Coming On Strong (Brenda Lee album)

Last updated
Coming on Strong
Brenda Lee--Coming on Strong.jpg
Studio album by
Brenda Lee
ReleasedNovember 28, 1966 (1966-11-28)
RecordedAugust–September 1966
Studio Bradley's Barn, Mount Juliet, Tennessee
Genre
Label Decca
Producer Owen Bradley
Brenda Lee chronology
10 Golden Years
(1966)		Coming on Strong
(1966)		 Reflections in Blue
(1967)
Singles from Coming on Strong
  1. "Coming on Strong"
    Released: September 1966

Coming on Strong is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on November 28, 1966, via Decca Records and was her seventeenth studio project. The album consisted of ten tracks, many of which were covers of songs recorded by other artists. The album's title track was the only single included. It reached the top 20 on the US record chart and the top ten of the Canadian record chart. The album itself also made the US chart following its release. Coming Strong received mixed reviews from critics following its release.

Contents

Background, recording and content

Considered a "child prodigy", Brenda Lee was signed to Decca Records as a preteen and recorded predominantly as a Rockabilly artist. In her teens, she graduated to pop material and would have her greatest commercial success. Songs like "I'm Sorry", "Dum Dum", "Break It to Me Gently" and "All Alone Am I" were top ten US chart songs. As the decade progressed, Lee's commercial success began to wane. Yet, her singles managed to reach the top 20 in the US while also being popular in other countries. Her last US top 20 entry was the 1966 single "Coming on Strong". [3] Her album of the same name was released in 1966 and featured the song. [1]

Coming on Strong was recorded at Bradley's Barn, a studio located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee and owned by the album's producer, Owen Bradley. Sessions for the album were held between August and September 1966. [4] The album project consisted of 12 tracks. [1] A variety of music styles were represented on the album. [5] Many of the album's material were cover songs of recent singles by other artists. This included Lee's rendition of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", "What Now My Love", "Crying Time" and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)". [2] [1]

Release and critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg

Coming on Strong was released by Decca Records on November 28, 1966. It was the seventeenth studio project in Lee's career. The album was distributed as a vinyl LP, with six selections on both sides of the record. [4] Coming on Strong was met with mixed reviews from critics. Billboard called the album an "exceptional package" and found that Lee "adds her own magic" to the cover songs on the track listing. [2] Cashbox magazine also gave Coming on Strong a positive review. In referencing her vocal performance, the magazine wrote, "The perennial top selling artist has done it again". [5] Meanwhile, AllMusic only rated the album 2.5 out of 5 possible stars. Critic Greg Adams found the album project to be "an underwhelming collection of adult contemporary material with a heavy emphasis on ballads". Furthermore, Adams concluded, "'Coming on Strong' is an excellent single that shows that Brenda Lee could still hit with quality material, but the remainder of the album is too middle-of-the-road in its execution to be fully satisfying." [1]

Chart performance and singles

Coming on Strong reached the number 94 position on the US Billboard 200 record chart in 1966. It was Lee's second studio album to consecutively reach the number 94 position the chart. It was also her third album (including her 1966 compilation 10 Golden Years ) to make the Billboard 200 in 1966. It was also among Lee's lowest charting releases that made the Billboard 200. [6] The title track was the album's only single included. The single was originally released by Decca in September 1966. [7] The song was Lee's last top 20 entry on the US Hot 100, reaching the number 11 position. [8] Internationally, it reached number 76 in Australia [9] while reaching the top ten in Canada, peaking at number nine. [10]

Track listing

Side one [4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Coming on Strong" David Wilkins 2:00
2."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
2:53
3."Summer Wind"
2:12
4."Kiss Away"
2:52
5."Call Me" Tony Hatch 2:30
6."What Now My Love"
2:00
Side two [4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
2:06
2."Crying Time" Buck Owens 3:12
3."Strangers in the Night"
2:29
4."Sweet Dreams (Of You)" Don Gibson 2:51
5."You've Got Your Troubles"
2:32
6."Somewhere"
2:04

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Coming on Strong. [4]

Chart performance

Chart (1966)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [11] 94

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
November 28, 1966
  • Vinyl LP (Mono)
  • Vinyl LP (Stereo)
 Festival Records [12]
JapanVinyl LP (Stereo)Decca Records [13]
North America
  • Vinyl LP (Mono)
  • Vinyl LP (Stereo)
 [4]
United Kingdom Brunswick Records [14]
Brazil1967Vinyl LP (Mono)Decca Records [15]
Singapore1968Vinyl LP (Stereo) Life Records [16]
Japan1975Vinyl LP MCA Coral [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>By Request</i> (Brenda Lee album) 1964 studio album by Brenda Lee

