A Woman's Hand | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1970 | |||
Recorded | July 1969 | |||
Studio | Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country [1] | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Larry Butler | |||
Jean Shepard chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Woman's Hand | ||||
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A Woman's Hand is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in September 1970 by Capitol Records and was her sixteenth studio album. The collection of ten tracks featured a series of cover tunes by male country artists. Some of the songs were new material. Among them were its three singles: "Then He Touched Me", "I Want You Free" and the title track. Of the three, "Then He Touched Me" was its highest-charting, reaching the top ten on the US country chart. A Woman's Hand was reviewed positively by both Billboard and Cash Box magazines.
Jean Shepard was one of the first female country artists to find commercial success as solo act. Between the 1950s and 1970s, Shepard continuously made the country music popularity charts. [2] In the late sixties, Shepard made the transition from working with Kelso Herston to aspiring record producer Larry Butler. [3] Under his production, Shepard reached the top 20 with 1969's "Seven Lonely Days" and then reached the top ten with 1970's "Then He Touched Me". [4] The latter would be featured on Shepard's A Woman's Hand LP. [5]
A Woman's Hand was Shepard's second studio album produced by Larry Butler. The project was recorded at the Columbia Studios (located in Nashville, Tennessee) in July 1969. The album project contained a total of ten tracks. [5] Several of the songs on the album were covers of country hits by male performers. This included songs by Bill Anderson ("I'll Live for You"), Buck Owens ("Maybe If I Close My Eyes It'll Go Away") and Hank Williams ("I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)"). Among its new songs was "Then He Touched Me", which was written by George Richey and Norro Wilson. [5] [6]
A Woman's Hand was released by Capitol Records in September 1970. It was Shepard's sixteenth studio album in her career. Capitol distributed the album as a vinyl LP, with five songs on either side of the record. [5] The project received positive reviews from music magazines following its release. Billboard wrote, "Emotion, tenderness and sincerity are spelled out in the voice of Jean Shepard as she sings these fine tunes." [1] Cash Box magazine wrote, "A woman's hand can do a lot, but when the woman is Jean Shepard, her voice can do a lot more as is evidenced by this beautifully overpowering LP." [6]
A total of three singles were included on A Woman's Hand. The first single released was "Then He Touched Me" in December 1969. [7] The song became her ninth top ten single on the US Billboard country songs chart, peaking at number eight. [8] March 1970 saw the release of the title track as the second single. [9] It was rose to the US Billboard country top 30, peaking at number 23. [8] The third and last single released was "I Want You Free" in July 1970. [10] It was also a top 30 US country chart single, peaking at number 22. [8]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "A Woman's Hand" | Jan Crutchfield | 2:22 |
2. | "Born to Be with You" | Don Robertson | 2:23 |
3. | "My Arms Stay Open Late" |
| 2:20 |
4. | "I'll Live for You" | Bill Anderson | 2:35 |
5. | "What Went Wrong" | Nancy Apple | 1:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Want You Free" | Martha Sharpe | 2:43 |
2. | "Then He Touched Me" | 2:44 | |
3. | "I Love You More Today" | L. E. White | 2:20 |
4. | "Maybe If I Close My Eyes (It'll Go Away)" | Buck Owens | 2:13 |
5. | "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" | Hank Williams | 2:29 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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North America | September 1970 | Vinyl LP (Stereo) | Capitol Records | [5] |
Ollie Imogene "Jean" Shepard, was an American country singer who was considered by many writers and authors to be one of the genre's first significant female artists. Her early successes during the 1950s decade were said to influence the future careers of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
The discography of American country singer Jean Shepard contains 29 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, two live albums, 1 box set album, 72 lead and collaborative singles, four promotional singles, two other charted songs and nine album appearances. Her first singles were released by Capitol Records in 1953, beginning with "Crying Steel Guitar Waltz". Her next two releases featured vocals by Shepard and a recitation by Ferlin Husky. The first was "A Dear John Letter", Shepard's only number one single on the US Hot Country Songs chart. It also reached number four on the US pop chart and number three in Australia. The second was "Forgive Me, John", which reached the US country top five, the US pop top 30 and the Australia top 20. In 1955, her solo singles "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies" both reached number four on the US Hot Country Songs chart. Their B-sides also charted on the US country chart: "Take Possession" and "I Thought of You". The latter peaked in the US country top ten.
The discography of American country artist Jan Howard contains 17 studio albums, six compilation albums, 51 singles, one box set, two other charted songs and 12 additional album appearances. Her recordings were issued as singles beginning in 1958. The first to chart was issued by Challenge Records called "The One You Slip Around With". Released in 1959, it rose into the US Hot Country Songs top 20. It was followed by two duets with Wynn Stewart, including the chart record "Wrong Company". Howard's debut studio album, Sweet and Sentimental, featured dual credit with The Jordanaires and was issued by Capitol Records in 1962. In 1963, "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again" reached the top 30 of the US country songs chart.
