| Me and the First Lady | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 7, 1972 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 27:24 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Billy Sherrill | |||
| George Jones and Tammy Wynette chronology | ||||
| ||||
| George Jones chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Tammy Wynette chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Me and the First Lady | ||||
| ||||
Me and the First Lady is the second studio album by country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette,released on August 7,1972,on the Epic Records label.
The duets found on the early albums that Jones and Wynette recorded together feature songs that almost always celebrate the joys of domestic bliss and true love,something producer Billy Sherrill did purposefully to reflect the assumptions of their captivated audience. A good example of this is "The Ceremony",a song Sherrill co-wrote;the song,which mimics a wedding service,begins with a minister's preamble over a church organ and contains verses where George and Tammy renew their vows and profess their love for each other. It became a highlight of their live shows,with Bob Allen wryly noting in his book George Jones:The Saga of an American Singer:"When they sang "The Ceremony" onstage in places like Sioux City and Peoria,they enacted for the benefit of their fans an elaborate wedding ritual which,in reality,was quite unlike the quickie civil ceremony with which they'd actually sealed their nuptial bond." [1] In 1996 Jones admitted in his autobiography,"It sounds cheesy now,but it was a show-stopper for two people whose divorce was often the subject of tabloid speculation. People went crazy when we did 'The Ceremony' live." [2]
As if mirroring their doomed marriage,a couple of the songs on Me and the First Lady hint at the cracks that had already appeared in the relationship of country music's first couple:"A Lovely Place To Cry" (co-written by Wynette with Earl Montgomery) and "The Great Divide" both contemplate fading love and the possibility of divorce.
Jones biographer Bob Allen has a dim view of the album,comparing the "syrupy" songs to "two-and-a-half-minute-long musical Cliff's Notes to Harlequin novels." [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
In 1972,Me and the First Lady peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. [3]
George Glenn Jones was an American country musician,singer,and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records,including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today",as well as his distinctive voice and phrasing. For the last two decades of his life,Jones was frequently referred to as the greatest living country singer. Country music scholar Bill Malone writes,"For the two or three minutes consumed by a song,Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics,and in the mood it conveys,that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved." The shape of his nose and facial features earned Jones the nickname "The Possum". Jones has been called "The Rolls-Royce of Country Music" and had more than 160 chart singles to his name from 1955 until his death in 2013.
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" is a song recorded by American country music artist George Jones. It has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. It was released in April 1980 as the lead single from the album I Am What I Am. The song was Jones's first solo No. 1 single in six years. It was written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman. The week after Jones' death in 2013,the song re-entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 21. As of November 13,2013,the single has sold 521,000 copies in the United States. Since 2008 it has been preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry. The song was ranked no. 142 on Rolling Stone's 2021 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ranking.
I Am What I Am is an album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1980 on Epic Records label. On July 4,2000,the CD version was reissued with four previously unreleased bonus tracks on the Legacy Recordings label.
Together Again is the eighth studio album by country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette,released in 1980 on the Epic Records label. It was their first album since their 1976 hit album Golden Ring;their next album would not come until 1995 with One.
My Very Special Guests is a duet album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1979 on the Epic Records label.
The Battle is an album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1976 on the Epic Records label.
Memories of Us is an album by American country music artist George Jones,released in 1975 on the Epic Records label. It peaked at #43 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
The Grand Tour is an album by the American country music artist George Jones,released in 1974 as his fifth album for Epic Records. It peaked at #11 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and contained the hit title track,which reached a peak of #1 in August 1974.
In a Gospel Way is an album by American country music artist George Jones,released in 1974 on the Epic Records label.
We're Gonna Hold On is the fifth studio album by country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It was released in 1973 on the Epic Records label.
Let's Build a World Together is the fourth studio album by the country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The album was released in 1973 on the Epic Records label. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
George Jones,also titled George Jones (We Can Make It) was the 1972 country music studio album released by George Jones in April 1972. The release was Jones' 46th studio album release since a debut from 16 years previous. Also as a highlight in his career,it was the first release made on Jones' new label,Epic Records.
A Picture of Me (Without You) is an album by American country music singer George Jones. It was released in 1972 on the Epic Records label.
We Go Together is the first studio album by American country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. This album was released on October 18,1971 on the Epic Records label. This is Jones' first album with Epic and his then wife Tammy Wynette. This is also Jones' first album with producer Billy Sherrill.
I'll Share My World with You is an album by American country music artist George Jones. This album was released in 1969 on the Musicor Records label. Tammy Wynette,who married Jones that year,is pictured on the cover.
Walk Through This World with Me is an album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1967 on the Musicor Records label.
You Lay So Easy on My Mind is the thirty-fourth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams,released in November 1974 by Columbia Records. The idea for this LP was mentioned in an interview with Williams in the November 3,1973,issue of Billboard magazine that emphasized his desire to move away from recording albums of Easy Listening covers of hits by other artists,noting that he was "planning an album to be cut in Nashville with Columbia's high-flying country-pop producer,Billy Sherrill." The article coincided with the release of his first attempt to shift directions,Solitaire,which performed poorly. A return to the Easy Listening hits formula,The Way We Were,followed in the spring of 1974 but failed to even chart,so this next attempt to eschew soft rock songs leaned heavily on Country hits.
The Best of George Jones is an album by American country music artist George Jones. It is notable for including two new songs,including "The Door," which became a #1 country hit. It was released in March 1975.
"The Ceremony" is a duet by country artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It was released by Epic Records as the married couple's second single together in 1972 and reached No. 6 on the Billboard country survey.
Greatest Hits is an album by country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It was the first compilation by Epic Records that collected some of their biggest hits,including the number-one singles "We're Gonna Hold On","Golden Ring",and "Near You". It is also significant for containing the new song "Southern California",which rose to number five in 1977. Although Jones and Wynette had divorced in 1975,they remained a valuable commercial commodity for Epic,scoring their biggest chart hits after their split. The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard country albums chart and eventually went Gold in the U.S.
