'57 Chevrolet (song)

Last updated
"'57 Chevrolet"
Billie Jo Spears--57 Chevrolet.jpg
Single by Billie Jo Spears
from the album Lonely Hearts Club
B-side "The Lovin' Kind"
ReleasedJuly 1978 (1978-07)
RecordedAugust 1977 (1977-08)
Studio Jack Clement Recording Studio
Genre
Label United Artists
Songwriter(s) Roger Bowling
Producer(s) Larry Butler
Billie Jo Spears singles chronology
"I've Got to Go"
(1978)
"'57 Chevrolet"
(1978)
"Love Ain't Gonna Wait for Us"
(1978)

"'57 Chevrolet" is a song written by Roger Bowling that was originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released as a single by United Artists Records in 1978 and reached the top 20 of the American and Canadian country songs charts. It was also included on Spears's 1978 studio album titled Lonely Hearts Club. It was reviewed positively by critics following its release.

Contents

Background, content and recording

Billie Jo Spears was at her career peak during the mid and late seventies at United Artists Records. She reached the top of the charts with 1975's "Blanket on the Ground" and the top ten with 1976's "What I've Got in Mind" and "Misty Blue". Through 1981, she had a series of top 20 singles on the country charts as well, including "'57 Chevrolet". [2] Spears became known for recording songs that discussed themes about rekindling romance in marriages (a theme that was found on "Blanket on the Ground") and "'57 Chevrolet" was among these recordings. [3]

"'57 Chevrolet"'s main character recalls when her relationship was new and the memories made with her partner in their 1957 Chevrolet automobile. [4] The song was written by Roger Bowling, who also wrote Spears's "Blanket on the Ground". The track was recording at the Jack Clement Recording in Nashville, Tennessee in August 1978. The session was produced by Larry Butler. [5]

Release, reception and chart performance

"'57 Chevrolet" was first included as an album track on Spears's studio LP titled Lonely Hearts Club. The album was released in February 1978. [6] It was spawned as the third and final single from the LP in July 1978 by United Artists Records. It was distributed as a seven-inch vinyl disc and was backed on the B-side by the song, "The Lovin' Kind". [5] Cash Box magazine compared the song Spears's "Blanket on the Ground" in their review: "Producer Larry Butler and vocalist Billie Jo Spears fall back on the melody and lyrical content which made "Blanket On The Ground" a huge success a few years ago. Music Directors, Coin Operators and Distributors who had good activity on "Blanket" should especially act on this cut." [7]

"'57 Chevrolet" debuted on America's Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in August 1978. It spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at the number 16 position in October 1978. [8] On the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, the song peaked at number 12 position. [9]

Track listing

7" vinyl single [5]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "'57 Chevrolet"
Chart (1978)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [9] 12
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 16

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Jo Spears</span> American Country Singer

Billie Jo Spears was an American country artist. She was known for a series of popular singles whose characters often represented women in assertive positions. Among these recordings was a song about sexual harassment and a song about rekindling sexual desire ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanket on the Ground</span> 1975 song

"Blanket on the Ground" is a song written by Roger Bowling, and recorded by American country music singer Billie Jo Spears. It was released in February 1975 as the second single and title track from the album Blanket on the Ground. Irish born singer Philomena Begley covered the song as the lead single from her 1975 LP of the same name. The single was released on August 4, 1975 in Ireland and August 6, 1975 in the United Kingdom reaching number 1 and number 4 in the UK and Ireland respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Jo Spears discography</span>

The discography of American country artist, Billie Jo Spears, contains 23 studio albums, 15 compilation albums, one video album, 53 singles, one charting song and has appeared on one album. Spears's first singles were issued at United Artists Records before switching to Capitol Records. The 1969 single, "Mr. Walker, It's All Over", reached the top ten on the American and Canadian country songs charts. An album of the same name followed that reached the top 30 on the American country albums chart. Her remaining years with Capitol Records failed to prove any further commercial success. The label issued four more studio albums by Spears through 1971, along with four more top 40 singles.

<i>Blanket on the Ground</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

Blanket on the Ground is a studio album by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was released in February 1975 via United Artists Records and contained ten tracks. It was the seventh studio album of Spears's music career and her first with the United Artists label. The disc featured mostly ballads, many of which were cover tunes. The album was anchored by its title track, which topped the American country chart and became a pop commercial success in several countries. The disc itself reached the top five of the American country albums chart as well. AllMusic later gave the disc four out of five stars.

<i>Billie Jo</i> 1975 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

Billie Jo is a studio album by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was released in October 1975 via United Artists Records and contained ten tracks. A mixture of new recordings and cover tunes were featured on the disc. Among them were the singles, "Stay Away from the Apple Tree" and "Silver Wings and Golden Rings". Both singles reached the top 20 of the North American country charts in 1975. The album itself reached the top 50 of the American country albums chart. It was the eighth studio album of Spears's career and her second with the United Artists label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay Away from the Apple Tree</span> 1975 single by Billie Jo Spears

"Silver Wings and Golden Rings" is a song recorded by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was written by Roger Bowling and Larry Butler. Released as a single, the track reached the top 20 of the North American country charts in 1975. It was also released on Spears's 1975 album titled Billie Jo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Wings and Golden Rings</span> 1975 single by Billie Jo Spears

"Silver Wings and Golden Rings" is a song recorded by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was composed by Molly Ann Leikin and Gloria Sklerov. It was released as a single and reached the top 20 of the North American country charts in 1975. The song was included on Spears's 1975 studio album titled Billie Jo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What I've Got in Mind</span> 1976 single by Billie Jo Spears

"What I've Got in Mind" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell that was originally recorded by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was released as a single in 1976 and became a top single in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was one of top ten singles Spears had during the decade. It was issued on Spears's studio album of the same name in 1976.

