Why Not Me | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 1984 | |||
Recorded | May–July 1984 | |||
Studio | Creative Workshop (Berry Hill, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country [1] | |||
Length | 31:54 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Producer | Brent Maher | |||
The Judds chronology | ||||
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Singles from Why Not Me | ||||
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Why Not Me is the debut studio album by American country music duo the Judds. It was released on October 15, 1984, by RCA Records and was produced by Brent Maher. Why Not Me was recorded in a traditional acoustic format using only a handful of musicians. It contained a collection of ten tracks, including their previously released single, "Mama He's Crazy." It also included three singles that would become number one hits: the title track, "Girls' Night Out" and "Love Is Alive."
Why Not Me received positive reviews from critics following its release. Critics praised the album's production detail as well as the duo's vocal harmonies. The album topped the Billboard country albums chart and reached other charts as well. The record would become the Judds' first full-length studio album and their most successful studio release to date. It has since received sales certifications from both the United States and Canada. The album has been reissued several times in different formats.
In 1983, the Judds (mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna Judd) signed their first recording contract with RCA Records in Nashville, Tennessee. The same year, they recorded their first album, a collection of six songs that comprised a "mini-album" entitled Wynonna & Naomi. The album included the duo's first major hit, "Had a Dream (For the Heart)." However, RCA had yet to release a full-length album by the pair. [2] [3] With the success of their debut single, the mother-daughter team were informed by RCA they would release their first full-length album. In addition, the label was going to include "Mama He's Crazy," a single that had been spawned from their mini-album offering. A music video was also to be made in correlation with the promotion of the record. [4]
The Judds recorded Why Not Me between May and July 1984 at the Creative Workshop, a studio located in Nashville. The duo had previously cut Wynonna & Naomi at the same location in sessions produced by Brent Maher. He would also produce their debut studio offering. [5] Maher co-wrote the album's title track with Harlan Howard and Sonny Throckmorton. In her 1993 autobiography, Naomi Judd considered the song to have "one of the strongest melodic hooks I'd ever heard." Bandleader and guitarist, Don Potter, created guitar "licks," which Judd called in her book to be "a little slice of heaven." [6] Also included on the album was Naomi Judd's song entitled "Mr. Pain." According to Judd, the song merged the stories of her friends' previous relationships and the conflicts that arose from them. Songwriter Kent Robbins collaborated with Judd on the track. He also wrote the song "Love Is Alive" for the album as well. Also included was a cover version of Jody Reynolds' "Endless Sleep." [5]
In addition, Maher and Potter collaborated on the track "Sleeping Heart," which Judd called "sweetly sad" in her autobiography. [6] Also included was the song "Bye Bye Baby Blues", which was also written in collaboration between Harlan Howard, Brent Maher and Sonny Throckmorton. [5] As a producer, Maher chose a select group of session musicians for the album's recording. [1] This included Don Potter, as well as Eddie Bayers on drums, Mark Casstevens on guitar, Bobby Ogdin on keyboards and Sonny Garrish on steel guitar. These musicians (among others) were previously included on the sessions for the duo's Wynnona & Naomi album. [5] According to Judd's autobiography, Maher "liked to leave the room for the listener's imagination," with the use of minimal acoustic arrangements. [7] Maher himself later commented on the album in an interview explaining that the album has withstood the test of time. He also commented that he was happy to have worked with the Judds in creating their first full-length studio project. [8]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | B [9] |
Why Not Me received mostly positive reviews from critics following its release. In October 1984, Billboard magazine took notice of the album's attention to detail and highlighted several tracks in their review: "The meteoric success story of this duo is no accident. It's predicated on exactly the kind of purity, acoustic brilliance and attention to detail that shines here on the sisters' first full album". [10] Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a mostly favorable response, but disliked the production style at times, giving it a "B" rating: "After defying convention by indulging not a single soppy song on their tryout EP, they've flabbed the follow-up several times. And I bet they get even more complacent." [9]
AllMusic's Thom Jurek called the album a "bona fide classic" and praised its "soaring harmonies" as well as the lead vocals from Wynonna Judd. He also noticed a connection between neo-traditional country and classic country from the early 60s, drawing comparisons to Patsy Cline. Jurek concluded by saying, "Of all their recordings, Why Not Me is their best-known, best-selling, and deservedly so. It's perfect." [1]
Prior to its release, "Mama He's Crazy" had already become a number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. [2] In September 1984, the title track was released as the first proper single. [11] It spent a total of 22 weeks on the Billboard country songs chart before also reaching the top position that December. [12] The song also peaked at number three on the Canadian RPM Country Singles chart. [13] On October 15, 1984, the album itself was officially released on RCA Records. [5] The album was issued originally as a vinyl LP, cassette and compact disc. In February 1985, the album reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, becoming their first album to do so in their career. It would spend a total of 195 weeks on the list. [14] In March 1985, Why Not Me peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200 albums chart after a 26-week run. [15]
