Cream of the Crop | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 1968 | |||
Recorded | June 1967 – June 1968 | |||
Studio | Columbia Studio | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer |
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Wanda Jackson chronology | ||||
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Singles from Cream of the Crop | ||||
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Cream of the Crop is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson and her band The Party Timers. It was released in August 1968 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the twelfth studio album of Jackson's career and her second to give equal billing to The Party Timers. The project included three single releases, all of which reached charting positions on the North American country music sales chart. The album itself also reached charting positions in North America. Cream of the Crop received a positive review following its original release.
Wanda Jackson transitioned back into country music following a series of Rockabilly releases during the 1950s with songs like "Let's Have a Party". She had commercial success in 1961 with the country songs "Right or Wrong" and "In the Middle of a Heartache". She continued recording further country albums and singles during the 1960s and became more identified with the genre throughout the decade. [2] Cream of the Crop was among the albums Jackson recorded for the country music field during this period. The project was recorded in sessions produced by Ken Nelson, along with Kelso Herston. It was Jackson's first album co-produced and to feature Herston on studio credits. The album was recorded between June 1967 and June 1968 at the Columbia Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. [3]
Cream of the Crop consisted of 12 recordings, all of which were composed by other songwriters besides Jackson. [1] It was Jackson's second studio album to feature The Party Timers (her touring band), which was included performing various instruments and providing background vocals. The Party Timers were given equal billing on the album. The LP was a mixture of new recordings and cover versions of songs. The new recordings included "A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun" and "I Talk a Pretty Story". Covers included Jeannie Seely's "Don't Touch Me", Buck Owens' "Together Again" and Connie Smith's "The Hurtin's All Over". [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Billboard | Favorable |
Cream of the Crop was originally released in August 1968 on Capitol Records, making it Jackson's twelfth studio album. It was distributed as a vinyl LP, with six songs on either side of the record. [3] In later decades, it was re-released through Capitol Records Nashville to digital and streaming markets, including Apple Music. [4] The LP spent five weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in the United States, peaking at number 25 in October 1968. [5] It was her sixth album to reach a peak position on the chart. [6] The album received a positive response from Billboard magazine in their "album reviews" category. Writers highlighted the album's musical quality and further commented that "Wanda is one of the most polished of performers, and on this package she lends her talent to a variety of great tunes." [7]
Three singles included on the album preceded its release. The first single issued from the album was "A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun" in October 1967. [8] In 1968, the track peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, eventually becoming the album's highest-charting single. [9] In April 1968, "My Baby Walked Right Out on Me" was issued as the project's next single. [10] Two months later, the single peaked at number 34 on the Billboard country singles survey. [11] The final single included from the project was "Little Boy Soldier", which was issued in July 1968. [12] Two months later, the track peaked at number 46 on the Billboard country chart. [13]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Little Boy Soldier" | Curly Putman | 2:39 |
2. | "Together Again" | Buck Owens | 2:24 |
3. | "The Hurtin's All Over" | Harlan Howard | 2:39 |
4. | "My Baby Walked Right Out on Me" | Curtiss Wayne | 2:20 |
5. | "Don't Touch Me" | Hank Cochran | 2:37 |
6. | "A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun" |
| 2:39 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Swinging Doors" | Merle Haggard | 2:44 |
2. | "There Stands the Glass" |
| 2:37 |
3. | "I Talk a Pretty Story" | Yvonne DeVaney | 2:34 |
4. | "I Betcha My Heart I Love You" |
| 2:17 |
5. | "No Place to Go But Home" | Howard | 2:23 |
6. | "Wishing Well" | Bill Graham | 2:09 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Little Boy Soldier" | Putman | 2:39 |
2. | "Together Again" | Owens | 2:26 |
3. | "The Hurtin's All Over" | Howard | 2:42 |
4. | "My Baby Walked Right Out on Me" | Wayne | 2:20 |
5. | "Don't Touch Me" | Cochran | 2:40 |
6. | "A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun" |
| 2:38 |
7. | "Swinging Doors" | Haggard | 2:46 |
8. | "There Stands the Glass" |
| 2:37 |
9. | "I Talk a Pretty Story" | DeVaney | 2:36 |
10. | "I Betcha My Heart I Love You" |
| 2:20 |
11. | "No Place to Go But Home" | Howard | 2:24 |
12. | "Wishing Well" | Graham | 2:09 |
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
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US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [14] | 25 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1968 | Vinyl | Capitol Records | [3] |
Germany | [15] | |||
Taiwan | Lux Records | [16] | ||
United States | 2010s |
| Capitol Records Nashville | [4] |
Wanda LaVonne Jackson is an American singer and songwriter. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, recording a series of 1950s singles that helped give her the title "The Queen of Rockabilly". She is also a country music artist and is considered among the genre's first female stars.
The singles discography of Wanda Jackson, an American recording artist, consists of 81 singles, nine international singles, one other charted song, and three music videos. In 1954 at age sixteen, she signed as a country artist with Decca Records. Her debut single was a duet recording with Billy Gray which reached the eighth spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, also in 1954. Refusing to tour until completing high school, Jackson's further singles for Decca failed gaining success. She signed with Capitol Records in 1956 and began incorporating rock and roll into her musical style. Jackson's first Capitol single exemplified this format and became a national top-twenty country hit. Follow-up rock singles between 1957 and 1959 failed gaining enough attention to become hits including, "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad", "Fujiyama Mama", and "Honey Bop". In 1960 however, the rock and roll-themed, "Let's Have a Party", became Jackson's first Billboard top-forty pop hit after it was picked up by an Iowa disc jockey.
