Loretta Lynn "Woman Of The World/To Make A Man" Classic Album Review

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always on the turntable.  Today, we look back at one of the many releases from the legendary Loretta Lynn.  Woman Of The World/To Make A Man was Loretta’s fourteenth Decca release (excluding compilations).  Released in June, 1969, it was also her final release of the decade.  The album did well, peaking at number two on the bestseller lists, while also just breaking into the Top 150 on the Pop side.  The album features two hit singles, which, in this case, are both of the title cuts.

One of the title cuts lead off the album, Loretta’s number one hit from Spring of 1969, “Woman Of The World”.  One of Loretta’s best, right here.  It’s that simple.

“Johnny One Time” is a song that both Willie Nelson and Brenda Lee had singles on, and while Loretta’s version was only an album cut, I would argue it’s as good as the other two versions.  Great vocal job, in fact, you’d swear it was written with Loretta in mind, it’s that good.

I also like the ballad “If You Were Mine To Lose”.  The song isn’t quite as strong as the first two, but it’s still a very good track, and Loretta’s performance is excellent.

Pretty good, is how I would describe “The Only Time I Hurt”.  A steady track that may not stand out, but not likely to skip over, either.

“No One Will Ever Know” was already an old song, when Loretta recorded it for this album, having been released back in the late 1940′s by Roy Acuff.  The song would eventually enjoy hit status in 1980, when Gene Watson just missed the top ten with his version.  For me, Gene’s is the definitive version, but I really like Loretta’s take; a fine performance.

Side one ends with “Big Sister, Little Sister”, which starts with how the big sister would always make way for the little sister, so the little one could have her way, now they’re adults, a man’s involved;…do you know where this is going?  Yep, big sister loves the man, but little sister marries him.  That said, for a song that’s pretty easy to peg, it’s not as bad as one might think.  Not the album’s best, but not a terrible track.

Side two opens with the album’s other hit single/title track, “To Make A Man (Feel Like A Man)”, which became a top five hit in late Summer, 1969.  A bouncy track that I would describe as a typical Loretta song; in this case telling women how they should treat their men.

Next, Loretta Lynn covers the Merle Haggard classic “Today I Started Loving You Again”.  A little quicker paced than most version, it almost feels a little rushed, which is unfortunate, because her vocals are good, and with a pace closer to the Haggard original, I think this could have been a killer track.  Still decent, though.

Another cover track features Loretta giving her take on the Tammy Wynette classic “Stand By Your Man”.  While no one will ever come close to Tammy’s version, this one is decent.

“Ten Little Reasons” is classic Loretta.  The self-penned tear-jerker is a great album cut; one of the highlights of the album.

The album has a fine wrap-up with “I’m Lonesome For Trouble Tonight”, which Loretta co-wrote with Doyle Wilburn of the Wilburn Brothers.  Good, solid track to put the wraps on this album.

Somewhat surprising that this album has yet to join the ranks of reissues; having been out of print for many years.  Used copies are relatively numerous, most that I saw were in the $10 to $15 range.

“Woman Of The World” gets my Standout Track nod, while “Johnny One Time” is the Hidden Gem of this disc. Weakest Track? “Big Sister, Little Sister”; not a terrible track, but lags a bit behind the other ten.

Overall, a solid performance from one of the great legends of the genre.  While I wouldn’t consider this to be her best long-play, it’s still a worthy collection of tracks that if you like Loretta Lynn, you’ll most likely enjoy this album.  I rate it a 4 out of 5.

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Loretta Lynn "Woman Of The World/To Make A Man" Classic Album Review

Single Of The Day - "Teach Me To Cheat" The Kendalls

Greetings from Asheville, where there’s always good music on the turntable.  Single Of The Day, today, features one of the top ten efforts from Royce and Jeannie Kendall.

The father/daughter duo from St. Louis, were a fixture on the Country charts from 1977 through 1985, scoring eleven top ten hits (out of twenty-four Country 40 entries), including today’s Single Of The Day.  They had been recording since the early 1970′s, having released singles on the Dot label, but failing to break into the Country 40, until they had switched to the Ovation label, where they finally scored with what would turn out to be their biggest hit, “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away”.  While they had their greatest success at the Ovation label, Ovation would eventually fold, which caused the Kendalls to switch to Mercury.

“Teach Me To Cheat”, today’s Single Of The Day, was their first release for their new label.  Released in July, 1981, the single made it’s Country 40 debut in September, and became one of the big hits of the Fall, as it climbed into the top ten, peaking at seven.