<i>Country Girl</i> (Billie Jo Spears album) 1970 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

Country Girl is a studio album by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was released on Capitol Records in August 1970 and contained ten tracks. It was the fifth studio album of Spears's career and featured original material along with cover tunes. Among its new recordings was the top 20 country single, "Marty Gray". The album received positive reviews from critics following its release.

"Sing Me an Old Fashioned Song" is a song originally recorded by American country artist, Billie Jo Spears. It was composed by Larry Henley and Johnny Slate. It was first issued as an album track on Spears's 1976 studio album What I've Got Mind. It was then spawned as the third single from the album that year. It was distributed outside of North America, where it reached charting positions in several countries.

<i>What Ive Got in Mind</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

What I've Got in Mind is a studio album by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released in June 1976 via United Artists Records and was the ninth studio album of her career. The disc contained a total of ten tracks, mixing both original recordings with cover tunes. Among its tracks were three singles: the title track, "Misty Blue" and "Sing Me an Old Fashioned Song". Both the title song and "Misty Blue" reached the top five of the North American country charts. "Sing Me an Old Fashioned Song" was released overseas where it made chart positions internationally. The album itself reached the top ten on the American country albums chart and the top 50 of the UK Albums chart. Country Music People gave the disc a positive review.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Did Like Whiskey</span> 1976 single by Billie Jo Spears

"Never Did Like Whiskey" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell that was originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released as a single in 1976 and reached the top 20 of the American country chart and the top 30 of the Canadian country chart. The song was included on Spears's 1976 studio album titled I'm Not Easy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not Easy</span> 1977 single by Billie Jo Spears

"I'm Not Easy" is a song first recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. Written by David Chamberlain and Jim Vest, it was released as a single in 1977 and became top 20 charting country single in the United States. The song also served as the title track to Spears's 1976 studio album.

<i>Im Not Easy</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

I'm Not Easy is a studio album by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released in November 1976 via United Artists Records and contained 11 tracks. The disc featured many ballads, along with some uptempo tracks. Of its tracks, two singles were spawned: "Never Did Like Whiskey" and the title track. Both reached top 20 positions on the American country charts between 1976 and 1977. The disc itself charted on the American country albums chart and received mainly positive reviews from music publications.

<i>The Voice of Billie Jo Spears</i> 1968 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

The Voice of Billie Jo Spears is a studio album by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released in November 1968 via Capitol Records and contained 11 tracks. The disc mixed both new recordings with original material and featured her first charting single: "He's Got More Love on His Little Finger". It was the debut studio album of Spears's career and received positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Want Me (song)</span> 1977 single by Billie Jo Spears

"If You Want Me" is a song written by Ben Peters that was originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released as a single in 1977 and reached the top ten of the American country chart, among other positions. It was the lead single of Spears's 1977 album of the same name. It was the final top ten single of Spears's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Much Is Not Enough (Billie Jo Spears song)</span> 1977 single by Billie Jo Spears

"If You Want Me" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell that was originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. Released as a single by United Artists Records, the song reached the top 20 of the North American country charts in 1977. It was released on Spears's 1977 studio album titled If You Want Me.

<i>If You Want Me</i> (Billie Jo Spears album) 1977 studio album by Billie Jo Spears

If You Want Me is a studio album by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. In the United Kingdom, the album was titled as Every Time I Sing a Love Song It was released on United Artists Records in June 1977 and contained ten tracks. Most of the album's material were new recordings, along with some cover tunes. It was the twelfth studio album of her career. Two singles were included on the disc: the title track and "Too Much Is Not Enough". Both reached the top ten and top 20 of the North American country charts in 1977. The album itself also charted on the American country albums survey. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Hearts Club (Billie Jo Spears song)</span> 1977 single by Billie Jo Spears

"Lonely Hearts Club" is a song originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was composed by Gene Simmons, Roger Bowling and Larry Butler. It was released as a single via United Artists Records in 1977, reaching the top 20 of the American country chart and the top ten of the Canadian country chart. It served as the title track of Spears's 1978 studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Got to Go</span> 1978 single by Billie Jo Spears

"I've Got to Go" is a song originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was written by Roger Bowling and Larry Butler. Released as a single in 1978 by United Artists Records, the song reached the top 20 of the American country chart and the top 30 of the Canadian country chart. It was spawned from Spears's 1978 studio album titled Lonely Hearts Club.

References

  1. 1 2 ""'57 Chevrolet": Billie Jo Spears: Track Info". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  2. Huey, Steve. "Billie Jo Spears Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. p. 1905. ISBN   978-0857125958.
  4. Russell, Tony (December 15, 2011). "Billie Jo Spears Obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Spears, Billie Jo (July 1978). ""'57 Chevrolet"/"The Lovin' Kind" (Single Information)". United Artists Records . UA-X1229-Y.
  6. Spears, Billie Jo (February 1978). "Lonely Hearts Club (Disc Information)". United Artists Records . UA-LA859-G.
  7. "45 / Reviews / LP" (PDF). Cash Box . August 12, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. various.
  9. 1 2 "Search results for "Billie Jo Spears"". RPM . Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  10. "Billie Jo Spears Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2023.