By Request is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on May 18, 1964 via Decca Records and contained 12 tracks. A majority of the album featured covers of songs first made popular by other recording artists of the era. Of its new recordings were three singles: "I Wonder", "The Grass Is Greener" and "As Usual". The singles reached top ten and top 20 positions on record charts throughout the world. By Request was met with mixed reviews upon its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Lee albums discography</span>

The albums discography of American singer Brenda Lee contains 36 studio albums, two live albums, 63 compilation albums, two video albums, two box sets, 69 extended plays (EP's) and nine additional album appearances. In August 1959, Decca Records released Lee's debut studio album titled Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang!. Her second studio album Brenda Lee (1960) was the first to make the US Billboard 200 chart, climbing to number five. In October 1960, This Is...Brenda reached number four in the US and was her highest-charting album there. Lee's fifth album All the Way (1961) was her first to make the UK albums chart, rising to number 20. All Alone Am I (1963) was Lee's highest-charting UK album, rising to number eight in 1962. The Decca and Brunswick labels also issued a series of EP's by Lee during the 1950s and 1960s. Although none of them made charting positions both labels issued 66 EP's by 1967.

<i>Brenda Lee</i> (album) 1960 studio album by Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee is the second studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released August 1, 1960 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The album's second single "Sweet Nothin's" became Lee's first major hit single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking within the Top 10. This was followed by the third single "I'm Sorry" released the following year that became her first single to top the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>This Is...Brenda</i> 1960 studio album by Brenda Lee

This Is...Brenda is the third studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released on October 10, 1960, on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The release was Brenda Lee's second studio album released during 1960 and contained the single "I Want to Be Wanted", which became a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Emotions</i> (Brenda Lee album) 1961 studio album by Brenda Lee

Emotions is the fourth studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released on April 3, 1961 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was one of two studio albums released by Lee in 1961 and its title track became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

<i>All the Way</i> (Brenda Lee album) 1961 studio album by Brenda Lee

All the Way is the fifth studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released August 7, 1961, on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the second of two studio albums released by Brenda Lee in 1961 and spawned the single "Dum Dum", which became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and a UK single "Speak to Me Pretty", which reached No.3 on the UK singles chart.

<i>Brenda, Thats All</i> 1962 studio album by Brenda Lee

Brenda, That's All is the seventh studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released October 15, 1962 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the second of two studio albums released in 1962 and included two Top 10 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1963.

<i>All Alone Am I</i> (album) 1963 studio album by Brenda Lee

All Alone Am I is the eighth studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released February 18, 1963, on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The album was the first of two studio albums released in 1963 and the album's title track became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>..."Let Me Sing"</i> 1963 studio album by Brenda Lee

..."Let Me Sing" is the ninth studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released December 9, 1963, on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The album was the second and final album studio album released by Brenda Lee in 1963.

<i>Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind</i> 1966 studio album by Jan Howard

Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind is a studio album by American country artist, Jan Howard. It was released in July 1966 via Decca Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the second studio album of Howard's music career and her first with the Decca label. The disc combined new recordings with cover tunes. Among its songs was the title track, which was one of the four singles included on the album. It became top five single on the American country chart in 1966 while the album itself reached the top ten of the American country albums chart around the same time.

<i>Bad Seed</i> (Jan Howard album) 1966 studio album by Jan Howard

Bad Seed is a studio album by American country music artist Jan Howard. It was released in November 1966 via Decca Records and featured 12 tracks. The third studio album of her recording career, Bad Seed was named for its title track, which reached the top ten of the country charts in 1966. The disc was met with a favorable review from Cashbox following its release.

<i>Count Your Blessings, Woman</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Jan Howard

Count Your Blessings, Woman is a studio album by American country music artist, Jan Howard. It was released in June 1968 on Decca Records and contained 11 tracks. Most of the disc featured covers of popular songs of the era. The album's title track was spawned as a single, becoming a top 20 song on the Billboard country chart in 1968. Additionally, the album would reach peak positions on the American country albums chart. It was reviewed positively by Billboard magazine.

<i>Brenda Lee Sings Top Teen Hits</i> 1965 studio album by Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee Sings Top Teen Hits is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released by Decca Records on February 15, 1965, and contained 12 tracks. The album mostly featured songs made popular during the era in which it was released. Three additional songs were new recordings which were singles for Lee: "When You Loved Me", "Is It True" and "Thanks a Lot". Of its three singles, "Is It True" made the top 20 in the US and the UK. The album was met with positive reviews upon its release.