The single is a pretty typical Kendalls’ formula.  Jeannie sings lead, the song features an adulterous theme, the arrangement is a strong country beat with a quick-paced tempo.  This was the sound that worked so well for the duo, and you know, sometimes, it’s better to stay with what works.  And it works well, here.

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Single Of The Day - "Teach Me To Cheat" The Kendalls

The Kendalls “Teach Me To Cheat” Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where there’s always good music on the turntable.  Single Of The Day, today, features one of the top ten efforts from Royce and Jeannie Kendall.

The father/daughter duo from St. Louis, were a fixture on the Country charts from 1977 through 1985, scoring eleven top ten hits (out of twenty-four Country 40 entries), including today’s Single Of The Day.  They had been recording since the early 1970′s, having released singles on the Dot label, but failing to break into the Country 40, until they had switched to the Ovation label, where they finally scored with what would turn out to be their biggest hit, “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away”.  While they had their greatest success at the Ovation label, Ovation would eventually fold, which caused the Kendalls to switch to Mercury.

“Teach Me To Cheat”, today’s Single Of The Day, was their first release for their new label.  Released in July, 1981, the single made it’s Country 40 debut in September, and became one of the big hits of the Fall, as it climbed into the top ten, peaking at seven.

The single is a pretty typical Kendalls’ formula.  Jeannie sings lead, the song features an adulterous theme, the arrangement is a strong country beat with a quick-paced tempo.  This was the sound that worked so well for the duo, and you know, sometimes, it’s better to stay with what works.  And it works well, here.

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The Kendalls “Teach Me To Cheat” Single Of The Day

"Teddy Bear" Red Sovine Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where there’s always good music to find.  Today’s Single Of The Day is unquestionably a classic in Country music, and it’s also a single that seems to be one that you either love or else find unbearingly sappy.  No middle ground, here.

Woodrow Wilson “Red” Sovine is best remembered for his recitations that could emit strong emotions, both ways.  Despite the fact that he was a talented vocalist, his three biggest hits were of this particular ilk; “Giddy-Up Go”, “Phantom 309″, and today’s Single Of The Day, “Teddy Bear”.

Red Sovine scored only thirteen Country 40 singles between 1955 and 1976, but six were able to claim spots in the top ten, including three number ones.

“Teddy Bear” was released by Starday Records in May, 1976, and made it’s Country 40 debut on our nation’s 200th birthday, July 4.  The single raced up the charts to number one, where it spent three of it’s eight total weeks on the Country 40.  The single sold heavily, which helped it make a brief appearance on the Pop Top 40, where it peaked at forty.  The single would ultimately be Red Sovine’s final Country 40 entry.

As I previously stated, it’s a song that people either love or find sappy and unlistenable.  For those who love the song, they can’t get enough of it, even today.  It’s a tale of a young crippled boy who talks to truckers via the CB radio in his home, and, after telling his tale to one trucker, in particular (the narrator), seemingly all of the drivers who heard him have come to his home, each giving him a ride in their rig.

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"Teddy Bear" Red Sovine Single Of The Day

Lynn Anderson "Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man" Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where there’s always good music to be found.  Today’s Single Of The Day harkens back to the decade of the 1970′s.  Though it’s now four decades ago, for many of us, it doesn’t seem that long.

Today’s Single Of The Day is a Lynn Anderson release from 1977.  Lynn is an artist who enjoyed a long run on the country charts, scoring her first Country 40 single in 1967 and not hitting her finale until 1988.  In that span, forty-eight of her singles broke into the 40, with eighteen reaching the top ten and five climbing all the way to number one.  Her biggest hit, “Rose Garden”, also became a top five Pop hit, as well.

Unfortunately, “Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man” was not one of her eighteen top ten hits.  The single, her first offering for 1977, just missed, peaking at twelve.  Released by Columbia in January, the single made a relatively quick ascension into the Country 40, making it’s debut in early February.  It would turn out to be her biggest hit for the year.  The song is a fast-paced Country-Pop piece that I think has a rather infectious sound to it, one that makes me a bit surprised that it didn’t peak a little higher than it did.  I’d call it one of her more underrated pieces.

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Lynn Anderson "Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man" Single Of The Day

Ultimate Twang Show, July 18, 2013

Greetings from Asheville, where another Ultimate Twang is in the books.  Every Thursday, from 4 to 7p ET, I play 3 hours of classic country music on the Asheville Free Media online radio station.  The World Famous Ultimate Twang is now the most popular program on the station (of approximately 40 shows), thanks to loyal fans of classic country music, like you.  If you didn’t catch the live edition, it will be available on our Asheville Free Media page, beginning Friday morning, until Thursday night.  Simply go to the page, scroll down, click the gray play button.  Simply click Asheville Free Media to go to the page.

