Tell Me a Lie

Last updated
"Tell Me a Lie"
Tell Me a Lie - Sami Jo.jpg
Single by Sami Jo
from the album It Could Have Been Me
B-side "Stay Where You Are"
ReleasedFebruary 1974
Recorded1973
Genre Pop
Label MGM South
Songwriter(s) Mickey Buckins, Barbara Wyrick
Producer(s) Sonny Limbo
Sami Jo singles chronology
"Tell Me a Lie"
(1974)
"It Could Have Been Me"
(1974)
"Tell Me a Lie"
TellMeALieJF.png
Single by Janie Fricke
from the album Love Lies
B-side "Love Have Mercy"
ReleasedSeptember 17, 1983
Genre Country
Length3:35
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Mickey Buckins, Barbara Wyrick
Producer(s) Bob Montgomery
Janie Fricke singles chronology
"He's a Heartache (Looking for a Place to Happen)"
(1983)
"Tell Me a Lie"
(1983)
"Let's Stop Talkin' About It"
(1984)

"Tell Me a Lie" is a song composed by Mickey Buckins and Barbara Wyrick. Originally recorded by Lynn Anderson for her 1974 What a Man My Man Is album, it was released later that same year as a single by Sami Jo Cole, who took it to number 21 on both of the major U.S. pop charts. It also charted in Canada (#17). [1] Cole's version was also an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number 14 in the U.S. [2] and number 27 in Canada. [3]

Contents

Janie Fricke covered the song in 1983 and topped the U.S. country singles charts with it.

Chart history

Later versions

In 1981, Bettye LaVette recorded an R&B version of the song on Motown. It was released as the title track of her album the following year. [13]

Janie Fricke cover

In 1983, Janie Fricke picked up the song "Tell Me a Lie" as to be released as her next single in 1983. Originally included on Fricke's 1982 album It Ain't Easy , it was released in September 1983 as the first single from her album Love Lies. During this time, Fricke racked up a good number of hits, like "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" and "I Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry".

Shortly thereafter, Fricke's record producer at the time Billy Sherrill, had suggested that Fricke would record the song. Listening to Sherrill, Fricke recorded the song in 1983. By this time though, Fricke had produced a number 1 hit in 1983 called "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy". Fricke soon released "Tell Me a Lie" as a single on the country charts that year.

By 1983, "Tell Me a Lie" was Janie Fricke's fourth number one hit on the Country charts. [14] The song and its album that it was featured on titled It Ain't Easy became very successful and became one of Fricke's signature songs. Since the song's release, it has been included in numerous multi-artist compilation albums. Despite the song's pop production, as well as its success on the country charts, it did not reach the pop singles chart. In 2004, Fricke released a bluegrass album, entitled The Bluegrass Sessions, which featured remakes of Fricke's biggest hits. The album featured "Tell Me a Lie".

Chart performance

Chart (1983–1984)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [15] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1

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References

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  2. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 121.
  3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-05-18. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 264. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
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  6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-05-18. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  7. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
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  13. Tell Me A Lie (Media notes). Bettye LaVette. Hollywood, California: Motown Record Corporation. 1982.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 128.
  15. "Janie Fricke Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.