<i>The Versatile Brenda Lee</i> 1965 studio album by Brenda Lee

The Versatile Brenda Lee is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on May 17, 1965, by Decca Records and was her twelfth studio album. The album was a collection of 12 tracks and was named for the album's mixed range of material. Of its songs was Lee's single "Truly, Truly True", which became a charting US single in 1965. The album was met with mixed reviews following its release.

<i>Too Many Rivers</i> (album) 1965 studio album by Brenda Lee

Too Many Rivers is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on September 2, 1965, via Decca Records and was her thirteenth studio album. The disc consisted of 12 tracks that were mostly covers of songs recorded by other artists. Of its new tracks were two singles of Lee's: "Think" and "Too Many Rivers". Both tracks made record charts in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. The title track was the highest-charting single, reaching the US top 20 in 1965. The album was met with positive reviews from critics.

<i>Bye Bye Blues</i> (album) 1966 studio album by Brenda Lee

Bye Bye Blues is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on March 14, 1966, via Decca Records and was her sixteenth studio album. The project consisted of 12 tracks, most of which were cover tunes recorded originally by other artists. A new song was also included called "Rusty Bells", which was the album's only single. The song made the US top 40 and the US adult contemporary top ten in 1965.

<i>10 Golden Years</i> 1966 compilation album by Brenda Lee

10 Golden Years is a compilation album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released on May 23, 1966, by Decca Records and consisted of ten tracks. The album was meant as a celebration of Lee's ten years as a recording artist for the Decca label. It featured ten tracks recorded between 1956 and 1965, many of which were her most popular singles from her career up to that point.

<i>Reflections in Blue</i> (Brenda Lee album) 1967 studio album by Brenda Lee

Reflections in Blue is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on October 16, 1967, by Decca Records and was her eighteenth studio project. The album was considered a departure from Lee's previous studio projects in its musical style. Many of the tracks incorporated a Blues element and many were covers of previously recorded tracks. The album was met with positive reviews from publications.

<i>For the First Time</i> (Brenda Lee and Pete Fountain album) 1968 studio album by Brenda and Pete

For the First Time is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee and American instrumentalist Pete Fountain. Credited under the names "Brenda and Pete", For the First Time was released by Decca Records on March 15, 1968, and featured 11 tracks. The recordings featured Lee performing lead vocals while Fountain provided instrumentation solos on his clarinet. The album was met with positive reviews from critics following its release. It also made the US albums chart in 1968.

<i>Johnny One Time</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Brenda Lee

Johnny One Time is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on May 19, 1969, by Decca Records and was her twentieth studio album. A total of 11 tracks comprised the album, many of which were covers. The title track was a charting single in the US and Canada in 1969. The album was met with positive reviews from critics after its release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adams, Greg. "Coming on Strong: Brenda Lee: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Album Reviews: Pop Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard . November 26, 1966. p. 84. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Brenda Lee Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lee, Brenda (November 28, 1966). "Coming on Strong (Liner Notes)". Decca Records . DL-4825 (Mono); DL-74825 (Stereo).
  5. 1 2 "Album Reviews: Pop Picks" (PDF). Cashbox . November 26, 1966. p. 48. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Albums Includes Every Album that Made the Billboard 200 Chart : 50 Year History of the Rock Era. Record Research, Inc. p. 591. ISBN   978-0898201666.
  7. ↑ Lee, Brenda (September 1966). ""Coming on Strong"/"You Keep Coming Back to Me" (7" vinyl single)". Decca Records . 32018.
  8. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. ISBN   978-0-89820-188-8.
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Search results for "Brenda Lee" under Top Singles". RPM. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  11. ↑ "Brenda Lee Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  12. ↑ Lee, Brenda (November 28, 1966). "Coming on Strong [Australia]". Festival Records . DL-32-166 (Mono); (Stereo) SDL-932-166.
  13. ↑ Lee, Brenda (November 28, 1966). "Coming on Strong [Japan]". Decca Records . DL-10272 (Stereo).
  14. ↑ Lee, Brenda (November 28, 1966). "Coming on Strong [UK]". Brunswick Records . LAT-8672 (Mono); STA-8672 (Stereo).
  15. ↑ Lee, Brenda (1967). "Coming on Strong [Brazil]". Decca Records . DL-12053 (Mono).
  16. ↑ Lee, Brenda (1968). "Coming on Strong [Singapore]". Life Records . DL-74825 (Stereo).
  17. ↑ Lee, Brenda (1975). "Coming on Strong [Japan reissue]". MCA Coral . MCL-3018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.