Don't Close Your Eyes (album)

Don't Close Your Eyes is the second studio album by American country music artist Keith Whitley and the last to be released during his lifetime. The album was released on May 31, 1988, by RCA Records. After the success of his debut album, L.A. to Miami (1985), Whitley re-entered the studio and began recording a second album with producer Blake Mevis. After its completion, Whitley was unhappy with its production, and he convinced his label to shelve the recordings. Don't Close Your Eyes was subsequently recorded with producer Garth Fundis.^[2][3] The album's liner notes credit Fundis and Whitley with production on all tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way", which are credited to Mevis.^[4]

Don't Close Your Eyes
Studio album by Keith Whitley
Released	May 31, 1988
Recorded	1987
Genre	Country
Length	39:31
Label	RCA Records
Producer	Garth Fundis, Keith Whitley Blake Mevis (tracks 6, 7)
Keith Whitley chronology
L.A. to Miami (1985) Don't Close Your Eyes (1988) I Wonder Do You Think of Me (1989)
Singles from Don't Close Your Eyes
"Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Released: June 1987 "Some Old Side Road" Released: November 2, 1987 "Don't Close Your Eyes" Released: March 1988 "When You Say Nothing at All" Released: August 1988 "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" Released: January 1989

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The album became a commercial success, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It contained three consecutive number one hits on the Hot Country Singles chart: "Don't Close Your Eyes", "When You Say Nothing at All", and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Flying Colors"	Kim Morrison, Gary Talley	3:35
2.	"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"	Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley	2:45
3.	"Lucky Dog"	Bill Caswell, Verlon Thompson	2:00A
4.	"Don't Close Your Eyes"	Bob McDill	4:11
5.	"The Birmingham Turnaround"	Warren Robb, Sanger D. Shafer	2:49
6.	"Some Old Side Road"	Roger D. Ferris	3:25
7.	"Would These Arms Be in Your Way"	Hank Cochran, Vern Gosdin, Red Lane	3:10A
8.	"I'm No Stranger to the Rain"	Sonny Curtis, Ron Hellard	3:33
9.	"I Never Go Around Mirrors"	Lefty Frizzell, Shafer	4:24
10.	"When You Say Nothing at All"	Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz	3:40
11.	"A Day in the Life of a Fool"	Mike Dekle, Byron Hill	3:37A
12.	"Honky Tonk Heart"	Johnny Neel, Lonnie Wilson	3:04

• ^AOmitted from LP and cassette versions.

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.^[5]

All tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way"

Musicians Eddie Bayers — drums Paul Franklin — steel guitar, Pedabro Allen Frizzell — background vocals on "I Never Go Around Mirrors" Garth Fundis — background vocals Red Lane — acoustic guitar Mac McAnally — acoustic guitar Dave Pomeroy — bass guitar Matt Rollings — piano Billy Sanford — acoustic guitar, electric guitar Keith Whitley — lead vocals Dennis Wilson — background vocals

Technical Garth Fundis — production, mixing Carlos Grier — mastering assistant Gary Laney — engineering, mixing Denny Purcell — mastering Todd Sholar — assistant engineer Keith Whitley — production

"Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way"

Musicians Sonny Garrish — steel guitar Vern Gosdin — background vocals on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Rob Hajacos — fiddle on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Emmylou Harris — background vocals on "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" Mitch Humphries — keyboards Jerry Kroon — drums Mike Lawler — synthesizer Larry Paxton — bass guitar Brent Rowan — acoustic guitar, electric guitar Keith Whitley — lead vocals Dennis Wilson — background vocals on "Some Old Side Road" Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young — background vocals on "Some Old Side Road"

Technical Bill Harris — engineering Blake Mevis — production

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1988–1989) Peak position Canadian Country Albums (RPM) 10 US Billboard 200[6] 121 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[8] 47 Chart (1989) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 14 Chart (1990) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] 39

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
		US Country	CAN Country
1987	"Would These Arms Be in Your Way"	36	—
	"Some Old Side Road"	16	32
1988	"Don't Close Your Eyes"	1	2
	"When You Say Nothing at All"	1	1
1989	"I'm No Stranger to the Rain"	1	1
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Production

• Produced by Garth Fundis and Keith Whitley except for tracks 6 and 7, produced by Blake Mevis for Southwind Music, Inc.
• Engineered By Bill Harris, Gary Laney & Todd Sholar
• Mixed By Garth Fundis & Gary Laney
• Digital Editing By Carlos Grier
• Mastered By Denny Purcell

References

1. Owens, Thom. "Don't Close Your Eyes review". Allmusic. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
2. Jack Hurst (May 15, 1988). "Back In Focus". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Keith Whitley: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
4. Don't Close Your Eyes (CD booklet). Keith Whitley. RCA Records. 1988. 6494-2-R.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Don't Close Your Eyes (CD booklet). Keith Whitley. RCA Records. 1988. 6494.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. "Keith Whitley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
7. "Keith Whitley Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
8. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
9. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
10. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
11. "American album certifications – Keith Whitley – Don't Close Your Eyes". Recording Industry Association of America.