Wakened By the Wind (1991)

Wakened By the Wind is the debut studio album by Christian singer Susan Ashton. It was her first album released by Sparrow Records on March 14, 1991. The album was produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick with Brown Bannister serving as executive producer.

Wakened By the Wind became a massive success and it became one of the biggest selling albums of the 1990s, especially by a debut artist. It also garnered three No. 1 hits on The CCM Update's Christian AC chart: "Down On My Knees," "In Amazing Grace Land" and "Ball And Chain." It was in the latter track that the name of the album is from, in which she sings a line in the verse:

"In the middle of the night,

Wakened by the wind,

Or was it something from my past,

Come to call again?"

Ashton co-wrote three songs while producer Kirkpatrick writing or co-writing a bulk of the album along with songwriters and musicians like Billy Sprague, Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Sims, Jimmie Lee Sloas and Phil Madeira. The music is a combination of acoustic pop and country. Wakened By the Wind made its debut on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart at No. 14 in April 1991. Over a year later, it peaked at No. 8 in June 1992. That same year, Ashton earned her first Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year. CCM Magazine named Ashton as Best New Artist on their reader's poll.

Track listing

1. Down On My Knees (Wayne Kirkpatrick) -4:16

2. No One Knows My Heart (Susan Ashton, Billy Sprague, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -3:06

3. Benediction (Billy Simon, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -5:30

4. Ball And Chain (Susan Ashton, Phil Madeira) -4:31

5. I Hear You (Wayne Kirkpatrick) -6:13

6. Land of Nod (Wayne Kirkpatrick) -4:10

7. In My Father's Hands (April McLean) -4:09

8. In Amazing Grace Land (Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Madeira) -4:32

9. Suffer In Silence (Billy Sprague, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -4:00

10. Beyond Justice to Mercy (Susan Ashton, Billy Smiley, Paula Carpenter) -4:23

Radio singles

1991 "Down On My Knees" -#2 Christian CHR, -#1 Christian AC for 4 weeks

1991 "No One Knows My Heart" -#3 Christian AC

1991 "Benediction" -#4 Christian CHR, -#2 Christian AC

1991 -1992 "In Amazing Grace Land" -#3 Christian CHR, -#1 Christian AC for 4

weeks

1992 "Ball And Chain" -#1 Christian AC

Next release: Angels of Mercy (1992)