Once a Day

Last updated
"Once a Day"
Connie Smith-Once a Day.jpg
Single by Connie Smith
from the album Connie Smith
B-side "The Threshold"
ReleasedAugust 1, 1964
RecordedJuly 16, 1964
Studio RCA Studio B, Nashville
Genre Country, Nashville sound
Length2:17
Label RCA Victor
Songwriter(s) Bill Anderson
Producer(s) Bob Ferguson
Connie Smith singles chronology
"Once a Day"
(1964)		"Then and Only Then/Tiny Blue Transistor Radio"
(1965)

"Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the Billboard country music chart for eight weeks between late 1964 and early 1965. [1] It was the first debut single by a female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. This song peaked at number one for the week of November 28, 1964, and it stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks, a record for a female solo artist for nearly 50 years, until it was surpassed by Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in December 2012.

Contents

In 2020, "Once a Day" was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. [2]

Background and content

"Once a Day" was written by American country artist, Bill Anderson, especially for Connie Smith. [3] Originally recorded by Smith as a demo, the song was officially recorded at her first session with RCA Victor Records on July 16, 1964 at Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. Produced by Bob Ferguson, the session was accompanied by Nashville's "A-Team" of musicians, which included members of Anderson's touring band, The Po' Boys. [4] The song itself describes a woman who has not gotten over her previous lover. Although the woman explains that she has limited her grieving to "once a day," it is later found out that she is grieving, "once a day, every day, all day long."

While also singing lead vocals on "Once a Day," Smith was also featured playing the song's guitar accompaniment. [5] The song was re-recorded by Smith in French and was re-titled, "Pas Souvent." That year the song was released as a single to France, and was released seven years later on Smith's compilation, Love Is the Look You're Looking for in 1973. [6] It was re-recorded for a third time for her 1976 studio album, The Song We Fell in Love To on Columbia Records.

Chart performance

"Once a Day" was released as Connie Smith's debut single under RCA Victor Records. It was rush-released as a single August 1, 1964, and moved quickly up the country music chart. [4] The song became Smith's commercial breakthrough recording, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart the week of November 28, and remaining at the top spot for eight weeks until January 16, 1965. This longevity record stood unmatched until December 2012, when "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift overtook the achievement with nine weeks at No. 1. Despite this success, Smith never topped the Billboard country charts again, and this song became her solo number-one song. She did, however, top the country charts twice more in Canada, with her cover of Gordon Lightfoot's Ribbon of Darkness (1969) and the Everly Brothers' ('Til) I Kissed You (1976).

Smith previously held the record of being the only country female to reach number one with a debut single. Trisha Yearwood equalled Smith's record in 1991 with, "She's in Love with the Boy." [7] [8] After it reached No. 1, "Once a Day" became one of the year's biggest songs and was nominated for Best Country Song from the Grammy Awards. [9]

"Once a Day" made Smith a major star in country music, nominating her for a series of Grammy Awards, including Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best New Country Artist. [9] It was released on Smith's self-titled debut album in March 1965, which also reached number one. [4] The single helped gain Smith a series of major hits under RCA Victor in the 1960s. Her follow-up single, "Then and Only Then" (released in 1965) reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Chart, and a series of unbated top ten hits continued until mid-1968, including "If I Talk to Him", "Ain't Had No Lovin'", and "The Hurtin's All Over". [3] Smith had nineteen more top ten singles during her career.

Charts

Chart (1964-1965)Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs 1
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 1

Cover versions

Since the song's release, "Once a Day" has been recorded by over 50 different artists. Such artists as:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Smith albums discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Smith singles discography</span>

The singles discography of Connie Smith, an American country artist, consists of 48 singles, one music video and one additional charting song. After signing with RCA Victor Records in 1964, Smith released her debut single in August entitled "Once a Day". The song topped the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles chart by November and held the position for eight weeks, to date being the longest running song at number one by a female country artist. The single's success launched Smith into stardom, making Smith one of the decade's most successful female artists. The follow-up single "Then and Only Then" reached #4 on the country singles chart, while its flip side went to #25 on the same chart. All of Smith's singles released between 1965 and 1968 reached the top 10 on the Billboard country songs chart, including "If I Talk to Him", "Ain't Had No Lovin'", and "Cincinnati, Ohio". By 1969 Smith felt highly pressured from her career and cut back on promoting singles. Smith's chart success slightly declined because of this, with songs like "Ribbon of Darkness" (1969) and "Louisiana Man" (1970) only reaching the top 20. Other singles continued to peak within the top 10 including "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" (1970) and "Just One Time" (1971).

"Tiny Blue Transistor Radio" is a song written by Bill Anderson that was originally recorded by American country music singer Connie Smith. It was released as the B-side to her 1965 single, "Then and Only Then". "Tiny Blue Transistor Radio" also became a charting country single, peaking within the top 40 of the national country survey in 1965.

"Dream Painter" is a song composed by Dallas Frazier and Sanger D. Shafer. It was originally recorded by American country music singer Connie Smith. The song was Smith's final single for RCA Victor Records, upon its release in 1973. The same year it was issued on among her final album releases for RCA.

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 319.
  2. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (March 24, 2021). "Janet Jackson and Kermit the Frog Added to National Recording Registry". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Bush, John. "Biography - Connie Smith". allmusic . Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  4. 1 2 3 "Connie Smith - Biography (click on "biography" section of website)". Connie Smith Music.com. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  5. ↑ "Connie Smith [1965 album] > Credits". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Connie Smith Discography - - Joe Sixpack's Guide to Hick Music". Slipcue.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  7. ↑ "Meet the Opry - Connie Smith". opry.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  8. ↑ Bernstein, Joel. "The Resurrection of Connie Smith". Country Standard Time . Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  9. 1 2 Wolff, Kurt (2000). "Ch. 8 - It's Such a Pretty World Today: The Nashville Sound Arrives". In Orla Duane (ed.). Country Music: The Rough Guide. London, England: Rough Guides Ltd. p. 327.
  10. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic . Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  11. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 938.
  13. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
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