THE SINGER AND THE SONG
WITH THE GEOFF LOVE COUNTRY SINGERS
TRACK LISTING
SIDE ONE
1. BLANKET ON THE GROUND
(Bowling)
2. PAPER ROSES
(Torre/ Spielman)
3. SNOWBIRD
(McLellan)
4. ANNIE'S SONG
(Denver)
5. TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS
(Danoff/ Nivert/ Denver)
6. SAN ANTONIO ROSE
(Wills)
SIDE TWO
1. THE STREETS OF LAREDO
(Livingston/ Evans)
2. PEACEFUL, EASY FEELING
(Tempchin)
3. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
(O'Dell)
4. JOLENE
(Parton)
5. STAND BY YOUR MAN
(Wynette/ Shirrill)
6. BONAPARTE'S RETREAT
(King)
Recorded At Chappell's Studios, London
Recording Engineer: Robert Golding
Associate Producer: Gil King
Produced by Norman Newell
P1976 A Supertunes Production
Though
every once in a while a country record would burst into the pop charts, maybe
even sell a million copies and earn a gold disc award, the music was, until just
a few years ago, essentially an esoteric interest, lacking any real impact with
the general record-buying public.
What
was once an essentially American art-form and one appealing almost exclusively
to the white working class American at that, has now won itself a wide-ranging
audience and influenced the general development of other popular music forms, as
can be heard in the country-rock sounds of groups like Dr. Hook, the Byrds and
others and in the use of country songs by so many of today's major soul singers.
This
collection of songs, interpreted so admirably by the multi-faceted talents of
Geoff Love and his singers, sums up the spirit of America yet they have all
proved enormously popular in other countries too.
Indeed,
Take Me Home Country Roads, despite its Southern States' atmosphere was
first a hit for British singer Olivia Newton John who has now established
herself as country music's leading lady, further proof of just how cosmopolitan
the music has now become.
The
real strength of the country sound comes of course from the marriage of
hauntingly catchy melodies with lyrics which really do tell a story, whether it
be the down-to-earth romance of Behind Closed Doors, a massive hit for
Charlie Rich, the plea of one woman to another in Dolly Parton's Jolene or
the violence of Streets Of Laredo, best known from Marty Robbins' superb
interpretation first heard in the epic Gunfighter Ballads album which
reminds us that once the music was known as "Country and Western" and
contained strong links with the old Wild West.
Every
one of these 12 songs stands in its own right as a country classic and the
treatments of them which you hear show another great strength of this vibrant
music, the adaptability of its material to so many different readings.
Unlike
pop music where, nearly always, the original hit version is the only one people
regard as valid, country songs become common property of all country artists,
such is their strength, and it is nothing for a tune to become a hit several
times over for different artists.
Country
music relates to real life, to real rather than fairy-tale situations, but above
all else it touches the emotions and entertains and we feel sure that's just the
way you will be affected by this album.
ROGER
ST. PIERRE