“Gonna Take a Lot of River”
The Oak Ridge Boys
Written by Mark Henley and John Kurhajetz
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
September 30, 1988
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
October 29, 1988
The exit of William Lee Golden and the elevation of Steve Sanders to full band member reinvigorated the Oak Ridge Boys on their 1987 Heartbeat album.
On that set, the fresh production of Jimmy Bowen combined with a group that was singing from the same page from the first time in years. And while that set produced a top five hit and featured a lovely pre-hit version of “Love Without Mercy,” the Oaks still needed a single that would perfectly showcase what was special about their new approach.
Enter “Gonna Take a Lot of River,” which gave Monongahela its title and Sanders his first No. 1 hit as a lead singer. Smartly, he’s singing solo for the first verse, so when the harmonies kick in, it’s like the three classic Oaks are stand-ins for the Mississippi, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. They sound like the Oaks from days gone by, but more vital and immediate, because Bowen did away with the old approach of them singing together at one mic and stacking the harmonies multiple times.
Bowen joked that this made them sound like the Oak Ridge Tabernacle Choir, and I think that’s the key to why they were able to rejuvenate their sound by each singer laying down only one vocal track, and by recording those tracks successively instead of simultaneously. They are able to make their own individual singing choices in a way that is informed by what their bandmates are doing.
They just needed the right song to capture their quintessential joy while showcasing their new attitudes in the studio, and they got it. This would be their final No. 1 single of the eighties, but their 1989 album produced a No. 1 hit in 1990, their final chart-topper to date.
“Gonna Take a Lot of River” gets an A.
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I always had mixed feelings on the Steve Sanders era. He was an excellent vocalist and worked great in the traditional “lead singer” role, but another part of me missed the stacked harmonies that gave the Oak Ridge Boys such a distinct sound on the radio airwaves. In other words, the “Oak Ridge Tabernacle Choir” worked for me, even if the sound had grown a bit dated by 1988. I continued to enjoy their Sanders-era output though and this one worked nicely. The Cajun sound seemed to have a rising stock in this era and its presence elevates the chorus on this track. Plus I give them credit for their courage in taking on “Monongahela” in the chorus. As a geography buff, I recognized the name of this river even though it’s a thousand miles from where I grew up. I would never have been able to pronounce it right without an assist from the Oak Ridge Boys!
I also just listened to their version of “Love Without Mercy” and enjoyed it. I misread the original post and thought you meant they had a top-5 hit with it off of this album. It would have been pretty wild if that had somehow gotten by me.
Grade: B+
An excellent song, no doubt (and I love the references to the Monongahela River), though it now mostly evokes sadness in me reflecting on the tragic passings of Steve Sanders and Joe Bonsall.
This has always been a favorite, and IMO by far the best of the singles with Steve Sanders on lead vocals. The video is really fun too.
Beyond the newness of Steve Sanders, this hit did sound like a new beginning for the Oaks, energetically and sonically.
Reading how Bowen changed miking the Oaks and stacking their harmonies was new to me. It is a “cleaner” and more contemporary sound. I do think some of the warmth and intimacy of their vocals bleeding together into one mic is lost but they do sound absolutely born again with this new approach and most recent hit. They sound ready to run with the traditionalists but still on their own special terms.
This time, I can thank a country music single for taking me to geography class!
Hot damn! The Oaks were fun to follow this entire decade. Unexpectedly essential country music listening, no?