album's other lead single "He'll Never Leave Me" was serviced to mainstream AC radio stations.
The album's third single "A Baby's Prayer" is a pro-life song that Troccoli and Scott Brasher wrote that explores the abortion issue from the perspective of an unborn child. "A Baby's Prayer" would give Troccoli her first two Dove Award wins for Inspirational Song of the Year (one as an artist, the other as a writer, shared with co-writer Brasher) at the 29th GMA Dove Awards.
Love & Mercy reached number 7 on the Top Christian Albums, number 6 on the Heatseekers Albums and number 170 on the Top 200 Albums charts in Billboard magazine, giving Troccoli her first crossover chart appearance on the latter.
Track listing
1. I Call Him Love (Ty Lacy, Kevin Stokes, Joanna Carlson) -4:07
2. Water into Wine (Grant Cunningham, Matt Huesmann) -3:38
3. Love One Another (Kathy Troccoli, Bill Cuomo, Robert White Johnson) -5:47
4. How Would I Know (Jackie Gouché-Ferris) -5:01
5. A Baby's Prayer (Kathy Troccoli, Scott Brasher) -3:49
6. He'll Never Leave Me (Dawn Thomas) -5:25
7. All Glory to God (Kathy Troccoli, Bill Cuomo, Robert White Johnson) -3:55
8. Faithful to Me (Kathy Troccoli) -3:57
9. Call Out to Me" (Diane Warren) -3:51
10. Help Me God (Allen Shamblin, Madeline Stone) -2:51
Accolades
Dove Award -Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year ("A Baby's Prayer")
Radio singles
1997 "Love One Another" -#12 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC
1997 "He'll Never Leave Me" -#27 Billboard AC
1997 "I Call Him Love" -#4 Christian AC
1997 "A Baby's Prayer" -#9 Christian AC
1998 "All Glory to God" -#4 Christian AC
1998 "Water into Wine" -#40 Christian AC
Previous release: Sounds of Heaven (1995)
Next release: Corner of Eden (1998)
Watch the music video of "Love One Another" here:
Watch the music video of "A Baby's Prayer" here: