The Essential Connie Smith | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | April 1996 | |||
Recorded | July 16, 1964 – April 11, 1972 | |||
Genre | Country, Nashville sound | |||
Length | 50:41 | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Producer | Bob Ferguson (original sessions) Ethel Gabriel Steve Lindsey | |||
Connie Smith chronology | ||||
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The Essential Connie Smith is a compilation album by the American country artist Connie Smith. It was released in April 1996 by RCA Records and was produced by Bob Ferguson and Ethel Gabriel. The album is a collection of Smith's major hits between 1964 and 1972.
The Essential Connie Smith contains twenty tracks of material that Smith had recorded for RCA Records. Of the tracks, nineteen were singles ("How Great Thou Art" was the only exception), including Smith's biggest hit, "Once a Day", which spent eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1964 and 1965. The album also includes Smith's other well-known hits such as, "Cry, Cry, Cry", "Burning a Hole in My Mind", "Just One Time", "I Never Once Stopped Loving You", "The Hurtin's All Over", "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)" and her cover version of Marty Robbins's "Ribbon of Darkness". The Allmusic critic, Thom Jurek, called the album's production "classic" and credited Smith's original producer, Bob Ferguson and country artist, Bill Anderson for making the compilation, "One of the best collections in the RCA Essential series to come down the pike". [1] [2]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [3] |
Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek gave the compilation five out of five stars, giving it the "album pick" from Smith's other compilations. Jurek praised Smith's voice, stating, "Connie Smith is perhaps the only female singer in the history of country music who can truly claim to be the heiress to Patsy Cline's throne. It's not that there aren't many amazing vocalists in the field, and plenty of legends among them. But in terms of the pure gift of interpretation of taking virtually any song and making it a country song of class and distinction, Smith is it." Jurek further said that all of the album's tracks were "pure honey and silk". [1]
The album received a less positive review from Slipcue.com, which called it a "tepid retrospective". The reviewer said, "Yeah, it's got a few of the good ones on it, but not enough. If you've never heard Connie Smith before, and you're curious -- yes, this is pretty much the place to start." [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Once a Day" | Bill Anderson | 2:17 |
2. | "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" | Anderson | 2:30 |
3. | "I Can't Remember" | Anderson, Becki Anderson | 2:29 |
4. | "Cry, Cry, Cry" | Shirley Wood | 2:33 |
5. | "Then and Only Then" | Anderson | 2:33 |
6. | "If I Talk to Him" | Dolores Edgin, Priscilla Mitchell | 2:26 |
7. | "Ain't Had No Lovin'" | Dallas Frazier | 2:27 |
8. | "The Hurtin's All Over" | Harlan Howard | 2:49 |
9. | "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" | Anderson, Jan Howard | 2:50 |
10. | "You and Your Sweet Love" | Anderson | 2:54 |
11. | "Cincinnati, Ohio" | Anderson | 2:11 |
12. | "I'll Come Runnin'" | Connie Smith | 2:06 |
13. | "Burning a Hole in My Mind" | Cy Coben | 2:23 |
14. | "Run Away Little Tears" | Frazier | 2:29 |
15. | "Ribbon of Darkness" | Gordon Lightfoot | 2:40 |
16. | "Just One Time" | Don Gibson | 2:30 |
17. | "Just for What I Am" | Frazier, Arthur Leo Owens | 2:26 |
18. | "Love Is the Look You're Looking for" | Rose Lee Maphis | 2:11 |
19. | "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)" | Frazier | 2:29 |
20. | "How Great Thou Art" | Stuart K. Hine | 4:14 |
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.
"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. 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.
Connie Smith is thirty-fourth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released on October 6, 1998, via Warner Bros. Records and contained ten tracks. Nine of the songs were penned by Smith herself, along with artist and performer, Marty Stuart. It was Stuart who also produced the album. The eponymous collection was Smith's first mainstream studio album of new material in 20 years. Smith had returned to recording after raising her children while in semi-retirement. The album received a positive response from critics. No singles were released from the album and instead received promotion elsewhere.
Cute 'n' Country is the second studio album by American country music artist Connie Smith. It was released in October 1965 via RCA Victor Records and contained 12 tracks. Cute 'n' Country contained a mixture of original songs and cover versions by other country artists. Featured on the album was the top ten single "I Can't Remember". Cute 'n' Country was Smith's second album to top the Billboard country LP's chart.
Connie Smith is the debut studio album by American country music artist Connie Smith. It was released in March 1965 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Bob Ferguson. The album included Smith's debut single, "Once a Day". The song became her signature recording and biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard country songs chart.
