Still Holding On
"Still Holding On" is a country power ballad recorded by American country music artists Clint Black and Martina McBride, written by Black along with Matraca Berg and Marty Stuart. It was released in June 1997 as the first single from Black's album Nothin' but the Taillights and McBride's album Evolution.
| "Still Holding On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Clint Black and Martina McBride | ||||
| from the album Nothin' but the Taillights and Evolution | ||||
| B-side | "Still Holding On" (long version) | |||
| Released | June 2, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:37 (album version) 4:53 (long version) 3:57 (single version) | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville #64850 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Clint Black, Matraca Berg, Marty Stuart | |||
| Producer(s) | Clint Black, James Stroud | |||
| Clint Black singles chronology | ||||
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| Martina McBride singles chronology | ||||
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History
Black told Billboard that Joe Galante, then the chairman of RCA Records, suggested that he record a duet, because he thought that it would be a good time in Black's career for him to release one.[1] Because of her busy schedule, McBride cut the duet vocals with Black in one day.[1]
The song received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998.[2]
Still Holding On is also a television film which aired in 1998 based on the rodeo career of Jack Favor, who served seven years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary on false conviction of two murders based on perjured testimony He was acquitted in a second trial in 1974. Black plays Favor in the film, and Lisa Hartman Black is cast as Ponder Favor, Jack's wife.[3]
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Black's and McBride's voices "blend beautifully, and when they soar into the chorus, it's goosebumps time." She goes on to call the song "the clearest possible definition of a hit."[4]
Chart performance
On the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in the United States, "Still Holding On" debuted on the chart dated for the week ending June 14, 1997. It spent twenty weeks on that chart, peaking at number 11.[5]
In Canada, the song debuted at number 83 on the RPM Country Tracks charts on the week of June 16[6] and peaked at number 1 on the week of August 18.[7] In addition, it peaked at number 50 on the same publication's Adult Contemporary chart.[8]
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] | 50 |
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10] | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 11 |
References
- Price, Deborah Evans (19 July 1997). "McBride Puts Time to Good Use". Billboard.
- "At 40, Grammys holding their own". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 22 February 1998. p. L04. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- "Bill Whitaker, "'Big Daddy' Favor a Weighty Character for Clint Black", April 27, 1998". texnews.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- Billboard, June 14, 1997
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- "RPM Country chart for June 16, 1997". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- "RPM Country chart for August 18, 1997". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- "RPM Adult Contemporary chart for July 14, 1997". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3261." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 14, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3299." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 18, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- "Clint Black Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997". RPM. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
