Ray Baker is a Nashville record producer. [1] His first hit record produced was I Just Started Hatin' Cheating Songs Today by Moe Bandy in 1974. He also produced It Was Always so Easy to Find an Unhappy Woman and It's a Cheatin' Situation, both by Moe Bandy. He also produced all of Connie Smith's albums under Columbia and Monument Records, starting with That's the Way Love Goes in 1974.
Baker also produced duets by Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley. "Good Ole Boys" was a million-selling duet in 1979. In 1983 he produced Right or Wrong [2] by George Strait, his first gold album; singles from that album included the title track, "You Look So Good in Love" and "Let's Fall to Pieces Together."
In 1984, he produced several hit records by Merle Haggard, including Grammy Award-winning That's the Way Love Goes . [3] Ray Baker also produced "Natural High", "Let's Chase Each Other 'Round the Room", "What am I Gonna Do with the Rest of My Life", and "You Take Me for Granted", all number one records for Haggard. In addition, he produced several top ten records for Connie Smith for Columbia Records and Monument Records
Baker also produced a number one record in 1987 for Charley Pride, Have I Got Some Blues for You . Prior to his producing career, Ray was a very successful music publisher. His catalogue contained such hits as "Elvira" "There Goes My Everything" "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp","If My Heart Had Windows" "That's The Way Love Goes", "Johnny One Time" and over 35 other Number One Country and Pop Songs from 1966 to the 1990s. His various accomplishments are included in Michael Kosser's best-selling biography How Music City Became Music City USA.
Merle Ronald Haggard was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
John Marty Stuart is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a solo artist in the early 1980s. He is known for his combination of rockabilly, country rock, and bluegrass music influences, his frequent collaborations and cover songs, and his distinctive stage dress.
Connie Smith is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity has been noted between her vocal style and the stylings of country vocalist Patsy Cline. Other performers have cited Smith as influence on their own singing styles, which has been reflected in quotes and interviews over the years.
"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular country song written by Harlan Howard, and published in 1959. The sheet music was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.
Marion Franklin "Moe" Bandy Jr. is an American country music singer. He was most popular during the 1970s, when he had several hit songs, both alone and as part of a duo with Joe Stampley.
Dallas Frazier was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s.
Sanger D. Shafer, better known as Whitey Shafer, was an American country songwriter and musician. He wrote numerous hits for stars such as George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and George Strait. He was also a recording artist. His highest single "You Are a Liar", under the name Whitey Shafer, reached No. 48 on the Billboard country chart, in 1981.
Robert Joseph Beckham was an American country music publisher based in Nashville, who mentored generations of songwriters as head of Combine Music Publishing from 1964 to 1989. He played a pivotal role in the career of Kris Kristofferson and guided other artists including Dolly Parton, Larry Gatlin, Tony Joe White and Billy Swan.
Hargus Melvin Robbins, known by his nickname "Pig", was an American session keyboard player, having played on records for many artists, including Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Loretta Lynn, The Everly Brothers, Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, J.J. Cale, John Hartford, John Stewart, Mark Knopfler, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, David Allan Coe, Moe Bandy, George Hamilton IV, Sturgill Simpson, Conway Twitty, Ween, and Al Hirt.
...And Then I Wrote is the debut studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, recorded during August and September 1962 and released through Liberty Records.
That's the Way Love Goes is the twenty-second solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in March 1974 on Columbia Records and contained 11 tracks. The album included both original material and covers of songs first recorded by other music artists. Two singles were released from the album. "Ain't Love a Good Thing" reached the top ten of the American country songs chart and became her nineteenth top ten single in her career.
Pure Connie Smith is the twenty-ninth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in November 1977 via Monument Records and contained ten tracks. The album was Smith's first with the Monument label. The album was recorded in a country pop production style featuring mostly new recordings. One single was released from the album, "Coming Around". The song charted the American country songs chart in 1977.
New Horizons is the thirtieth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in March 1978 and contained ten tracks. She had recently switched to Monument after several years with Columbia Records. The album was cut in a country pop production style that Smith felt pressured into. Yet three singles made the American country songs chart between 1977 and 1978, including the top 20 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything".
Kentucky Bluebird is the second compilation album by American country music singer Keith Whitley. His first posthumous album, it was released by RCA Records in September 1991. The album consists of four previously released songs, re-orchestrated demos, and other previously unreleased songs, as well as snippets from live performances that predate his professional music career.
That's the Way Love Goes is the thirty-eighth studio album by the American country music singer Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers, released in 1983.
The albums discography of Connie Smith, an American country artist, consists of 40 studio albums, one live album, 14 compilation albums, three box sets, and 26 other appearances. After the success of her 1964 single "Once a Day", Smith's self-titled debut album was released in March 1965 on RCA Victor Records. The album reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums, spending thirty weeks on the chart, while also becoming her only album to reach the Billboard 200 list (#105). Smith's next two secular albums, Cute 'n' Country and Miss Smith Goes to Nashville went to number one and number two respectively between 1965 and 1966. In September 1966 Smith released her fifth studio album, Born to Sing, which was her third album to reach the top spot on the Billboard country albums chart. Due to Smith's popularity, RCA Victor issued five albums between 1967 and 1968 including Downtown Country (1967), Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson (1967), and I Love Charley Brown (1968). In 1969, Smith collaborated with country artist Nat Stuckey on the album Young Love.
Devoted to Your Memory is the 22nd album by country singer Moe Bandy, released in 1983 on the Columbia label recorded at Woodland Studio "B".
Greatest Hits on Monument is a compilation album by American country artist, Connie Smith. The album was released March 9, 1993, on Sony Music Entertainment and was produced by Ray Baker. The album was collection Smith's singles and other tracks recorded during her three years at Monument Records (1977–1979).
"Dallas" is a song written by Leona Williams that was originally recorded by American country music singer Connie Smith. The song was released as a single on Columbia Records in 1974 and became a top 40 single on the American country music chart. The same year it was issued on her second studio album with Columbia titled That's the Way Love Goes.
"I Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today" is a song written by Sanger D. Shafer that was originally recorded by American country music singer Connie Smith. It was released as a single via Columbia Records and became a top 30 hit single on the American country chart in 1975. It was also released on Smith's 1975 album I Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today/I've Got My Baby On My Mind.