Downtown Country is the sixth studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in January 1967 via RCA Victor Records. Downtown Country was the second of Smith's albums to include string instrumentation to help create a pop-influenced sound. The album also featured the single "The Hurtin's All Over", which reached the top five of the Billboard country chart. The album itself reached the top five of Country LP's chart following its initial release.
Connie in the Country is the seventh studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in February 1967 via the RCA Camden label and contained ten of tracks of material. It was her first to be released on RCA's budget Camden label. Unlike other RCA Camden albums, the project consisted of new recordings for Smith's catalog. This included the single, "Cry, Cry, Cry", which was a top 20 hit on the American country songs chart in 1968.
Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson is the eighth studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in May 1967 via RCA Victor and featured 12 tracks. The album was dedicated to her mentor, Bill Anderson. It contained several songs made popular by Anderson himself, along with several tracks made popular by other performers. It also included the newly-recorded "Cincinnati, Ohio". Smith released her version as a single, which climbed into the top five of the American country songs charts. The album received favorable reviews following its release.
The Best of Connie Smith is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in September 1967 via RCA Victor and featured 12 tracks. The disc was Smith's first compilation project released in her career and featured her most popular singles made commercially successful between 1964 and 1967. It also featured one new recording titled "I'll Come Runnin'". Penned by Smith herself and released as a single, the song became a top ten hit on the American country songs chart in 1967.
Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith is the second collaborative studio album by American country artists Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith. It was released in January 1970 via RCA Victor and contained 11 tracks. The disc was a collection of country gospel songs performed as duets by both artists. It was the pair's first album of religious music. Among the album's recording was the song "If God Is Dead ". Released as a single, the song charted in the top 60 of the American country chart in 1970. The album received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release. In 2002, the album was re-released under the title God Will and included a twelfth track.
The Best of Connie Smith Volume II is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in March 1970 via RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. It was the second "Best Of" compilation released by the RCA Victor label that featured Smith's musical output. The disc compiled Smith's most popular singles between 1967 and 1969. The album reached the top 30 of the American country albums chart following its release. Also included was two new recordings. Of these new recordings, one was released as a single in 1969. Titled "You and Your Sweet Love", it reached the top ten of the country singles chart.
I Never Once Stopped Loving You is a fourteenth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in September 1970 on RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. The collection mixed original material with covers of previously-recorded songs. Three singles were included on the album: "You and Your Sweet Love", the title track and "Louisiana Man". Both "You and Your Sweet Love" and the title track reached the top ten on the American country songs chart in 1970. The album itself charted in the top 20 of the American country LP's survey. Billboard magazine gave the LP a positive response following its original release.
"If It Ain't Love" and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs is nineteenth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in July 1972 via RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. The album is a collection of songs composed by songwriter Dallas Frazier. Three of these songs were duets between Smith and Frazier himself. The album's title track was spawned as a single in 1972 and reached the top ten of the American country chart. The album itself reached the top 20 of the American country LP's chart and it received a positive review from Billboard magazine.
Love Is the Look You're Looking for is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in February 1973 via RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. It was Smith's third compilation released by the RCA Victor label and mostly included previously-recorded material. The album was issued following Smith's exit from RCA's roster. It was named for its title track, which became a top ten single on the North American country singles charts. The album itself would chart on the American country LP's chart in 1973.
Dream Painter is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in July 1973 via RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. The album was released following Smith's departure from RCA Victor and contained previously-released material. Two new recordings were also featured, including the title track. Released as a single, the title track would reach the top 30 of American country songs chart. The album itself would chart the American country LP's chart in 1973.
Connie Smith's Greatest Hits, Vol. I is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in October 1973 via RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. The disc was one of several compilations released following Smith's departure from the RCA label. It included ten of Smith's most popular singles from her career, such as the number one single, "Once a Day", and top ten single, "The Hurtin's All Over". The album charted on the American country LP's chart in 1973 and received a positive review from Billboard magazine.
Connie Smith Now is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in July 1974 and consisted of ten tracks. The album was one of several compilations that was released after Smith departed from the RCA Victor label. Most of the album's material compiled songs Smith recorded during her years with the label, including the singles, "Louisiana Man" and "I'm Sorry If My Love Got in Your Way". The album charted on the American country LP's chart and received a review from Billboard magazine following its release.
The albums discography of Connie Smith, an American country artist, consists of 39 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.
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).
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).