With the success of the title track, "Girls' Night Out" was issued as the album's second single in January 1985. [11] Spending 22 weeks on the Billboard country chart, it also topped the list. [16] It reached the same position on the Canadian country singles chart as well. [13] "Love Is Alive" was released in May 1985 and was the album's final single spawned. [11] By August, the song had also topped the Billboard country chart and the became the duo's fourth number one single. [17] [11] It was the duo's third number one single in Canada as well. [13] Why Not Me was also the Judds' first studio album to sell beyond 500,000 copies in the United States. In April 1985, the album certified gold for this sales achievement by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1986, the company certified the album platinum in sales for exceeding one million copies. Then, in 1992 Why Not Me received a certification of two-times platinum for sales exceeding two million copies. [18]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Why Not Me" | 3:29 | |
2. | "Mr. Pain" | 3:17 | |
3. | "Drops of Water" | Roy Freeland | 3:24 |
4. | "Sleeping Heart" | 3:03 | |
5. | "My Baby's Gone" | Dennis Linde | 2:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bye Bye Baby Blues" |
| 2:52 |
2. | "Girls Night Out" |
| 2:50 |
3. | "Love Is Alive" | Robbins | 3:54 |
4. | "Endless Sleep" |
| 3:06 |
5. | "Mama He's Crazy" | Kenny O'Dell | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Why Not Me" |
| 3:29 |
2. | "Mr. Pain" |
| 3:17 |
3. | "Drops of Water" | Freeland | 3:24 |
4. | "Sleeping Heart" |
| 3:03 |
5. | "My Baby's Gone" | Linde | 2:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bye Bye Baby Blues" |
| 2:52 |
2. | "Girls Night Out" |
| 2:50 |
3. | "Love Is Alive" | Robbins | 3:54 |
4. | "Endless Sleep" |
| 3:06 |
5. | "Mama He's Crazy" | O'Dell | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Why Not Me" |
| 3:29 |
2. | "Mr. Pain" |
| 3:17 |
3. | "Drops of Water" | Freeland | 3:24 |
4. | "Sleeping Heart" |
| 3:03 |
5. | "My Baby's Gone" | Linde | 2:48 |
6. | "Bye Bye Baby Blues" |
| 2:52 |
7. | "Girls Night Out" |
| 2:50 |
8. | "Love Is Alive" | Robbins | 3:54 |
9. | "Endless Sleep" |
| 3:06 |
10. | "Mama He's Crazy" | O'Dell | 3:14 |
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Why Not Me. [5]
The Judds
Musical personnel
Technical personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [24] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [25] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 15, 1984 | Vinyl | ||
Cassette | ||||
Compact disc | ||||
Canada | Vinyl | |||
Cassette | ||||
Germany | RCA Records | |||
South Korea | ||||
United States | 1996 | Compact disc |
| |
2003 | Curb Records | [5] | ||
Wynonna Ellen Judd, known simply as Wynonna, is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country musicians in history. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, including those with The Judds. She first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in their mother-daughter country music duo, The Judds. They released seven albums on Curb Records, in addition to 26 singles, of which 14 were No. 1 hits.
The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Records in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most successful acts in country music history, winning five Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and nine Country Music Association awards. They also charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including fourteen that went to number one. After eight years as a duo, the Judds disbanded in 1991 after Naomi was diagnosed with hepatitis C. Wynonna began a highly successful solo career soon after, although she and her mother reunited on multiple occasions.
River of Time is the fifth studio album by American country music duo the Judds, released on April 4, 1989 by RCA Records. It features the singles "Young Love ," "Let Me Tell You About Love," "One Man Woman" and "Guardian Angels." While the first two singles reached #1 on the country charts, the latter two peaked at #8 and #16 respectively, with "Guardian Angels" being their first single since 1983's "Had a Dream " to miss Top Ten. "Do I Dare" is not included on the cassette or vinyl versions.
Heartland is the third studio album by American country music duo The Judds, released on February 3, 1987 by RCA Records. It features the singles "Don't Be Cruel", "Maybe Your Baby's Got The Blues", "Turn It Loose", and "I Know Where I'm Going". The album was released in Europe under the title Give a Little Love and featured six bonus tracks. It reached number 1 on England's country albums chart in 1987, soon after The Judds toured there.
American country music duo The Judds released six studio albums, three live albums, 18 compilation albums, five video albums, two extended plays, one box set, five music videos, 29 singles and 1 album appearance. The duo consisted of mother, Naomi Judd, and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. The pair signed a recording contract with RCA Records and Curb Records in 1983. Later that year, their debut single was released called "Had a Dream ". Their next release, "Mama He's Crazy", became their first number one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song's success led to the release of their debut EP in 1984. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. In October 1984, their debut studio album was released entitled Why Not Me. It peaked at number one on the country albums chart and number 71 on the Billboard 200. Why Not Me would sell over two million copies. It also spawned three number one country hits: the title track, "Girls' Night Out" and "Love Is Alive".