The albums discography of Wanda Jackson, an American recording artist, consists of 44 studio albums, 37 compilation albums, four live albums, one video album, two box sets and has appeared on 26 albums. In 1954 at age sixteen, Jackson signed with Decca Records as a country music artist. The label did not issue a record until the 1962 compilation Lovin' Country Style, six years after Jackson left Decca. She signed with Capitol Records in 1956, and her self-titled debut studio album was released three years later. Although Jackson had recently been identifying herself as a rock-and-roll performer, the album consisted of country music recordings. However, it did contain Jackson's future rock-and-roll hit "Let's Have a Party", which was a hit in 1960, reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Pop chart. The success of her rock-and-roll recordings led to the release of two more rock-and-roll studio LPs: Rockin' with Wanda (1960) and There's a Party Goin' On (1961). Additionally, Capitol issued two "split" studio albums which contained rock and roll on one side and country music on the other.
Wonderful Wanda is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in August 1962 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the fourth studio album in Jackson's music career and her first to consist entirely of country music songs. Wonderful Wanda included the songs "In the Middle of a Heartache", "A Little Bitty Tear" and "If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me". All three recordings became commercially-successful singles on both the country and pop charts respectively.
Love Me Forever is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in May 1963 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Jackson's fifth studio album of her career and the second to included orchestrated production. Love Me Forever was a collection of country and pop music standards composed by other artists. The album received positive reviews from critics following its release.
Blues in My Heart is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in April 1965 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the seventh studio album released in Jackson's career and the first to reach the Billboard country chart. The record was a collection of traditional country songs centered around themes of having the blues. It received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release.
Wanda Jackson Sings Country Songs is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in December 1965 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. The album was Jackson's eighth studio record of her career and consisted of traditional country songs. Seven of these songs were released as singles between 1961 and 1965. Both "Slippin'" and "The Violet and the Rose" reached charting positions on the American country songs survey. The album received a positive review following its original release.
Wanda Jackson Salutes the Country Music Hall of Fame is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in September 1966 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. The album was a collection of cover songs recorded by country artists that have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It was the ninth studio release of Jackson's career and the second to reach a charting position on the American country survey.
Reckless Love Affair is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in March 1967 via Capitol Records and included 12 tracks. It was Jackson's tenth studio album release and was a collection of songs tailored towards the country music market. Reckless Love Affair included four singles that reached charting positions on the American country chart, including the top 20 hit "Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine". The album itself reached charting positions in the United States and received a positive review following its initial release.
You'll Always Have My Love is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson, along with her band The Party Timers. It included a total of 12 tracks and was Jackson's eleventh studio album release in her career. It was Jackson's first album that gave credit to The Party Timers. Two singles were included on the album: "Both Sides of the Line" and the title track. The recordings both reached chart positions on the American country chart in 1967, along with the album as well.
The Best of Wanda Jackson is a compilation album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in February 1968 via Capitol Records and contained 12 previously-released tracks. It was Jackson's third compilation album released in her career and featured some of Jackson's most commercially-successful singles up to that point. The album reached a charting position on the country LP's survey in the United States following its release.
The Many Moods of Wanda Jackson is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in December 1968 via Capitol Records and contained 11 tracks. The project was Jackson's thirteenth studio album in her career and spawned two singles. Both "I Wish I Was Your Friend" and "If I Had a Hammer" reached charting positions on the American country chart. The album itself also reached charting positions in the United States.
The Happy Side of Wanda is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in July 1969 via Capitol Records and contained 11 tracks. It was Jackson's fourteenth studio record released in her career and the fourteenth released on the Capitol label. The project included one single release titled "Your Tender Love".
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.
I've Gotta Sing is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in February 1971 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was the seventeenth studio record released in Jackson's career and the seventeen released with the Capitol label. The project included one single release titled "Fancy Satin Pillows", which became a top 20 charting song on the American country music chart. I've Gotta Sing received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its original release.
Praise the Lord is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in March 1972 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. The project was Jackson's eighteenth studio recording and her first collection of gospel music. The album would be among a series of gospel recordings Jackson would make in her career following a rediscovery of religion. The album produced one single and received a positive review from Billboard in 1971.
I Wouldn't Want You Any Other Way is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in September 1972 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks of country music. The album was Jackson's nineteenth released in her career. Four singles were spawned from the album, including the title track. However, only "Back Then", "I Already Know " and "I'll Be Whatever You Say" placed on the American country music chart. The album would later re-released to digital markets several decades later.
Country Keepsakes is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in March 1973 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. The album was Jackson's twenty first studio recording and her final recording issued on the Capitol label. The record was a collection of country songs she made with Capitol to fulfill requirements in her contract before signing with Word Records.
When It's Time to Fall in Love Again is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1974 via Myrrh Records and contained ten tracks. It was the first collection of country music recordings released following Jackson's departure from Capitol Records in 1973 and was her twenty-second album in her career. The project included two singles. The second single, "Come on Home ", made chart positions on the American country songs survey in 1974.