Here’s the list of this week’s hit parade from the past….

If you missed it, it will be available on my Asheville Free Media page, starting tomorrow morning! Here’s this week’s play list…
HOUR 1
George Jones – The Race Is On
Bill Anderson – My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)
Merle Haggard – Cherokee Maiden
Bellamy Brothers – Old Hippie
B. J. Thomas – I Recall A Gypsy Woman
Leon Everette – Over
Roger Miller – (And You Had A) Do-Wacka-Do
Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues
Loretta Lynn – Ten Thousand Angels
T. G. Sheppard – Finally
Vern Gosdin – Slow Burning Memory
Eddy Arnold – Where Have All The Flowers Gone
Charley Pride – It’s Gonna Take A Little Bit Longer
Lefty Frizzell – She’s Gone Gone Gone
Reba McEntire – One Promise Too Late
Charlie Rich – Tomorrow Night
Dwight Yoakam – Ain’t That Lonely Yet
HOUR 2
Jerry Lee Lewis – One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)
Tim McGraw – Down On The Farm
Buck Owens – Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass?
Lulu Belle And Scotty – Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Liz Anderson & Lynn Anderson – Mother May I
Tom T. Hall – Fox On The Run
Tom T. Hall – Sneaky Snake
The Judds – I Know Where I’m Going
Stuart Hamblen – It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)
Tommy Overstreet – If I Miss You Again Tonight
Restless Heart – Why Does It Have To Be (Wrong Or Right)
Moe Bandy – My Woman Loves The Devil Out Of Me
Louvin Brothers – Love Is A Lonely Street
Narvel Felts – Funny How Time Slips Away
George Hamilton IV – Early Morning Rain
Conway Twitty – Happy Birthday Darlin’
Steve Wariner – Don’t Plan On Sleepin’ Tonight
Foster & Lloyd – Texas In 1880
HOUR 3
Tanya Tucker – What’s Your Mama’s Name
Confederate Railroad – Queen Of Memphis
Eddie Rabbitt – I Just Want To Love You
Vernon Dalhart – The Prisoner’s Song
Freddy Weller – Sexy Lady
Marty Robbins – I’ll Go On Alone
J E Mainer’s Mountaineers – Maple On The Hill
Barbara Mandrell – (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right
Elvis Presley – Where Did They Go, Lord?
Mickey Gilley – True Love Ways
C. W. McCall – Convoy
Emmylou Harris – They’ll Never Take His Love From Me
Jimmie Rodgers – Oh Oh I’m Falling In Love Again
Melba Montgomery – Don’t Let The Good Times Fool You
Rodney Crowell – Stars On The Water
Ed Bruce – The Last Cowboy Song
Glen Campbell – Hey Little One
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Ultimate Twang Show, July 18, 2013

Melba Montgomery "Don't Let The Good Times Fool You" Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always on the turntable.  Today’s Single Of The Day would turn out to be the next-to-last Country 40 entry for Melba Montgomery.

Entering 1975, Melba and her label, Elektra, were looking for the single to return her to the top.  The previous Spring, she had scored her only number one hit with the classic “No Charge”, but the ensuing two singles both failed to even break into the Country 40.  However, today’s Single Of The Day would return her not only to the Country 40, but to the upper half of the chart.

“Don’t Let The Good Times Fool You” was released in January, 1975, and would make it’s Country 40 debut in March.  The single began it’s climb in the early part of the month, and would ultimately top out at fifteen, her final Country 20 single.  In all, Melba Montgomery would score sixteen Country 40 singles, with two reaching the top ten.

This is an up tempo song, mainly country sound, and a record I really like.  In fact, I actually like it better than “No Charge”.  This one should have been a bigger hit, at least top ten.

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Melba Montgomery "Don't Let The Good Times Fool You" Single Of The Day

Tommy Overstreet "If I Miss You Again Tonight" Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where there’s always good music to be found.  Today’s Single Of The Day is a 1974 Tommy Overstreet hit.

While sometimes overlooked, today, the truth is that, during the 1970′s, particularly the 1971 to 1975 period, Tommy Overstreet was one of country music’s steadiest performers.  Ten of his eleven top ten hits came during that period, including today’s single.  Tommy Was part of a strong roster of acts that Dot Records owned at that time, that included the likes of Hank Thompson, Roy Clark, and Donna Fargo.

