Editing Randy Travis (section)

===1997{{ndash}}1999: DreamWorks Records===
By August 1997, Travis had become the first artist signed to DreamWorks Records's Nashville division.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/113418825/ | title=Singer's going Hollywood | work=[[The Tennessean]] | date=August 28, 1997 | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Will Pinkston | page=1A}}</ref> The new label's president was musician and producer James Stroud, who had played on some of Travis' singles, including "Forever and Ever, Amen".{{sfn|Travis|Abraham|2019|pages=135, 136, 142}} As Lehning's duties at Asylum left him temporarily unavailable, Stroud and [[Byron Gallimore]] produced Travis for DreamWorks.{{sfn|Travis|Abraham|2019|page=143}} "[[Out of My Bones]]" was the first single release for DreamWorks Nashville, in 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nRQEAAAAMBAJ | title=DreamWorks Nashville hits stride with Keith, Andrews | author=Phyllis Stark | magazine=Billboard | page=25 | date=April 21, 2001}}</ref> Co-written by [[Gary Burr]] and [[Sharon Vaughn]], it peaked at number two on the country charts early in 1998.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} It appeared on his first DreamWorks album ''[[You and You Alone (album)|You and You Alone]]'', issued in April.<ref name="allmusic"/> The project also accounted for the top-ten hits "[[The Hole (song)|The Hole]]" and "[[Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man]]" and the top-20 "[[Stranger in My Mirror]]". Both "The Hole" and "Stranger in My Mirror" were co-written by Skip Ewing.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" was previously recorded by [[Mark Collie]] on his 1995 album ''[[Tennessee Plates]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r227835 | title=''Tennessee Plates'' | publisher=AllMusic | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Thom Owens}}</ref> Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time criticized the heavy drums on "I Did My Part", but otherwise praised the use of acoustic instruments and the strength of Travis's voice.<ref name="remz alone">{{cite web | url=https://countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=2281 | title=''You and You Alone'' | publisher=Country Standard Time | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Jeffrey B. Remz}}</ref> ''[[Lincoln Journal Star]]'' writer L. Kent Wolgamott noted the presence of [[fiddle]] and [[steel guitar]] in the production while also calling Travis's voice "expressive".<ref name="lincoln"/>

In 1999, Travis was one of several artists on the collaborative song "Same Old Train", featured on the multi-artist album ''[[Tribute to Tradition]]''. Other acts appearing on the song included [[Clint Black]], [[Dwight Yoakam]], and [[Pam Tillis]], along with [[Marty Stuart]], who wrote and produced it.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tribute-to-tradition-mw0000600042 | title=''Tribute to Tradition'' | publisher=AllMusic | accessdate=January 20, 2024 | author=Jana Pendragon}}</ref> The track won a [[Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals]].<ref name="grammy"/> Travis's second and final DreamWorks album ''[[A Man Ain't Made of Stone]]'' released in 1999.<ref name="allmusic"/> [[A Man Ain't Made of Stone (song)|title track]] (co-written by Burr) was a top-20 country hit by year's end, but the other singles, "Where Can I Surrender", "A Little Left of Center", and "I'll Be Right Here Loving You", all missed the top 40.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} Gallimore and Stroud recorded the album largely in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], where Travis and Hatcher had a house at the time.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/265115575 | title=Randy Travis rolls into town for concert | work=Journal and Courier | date=September 29, 2000 | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Tim Brook | page=10}}</ref> Following the failure of the later singles, Travis exited DreamWorks in 2000.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/409621664 | title=Daddy-to-be Vince Gill plans light tour | work=[[Dayton Daily News]] | date=October 13, 2000 | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Lise Morgan | page=29}}</ref> Shortly after his departure, Travis told Country Standard Time that he chose to leave DreamWorks because he felt the label had not properly distributed the album. He added that Stroud's production style put too much emphasis on instrumentation instead of his singing voice.<ref name="inspiration">{{cite web | url=https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/print_article.asp?xid=809 | title=Randy Travis finds inspiration | publisher=Country Standard Time | date=December 2000 | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Jeffrey B. Remz}}</ref>