A Real Good Woman

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A Real Good Woman
Jean Shepard--A Real Good Woman.jpg
Studio album by
Jean Shepard
ReleasedOctober 1968 (1968-10)
RecordedMarch 1968 (1968-03)
Studio Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Country [1]
Label Capitol
Producer Billy Graves
Jean Shepard chronology
Heart to Heart
(1968)		A Real Good Woman
(1968)		I'll Fly Away
(1969)
Singles from A Real Good Woman
  1. "An Old Bridge"
    Released: January 1968
  2. "A Real Good Woman"
    Released: May 1968

A Real Good Woman is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in October 1968 by Capitol Records and was her twelfth studio album. It consisted of 12 tracks, two of which were originally singles: "An Old Bridge" and the title track. The latter was a top 40 single on the US country chart. A Real Good Woman received positive reviews by music publications following its release.

Contents

Background, recording and content

Jean Shepard first rose to country music stardom in the 1950s and would have 20 years of chart records. In the 1950s honky tonk era, she had top ten singles with "A Dear John Letter" and "A Satisfied Mind". During the 1960s, her career regained momentum with further top ten singles like "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" and "If Teardrops Were Silver". During sixties alone, Shepard had 15 US top 40 country singles. [2] A Real Good Woman was among her studio albums released during the 1960s. Recorded with producer Billy Graves, sessions were held in March 1968 at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. [3] A Real Good Woman consisted of 12 tracks. Included were two songs written by Mel Tillis: "All Right (I'll Sign the Papers)" and "All the Time". Also featured was Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind". [3] [1]

Release, critical reception, chart performance and singles

A Real Good Woman was released by Capitol Records in October 1968. It was distributed as a vinyl LP and an 8-track cartridge, with six songs on each side of the record. It marked the twelfth album of Shepard's career. [3] Shepard's vocal delivery received a positive reception from music publications. Billboard wrote, "The distinctive style of Jean Shepard makes virtually every one of these cuts and outstanding performance." [4] Record World rated it four stars and commented, "Jean Shepard is not only a real good woman, she is a real good vocalist, a fact this album attests to." [5]

It was given a three out of five star rating from AllMusic. [1] A Real Good Woman became Shepard's eighth studio album to make the US Billboard Top Country Albums, reaching number 32 in 1968. [6] Two singles were included on the disc. "An Old Bridge" was originally issued in January 1968 [7] and reached number 52 on the US country songs chart. [8] It was followed in May 1968 by the title track, [9] which reached number 32 on the US country songs chart. [8]

Track listing

Side one [3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Real Good Woman"Johnnie & Jonie Mosby2:24
2."An Old Bridge" Hank Mills 2:17
3."Walk Out of My Mind" Red Lane 2:19
4."My World Is You"
2:48
5."All Right (I'll Sign the Papers)" Mel Tillis 2:20
6."The Last Thing on My Mind" Tom Paxton 2:18
Side two [3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take Me to Your World"
2:48
2."Just for You"
2:13
3."All the Time"
  • Tillis
  • Wayne P. Walker
2:32
4."The Trouble with Girls"Ted Harris2:29
5."Take Me as I Am" Boudleaux Bryant 2:45
6."Promises, Promises"
2:11

Chart performance

Chart (1968)Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [10] 32

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
North AmericaOctober 1968
  • Vinyl LP (Stereo)
  • Vinyl LP (Stereo Club Edition)
  • 8-track cartridge
Capitol Records [3]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "A Real Good Woman: Jean Shepard: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Cooper, Dan. "Jean Shepard Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shepard, Jean (October 1968). "A Real Good Woman (Liner Notes)". Capitol Records . ST-2966 (Stereo); ST-82966 (Stereo Club Edition); 8-XT2966 (8-track).
  4. ↑ "Billboard Album Reviews: Country". Billboard . October 26, 1968. p. 84. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "COUNTRY LP REVIEWS" (PDF). Record World . November 9, 1968. p. 53. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums, 1964-2007. Record Research, Inc. ISBN   978-0898201734.
  7. ↑ Shepard, Jean (January 1968). ""An Old Bridge"/"My New Darlin'" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records . 2073.
  8. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research.
  9. ↑ Shepard, Jean (May 1968). ""A Real Good Woman"/"The Trouble with Girls" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records . 2180.
  10. ↑ "Jean Shepard Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
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