“If I Miss You Again Tonight” was actually Tommy’s last Dot release before the label came under the ABC Records family.  The single was released in June, 1974, but it didn’t make it’s Country 40 debut until nearly two months later, in mid-August.  Once on the 40, it steadily climbed towards the top ten, where it would eventually settle in to a peak of eight (ironically, it was his eighth top ten hit), during the Fall.

The song is a ballad, a medium-slow tempo sound.  I hesitate to call it Country-Pop; it does have a little pop sound element to it, but the overall sound is, to me, mainly country.  A good sound from a man who deserves more acclaim for his contributions to the music.

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Tommy Overstreet "If I Miss You Again Tonight" Single Of The Day

Dwight Yoakam "I Got You" - Single Of The Day

Greetings from Asheville, where the good music flows, and we’re back (finally!) with new entries in our regular remembrances of the great hits of yesterday and the vintage albums of the past.  Today’s Single Of The Day is from Dwight Yoakam.

“I Got You” is today’s Single Of The Day.  It was released on Reprise Records in February, 1989, and would make it’s Country 40 debut in March.  The single became Dwight’s ninth top ten hit, climbing as high as five on the charts.

The single contained a harder edged Country sound that was prevalent on much of Dwight’s earlier work, showing the strong influence that the West Coast sounds that the likes of Buck Owens made famous, had on him.  Up tempo, good sound.

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Dwight Yoakam "I Got You" - Single Of The Day

Ultimate Twang Show for July 4, 2013

Greetings from Asheville, where the music is always good.  It’s been awhile since we’ve posted any singles or albums; computer issues and some bronchitis have been largely to blame.  Hopefully, that’s all in the past and looking to start up again, this week.

If you missed this week’s show, it is available on our Asheville Free Media page.  Simply scroll down the page until you see a gray play button, then press and you can hear the show in it’s entirety.

Now, for this week’s play list.  What played? See here.

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Ultimate Twang Show for July 4, 2013

George Strait	I’ve Come To Expect It From You
Eddy Raven	She’s Gonna Win Your Heart
Olivia Newton-John	If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Everly Brothers	Bird Dog
Bobby Lewis	Rockabilly Days
Merle Haggard	Here Comes The Freedom Train
Toby Keith	American Soldier
Asleep At The Wheel	Where No One Stands Alone
Hawkshaw Hawkins	Soldier’s Joy
Ronnie Milsap	Stranger In My House
Tim McGraw	Don’t Take The Girl
Flatt & Scruggs	Foggy Mountain Chimes
Vern Gosdin	Yesterday’s Gone
Hoosier Hot Shots	Like A Monkey Likes Cocoanuts
Skeeter Davis	The End Of The World
Johnny Horton	Johnny Freedom
Johnny Darrell	Why You Been Gone So Long?
Aaron Tippin	Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Flies
George Jones	What My Woman Can’t Do
Wilburn Brothers	It’s Another World
Tex Ritter	I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You
Travis Tritt	If I Lost You
Bill Carlisle	What Kinda Deal Is This?
Eddie Rabbitt	American Boy
Hank Thompson	Humpty Dumpty Heart
Buck Owens	Dust On Mother’s Bible
Carl Smith	Ten Thousand Drums
Jim Ed Brown	Morning
Wright Brothers	Made In The USA
Red Foley	Hang Your Head In Shame
Donna Fargo	U. S. of A.
Rosanne Cash	Runaway Train
John Michael Montgomery	I Can Love You Like That
Johnny Cash	Ragged Old Flag
Don Williams	Amanda
Dave & Sugar	Golden Tears
The Kendalls	It Don’t Feel Like Sinnin’ To Me
Lee Greenwood	God Bless The U. S. A.
T. Texas Tyler	Deck Of Cards
Bill Haley & The Saddlemen	Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking)
Cal Smith	It’s Time To Pay The Fiddler
Brenda Lee	Losing You
Eddy Arnold	It’s A Sin
Tennessee Ernie Ford	What A Friend We Have In Jesus
George Hamilton IV	Break My Mind
Ricky Skaggs	I Don’t Care
Webb Pierce	Don’t Do It Darlin’
Dolly Parton	Baby I’m Burnin’
Moe Bandy	Americana
Johnny Russell	Rednecks, White Socks, And Blue Ribbon Beer
Glen Campbell	God Must Have Blessed America
Willie Nelson	Let It Be Me