"A Lesson in Leavin'" | ||||
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Single by Dottie West | ||||
from the album Special Delivery | ||||
B-side | "Love's So Easy for Two" | |||
Released | February 1980 | |||
Genre | Country pop | |||
Length | 3:02 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Songwriter(s) | Randy Goodrum Brent Maher | |||
Producer(s) | Larry Butler | |||
Dottie West singles chronology | ||||
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"A Lesson in Leavin'", also titled as "Lesson in Leavin"', is a song written by Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher. It was originally recorded in 1979 by American country music singer, Dottie West, for her Special Delivery album.
Following several hit duets with Kenny Rogers including three chart-toppers, as well as many more years of solo chart action, including her top five smash "Country Sunshine" the song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1980, giving West her first solo chart topper. In 1999, it was re-recorded by American country music singer, Jo Dee Messina, whose version spent seven weeks at No. 2 on the same chart. Messina recorded the song as a tribute to West who died in 1991.
Both versions of "A Lesson in Leavin'" are set at a mid-beat tempo. The song discusses how a woman is angry that her male lover has left her. She hopes that the man's next lover treats him the way the woman was treated, saying that he will be given "a lesson in leavin'."
Dottie West was the first singer to release the song as a single and titled it "A Lesson in Leavin'". West's version was recorded in country pop style that was apparent on most her singles in the 1980s. [1] West's version peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart the week of April 26, 1980, and was her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist, along with another No. 1 single shortly afterwards titled, "Are You Happy Baby?." [2] In addition the single was reached No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a minor hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The song helped to revitalize West's career, after having a series of unsuccessful solo singles in the 1970s. The song helped West endure popularity during the early 1980s.
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
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US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [4] | 73 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [5] | 42 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 23 |
Chart (1980) | Position |
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US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] | 16 |
"Lesson in Leavin'" | ||||
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Single by Jo Dee Messina | ||||
from the album I'm Alright | ||||
Released | April 26, 1999 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | Curb | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Jo Dee Messina singles chronology | ||||
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Jo Dee Messina released a cover of West's original "A Lesson in Leavin'", but retitled the song, "Lesson in Leavin'". The song was released in 1999 as the fourth single from Messina's second album, 1998's I'm Alright . The song was a major hit in 1999, spending seven weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart that summer. [7]
"Lesson in Leavin'" debuted at number 56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 1, 1999.
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [8] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [9] | 28 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10] | 2 |
Chart (1999) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [11] | 44 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [12] | 93 |
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [13] | 3 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [14] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Jo Dee Marie Messina is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week number-one songs from the same album. To date, she has two platinum and three gold-certified albums by the RIAA.
I'm Alright is the second studio album by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in 1998. Her highest selling album to date, it has been certified 2× Platinum for U.S. sales of two million copies. The album produced the singles "I'm Alright", "Bye, Bye", and "Stand Beside Me" — all of which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts — as well as a cover of Dottie West's "A Lesson in Leaving" and "Because You Love Me". Respectively, these last two singles reached #2 and #8 on the country charts.
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Special Delivery is a studio album by American country artist Dottie West. It was released by both Liberty Records and United Artists Records in November 1979. The album was released following a successful commercial comeback in West's career. Its new country pop production style was considered a departure from her previous recordings. The project consisted of ten tracks, six of which were composed by producers Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher. Three of the tracks were singles, including West's first solo chart-topper "A Lesson in Leavin'". Special Delivery reached the top 20 of the US country chart and was among her longest-running albums on the country survey
"Last Time I Saw Him" is a 1973 song by Diana Ross, being a composition by Michael Masser and lyricist Pam Sawyer. The track was produced by Masser and released as the first single on December 6, 1973, from her album of the same name.
Charles Randolph Goodrum is an American songwriter, pianist, and producer. Goodrum has written number one songs in each of the four decades since his first number one hit, 1978's "You Needed Me".
American country music artist Jo Dee Messina has released six studio albums, two compilation albums, three extended plays, and 33 singles. She signed with Curb Records and released her self-titled debut album in 1996. The album spawned two top-ten hits: "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and "You're Not in Kansas Anymore". Messina's second studio album I'm Alright was released in March 1998. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number sixty one on the Billboard 200 list. The album produced three number one Billboard Hot Country Songs singles: "Bye Bye, "I'm Alright", and "Stand Beside Me". Messina's third studio release Burn was issued in March 2000. Not only becoming her first number-one album on the country albums chart, it also peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard 200. It would later certify platinum from the RIAA. The album's lead single "That's the Way" became her fourth number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. Burn also spawned "Bring on the Rain" and became Messina's fifth number-one country song.
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"Bye Bye" is a song written by Rory Bourke and Phil Vassar and recorded by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in January 1998 as the first single from Messina's album I'm Alright, and her first number-one single on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts, spending two weeks at number one on the former. "Bye, Bye" was certified gold by the RIAA on September 4, 1998, alongside "I'm Alright."
"Husbands and Wives" is a song written and first recorded by American country music singer Roger Miller. Miller's original, from his album Words and Music, was released in February 1966 and was a crossover hit for him, reaching Top Ten on the U.S. country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Top 40 on the pop charts. Since the release of Miller's original, the song has been covered by several other artists, including The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, a duet between David Frizzell and Shelly West, Jules Shear, and Brooks & Dunn, whose version was a number-one country hit in 1998.
"Stand Beside Me" is a song written by Stephen Allen Davis, and recorded by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in October 1998 as the third single from her album I'm Alright. The song spent three weeks at the top of the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, making Messina the first female artist to score three multi-week Number One singles from one album.
"That's the Way" is a song written by Annie Roboff and Holly Lamar, and recorded by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in May 2000 as lead-off single for her album Burn. The song spent four weeks at the top of the Hot Country Singles & Tracks, and was her highest-peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached No. 25.
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"Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again" is a song recorded by American country and pop music artist Debby Boone. It was released in February 1980 as the first single from the album Love Has No Reason. The song was written by Debbie Hupp and Bob Morrison.
"Ashes by Now" is a song written by Rodney Crowell. It has since been recorded several times by various musical artists in the country music format. The song was first recorded by Crowell himself, eventually releasing it as a single in 1980.
"Because You Love Me" is a song written by Kostas and John Scott Sherrill, and recorded by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in October 1999 as the fifth and final single from her album I'm Alright. The song peaked at number 8 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 11 on the Canadian RPM Country Singles. It also peaked at number 53 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 making it a minor crossover hit.
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The singles discography of American country artist Dottie West contains 59 singles released as a solo artist, 12 singles released as a collaborative artist, 3 promotional singles and 1 other charting song. West signed with RCA Victor Records in 1963, having her first Top 40 hit the same year. It was followed in 1964 by "Love Is No Excuse", a duet with Jim Reeves that became West's first top 10 hit. In 1964, she also released "Here Comes My Baby". The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and became the first song by a female country artist to win a Grammy award. From her 1966 album, West issued four singles, including the top 10 hits "Would You Hold It Against Me" and "What's Come Over My Baby". Over the next two years she had major hits with "Paper Mansions", "Like a Fool", "Country Girl", and "Reno". In 1969, West collaborated with Don Gibson on "Rings of Gold", which reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart. In 1973, she released a single version of a commercial jingle originally used by The Coca-Cola Company. Entitled "Country Sunshine", the song became West's biggest hit, reaching number 2 on the country songs chart and number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also nominated her for her eleventh Grammy. After releasing the top 10 hit "Last Time I Saw Him" (1974), West's chart hits declined and she was dropped from RCA in 1976.