Vince Gill is known for having an incredible voice and style, both of which suit country and rock music beautifully. But Gill is also an enormously accomplished songwriter. Many of his compositions have gone on to become charting hits. In the case of the following songs, though, I can’t help but think that Vince Gill should have held onto them and recorded them himself. Let’s take a look!
“Here We Are” by Alabama from ‘Pass It On Down’ (1991)
This country hit, recorded by the band Alabama, was written by Vince Gill and Beth Nielsen Chapman. This might just be the biggest example of a Gill-penned tune climbing the charts without a Gill-recorded track. “Here We Are” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 3 on the Canadian country chart in 1991.
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Alabama enjoyed some serious success with the song, and I feel like Vince Gill would have reached similar heights if he had recorded it himself.
“Never Alone” by Rosanne Cash from ‘Rhythm & Romance’ (1985)
Vince Gill and Rosanne Cash had a hand in writing this gorgeous country tune, but it first went to Cash’s album, Rhythm & Romance, in 1985. The song wasn’t released as a single, though it has become something of a fan favorite.
Gill would later record a version for his own album, When I Call Your Name, in 1989. Gill opted to release the song as a single, and it reached No. 22 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Both versions are quite beautiful, but I think Gill should have released his version first. It might have done even bigger numbers on the charts.
“The River’s Gonna Keep On Rolling” by Amy Grant from ‘Legacy… Hymns And Faith’ (2002)
Unsurprisingly, Vince Gill has written a song or two for his wife, Amy Grant. He penned “The River’s Gonna Keep On Rolling”, accompanying the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”, on Grant’s 2002 album Legacy… Hymns And Faith. The song was not released as a single. But it was loved enough to win a GMA Dove Award for Country Recorded Song of the Year.
Grant’s version is a beautiful devotional piece. However, I do also think it would have sounded amazing on a Gill record. Considering how well these two work as duet partners, a duet version of “The River’s Gonna Keep On Rolling” would have been incredible, too.
Photo by Beth Gwinn/Redferns