The discography of American country music artist Wynonna contains nine studio albums, four compilation albums, two video albums, one live album, one extended play (EP), 43 singles, 11 music videos and one other-charting song. She achieved success as one half of the mother-daughter duo, The Judds. In 1991, the duo split and Wynonna signed a solo recording contract with MCA Records that year. In March 1992, her debut studio album entitled Wynonna reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number four on the Billboard 200. The album spawned three number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: "She Is His Only Need," "I Saw the Light" and "No One Else on Earth." The album also sold over five million copies. In 1993, it was followed by Tell Me Why, which certified platinum in the United States. It also topped the country albums chart and reached number five on the Billboard 200 It spawned five more top ten country hits, including the title track and "Rock Bottom."
Wynonna & Naomi is the first extended play by American country duo The Judds. It was released in February 1984 by RCA Records and was produced by Brent Maher. It was the duo's first album release in their career and would be followed later in the year by their first full-length album, Why Not Me. The album was part of a "mini-album" marketing strategy designed by RCA to promote up-and-coming acts on their roster.
"My Strongest Weakness" is a song written by Naomi Judd and Mike Reid, and recorded by American country music artist Wynonna Judd. It was released in December 1992 as the fourth and final single from Wynonna's self-titled debut album. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
"Change of Heart" is a song written by Naomi Judd, and recorded by American country music duo The Judds on their debut January 1984 extended play, Wynonna & Naomi. It was re-released in October 1988 as the second single from their Greatest Hits compilation album. The song was their twelfth number one country single. The single went to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart.
"Let Me Tell You About Love" is a song written by Carl Perkins, Paul Kennerley and Brent Maher, and recorded by American country music duo The Judds. It was released in June 1989 as the second single from the album River of Time. The song was The Judds' fourteenth and final number one on the country chart. The RCA/Curb single, 8947-7-R, b/w "Water of Love", went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart. The record also reached number one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"Born to Be Blue" is a song written by Mike Reid, Brent Maher and Mack David, and recorded by American country music duo The Judds. It was released in August 1990 as the first single from the album Love Can Build a Bridge. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Tell Me Why" is a song written and recorded by Karla Bonoff for her 1988 studio album New World. In 1993, the song was covered by American country music artist Wynonna Judd and released in April 1993 as the first single and title track from her album Tell Me Why. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May 1993 and number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada the following month.
"Girls with Guitars" is a song written by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and recorded by American country music artist Wynonna Judd. It was released in June 1994 as the fifth single from the album Tell Me Why. The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Judd's mother, Naomi Judd, and Lyle Lovett sing background vocals on the song.
"I Will Stand by You" is a song written by Steven Lee Olsen and Robert Ellis Orrall. It was recorded by Canadian country group High Valley and released as the lead single to the group's second self-titled album in early 2010. The song reached the top 20 of the Billboard Canada Country chart. The song was also recorded by American country duo The Judds and released as a single in September 2010. The song was the only single released off of the 2011 compilation album, I Will Stand by You: The Essential Collection.
The Judds Reunion Live is the second live album by American country duo The Judds. It was released on May 9, 2000, in conjunction with Curb Records and Mercury Records. It was produced by Larry Strickland and contained a total of 23 tracks. Reunion Live was the duo's second live effort issued in their career and their first album as a duo in almost ten years.
Collector's Series is a compilation album by American country duo The Judds. It was released on August 21, 1990, by RCA Records. It was produced by Brent Maher and consisted of eight tracks of previously-recorded material. The album was part of RCA's "Collector's Series" compilations, which had also been released by several artists.
From the Heart: 15 Career Classics is a compilation album by American country duo The Judds. It was released in 1992 by RCA Records. The album was co-produced by Brent Maher, Norman Miller and Paul White. From the Heart was the duo's first album exclusively released for the Canadian market. It contained a total of 15 tracks and reached Canadian record chart positions following its release.
Reflections is a compilation album by American country duo The Judds. It was released on August 16, 1994, via Curb and RCA Nashville. It was mostly produced by Brent Maher, but also included some assistance from Don Potter. Reflections was The Judds's sixth compilation release in their career and among several to reach a charting position on a Billboard survey.
Number One Hits is a compilation album by American country music duo The Judds. It was released on October 25, 1994, on the Curb and RCA Nashville labels. The album contained music produced by Brent Maher and Don Potter. Number One Hits was the eleventh compilation released in The Judds's discography. It contained 12 of their number one hits on the country charts during the 1980s. The album itself also reached major chart positions and sales certifications.
Great Video Hits of The Judds is a video album by American country music duo The Judds, released in 1990 by RCA Records. It was the duo's second video album released in their career and their second to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States. The album contained the duo's music videos released by the RCA Records label.