"Slippin' Away" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bill Anderson and was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Inspired to write the song while watching an old film, Shepard chose to the song to record and it was released as her first single for the United Artists label in 1973. It became her first top ten US country song in several years and was issued on an album of the same name.
"Your Forevers (Don't Last Very Long)" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was written by Wes Buchanan, Cliffie Stone and Scott Turner. Released as a single by Capitol Records in 1967, it reached the top 20 of the US country songs chart. It received a positive review from Cash Box magazine and appeared on a studio album of Shepard's with a Your Forevers Don't Last Very Long.
"Then He Touched Me" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Written by George Richey and Norro Wilson, it reached the top ten of the US country chart and was nominated by the Grammy Awards. It was Shepard's ninth top ten single in her career and was included on her 1970 album A Woman's Hand.
Rock Me Back to Little Rock is a studio album by American country artist Jan Howard. It was released by Decca Records in June 1970 and was her tenth studio album. The project contained 11 tracks with a mixture of original tunes and cover songs. Among its tracks were two single releases: "We Had All the Good Things Going" and the title track. Both made appearances on the US country songs chart between 1969 and 1970. The album itself also made the US country chart. Both Billboard and Cash Box magazines reviewed the album following its release.
Wanda Jackson Country! is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in February 1970 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was Jackson's fifteenth studio album released in her recording career and her fifteen with the Capitol label. The album included four single releases that made chart positions on the American country music survey: "By the Time You Get to Phoenix", "Everything's Leaving", "My Big Iron Skillet" and "Two Separate Bar Stools".
A Woman Lives for Love is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in August 1970 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was the sixteenth studio album released in Jackson's career and the first to be solely-produced by George Richey. The album's title track, became a top 20 charting single on the American country chart prior to the album's original release. A Woman Lives for Love received a positive review from Billboard magazine in 1970.
Heart, We Did All That We Could is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in March 1967 by Capitol Records and featured 12 tracks. The album's material centered on heartbreak and despair. Six of the tracks were originally singles released between 1963 and 1967. Both "Second Fiddle " and "If Teardrops Were Silver" reached the US country top ten, while the title track reached the top 20. The album itself reached the US country top ten in 1967. The disc received positive reviews from both Billboard and Cashbox.
Your Forevers Don't Last Very Long is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in September 1967 by Capitol Records and consisted of 12 tracks. The album was both a collection of new recordings and cover tunes. Of the new recordings was the album's only single "Your Forevers ". The title track reached the top 20 on the US country chart in 1967. The album itself also reached the US country top 20 and received a positive review from Cash Box magazine.
Heart to Heart is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released by Capitol Records in February 1968 and contained 12 tracks. The album's material mixed ballads with uptempo material. Many of the album's songs were cover tunes. Its lead single was "I Don't See How I Can Make It", a top 40 entry on the US country chart. The album received positive reviews from publications following its release. It was the eleventh studio album in Shepard's career.
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.
Seven Lonely Days is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in September 1969 by Capitol Records and was her fourteenth studio album. The ten-track collection featured several covers, including the title track. Released as a single, the title track reached the top 20 of the US country songs chart. The album itself also reached the US country albums survey. Seven Lonely Days received reviews from both music magazines and music websites following its release.
Best by Request is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in March 1970 by Capitol Records and was her fifteenth studio album. The songs were re-recordings Shepard revisited, which were considered her best known songs such as "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies". Best by Request made the US country albums chart following its release and received a positive review from Cash Box magazine.
"A Woman's Hand" is a song written by Jan Crutchfield. It was originally recorded by American country singer Barbara Fairchild and was released as a single in 1969. Her version entered the top 70 of the US country songs chart. It was notably recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard whose version was released as a separate single in 1970. Shepard's version reached the top 30 of the US country chart. Both songs appeared on individual studio albums by each recording artist.
"I Want You Free" is a song written by Martha Sharpe and first recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Released as a single in 1970, it reached the top 40 of the US country songs chart. It was later included on Shepard's 1970 album A Woman's Hand and received reviews from two music publications following its release.
"With His Hand in Mine" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Released as a single in 1971, it reached the top 40 of the US country songs chart. It was later included on her 1971 album Just as Soon as I Get Over Loving You and received reviews from two music publications following its release.
Here & Now is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in March 1971 by Capitol Records and was her seventeenth studio album. The album consisted of ten tracks, most of which were covers of songs from the era. Among them were recordings first made popular by Conway Twitty and John Denver. Its only single was a new recording titled "Another Lonely Night". The single reached the top 20 of the US country chart in 1971. Here & Now received positive reviews from both Billboard and Cash Box magazines.
Just as Soon as I Get Over Loving You is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released by Capitol Records in September 1971 and was her eighteenth studio album. The project consisted of ten tracks featuring new material and cover tunes. Of its new recordings were two singles: the title track and "With His Hand in Mine". The latter was a top 25 US country single in 1971. The album was met with positive reviews from publications following its release.