I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore is the twenty-eighth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in October 1976 and contained ten tracks. The project's name was derived from the title track, which was one of three singles included. Its other single releases included a cover The Everly Brothers's "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" and an original tune called "The Latest Shade of Blue". The title track was the album's most successful single, placing in the top 20 of the American country songs chart. The album received a positive response from Billboard magazine following its release. It was also Smith's final studio project released with the Columbia label.
| I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore | ||||
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| Released | October 1976 | |||
| Recorded | February 26 – April 14, 1976 | |||
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| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Ray Baker | |||
| Connie Smith chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore | ||||
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Background
editConnie Smith reached her commercial peak at RCA Victor, having a 18 top ten country singles between 1964 and 1973. She then signed a new contract with Columbia Records in the mid 1970s, which provided her more artistic freedom. Although past her career peak, Smith continued having top 20 (and occasionally top ten) songs through the decade. Smith's most successful Columbia singles included "Ain't Love a Good Thing" (1973), "I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)" (1974), "I've Got My Baby on My Mind" (1974), "Why Don't You Love Me" (1975) and "(Till) I Kissed You" (1976).[3][4] Columbia issued eight Connie Smith studio albums since 1973. She began making her final Columbia album in early 1976, which would later be titled I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore.[5]
Recording and content
editThe sessions for I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore took place over four 1976 studio sessions: February 26, March 18, March 24 and April 14. Two of these sessions were held at RCA Studio B, which Smith had previously recorded at during her earliest studio sessions for RCA Victor in the 1960s. According to Smith, RCA Studio B was her favorite studio to record in. The other two sessions were held at Columbia Studio B, where Smith had previously recorded all her songs at. The sessions were produced by Ray Baker. Baker had served as Smith's producer since 1973.[6] A total of ten tracks comprised the album project.[2] The album's title track and "The Latest Shade of Blue" were written by singer-songwriter, Eddy Raven.[7] He had begun pitching Smith songs for her previous album (also released in 1976) titled The Song We Fell in Love To.[8] "Eddie had some of the best records – the sound, the songs, his singing. Then he started to come into the studio to bring me songs," she recalled.[5]
Along with Raven's two compositions, the project featured a track penned by Don Gibson titled "I'm All Wrapped Up in You". It also featured a gospel tune penned by Dottie Rambo called "I Wonder If the Angels Could Use Another Singer". The album also included a self-penned track by Smith herself called "Constantly".[7] The song was first composed by Smith before becoming famous. "With this one, I was in the kitchen, cooking, and my mama was staying with me and the kids for a few days, and I started writing it," she told biographer Barry Mazor. Covers of previously-recorded songs were also featured. Among them was Smith's version of The Everly Brothers's "So Sad (To Watch Good Love God Bad)". It was her second cover of an Everly Brothers song.[5] On The Song We Fell in Love To, Smith recorded the duo's pop hit "(Till) I Kissed You".[8] She also covered Jessi Colter's original tune, "Storms Never Last". Smith slightly modified the lyrics on the chorus of the song.[5]
Release, reception and singles
editI Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore was released in October 1976 on Columbia Records. It was the thirtieth studio album of Smith's career and her ninth with the Columbia label. It was distributed as a vinyl LP, containing five songs on each side of the record.[7] Billboard magazine gave the album a positive review in 1976, highlighting Ray Baker's production and noting a "career resurgence" for Smith. "Styles range from hard driving country to Smith's gospel leanings. Variety and pace keep the effort interesting and add to the cut-by-cut flow," the magazine added.[1] The album entered America's Billboard Country LP's chart on November 6, 1976. It spent seven weeks on the chart and peaked at the number 33 position on November 27. It is Smith's final album to date to reach a charting position on the country albums survey.[9]
Three singles were included and spawned from the album. Its first was Smith's cover of "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)", which was released by Columbia Records in May 1976.[10] The single reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart by July 1976.[11] The title track was then released as a single in August 1976.[12] By October, it became her next top 20 hit, peaking at number 13 of the Hot Country Songs chart.[11] The final single issued from the album would be "The Latest Shade of Blue", released by Columbia in 1977. It was Smith's final single for the label.[13] It reached number 42 on the Country Songs chart in April 1977, becoming her second single to place outside the top 40 in her career.[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" | Don Everly | 2:22 |
| 2. | "Love Don't Care (Where It Grows)" | Tupper Saussy | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Come on Down" |
| 3:34 |
| 4. | "Storms Never Last" | Jessi Colter | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Constantly" | Connie Smith | 3:29 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore" | Eddy Raven | 2:50 |
| 2. | "The Latest Shade of Blue" | Raven | 2:51 |
| 3. | "I'm All Wrapped Up in You" | Don Gibson | 2:20 |
| 4. | "You Crossed My Mind a Thousand Times Today" |
| 3:06 |
| 5. | "I Wonder If the Angels Could Use Another Singer" | Dottie Rambo | 2:30 |
Personnel
editAll credits are adapted from the liner notes of I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore[7] and the biography booklet by Barry Mazor titled The Latest Shade of Blue.[14]
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Musical personnel
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Technical personnel
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Chart performance
edit| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[15] | 33 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | October 1976 | Vinyl | Columbia Records | [7] |
References
editFootnotes
edit- ^ a b "Billboard's Top Album Picks: Country". Billboard. Vol. 88, no. 42. October 16, 1976. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ a b "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore: Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Bush, John. "Connie Smith: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ a b c d Mazor 2021, p. 49.
- ^ Mazor 2021, pp. 49, 59–60.
- ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Connie (October 1976). "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Columbia Records. KC-34270.
- ^ a b Mazor 2021, p. 46.
- ^ "Connie Smith chart history (Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Smith, Connie (May 1976). ""So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)"/"Constantly" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 3-10345.
- ^ a b c "Connie Smith chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Smith, Connie (October 1976). ""I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore"/"You Crossed My Mind a Thousand Times Today" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 3-10393.
- ^ Smith, Connie (February 1977). ""The Latest Shade of Blue"/"I'm All Wrapped Up in You" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 3-10501.
- ^ Mazor 2021, pp. 59–60.
- ^ "Connie Smith Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
Books
edit- Mazor, Barry (November 5, 2021). The Latest Shade of Blue: The Columbia Recordings 1973 – 1976 (Box Set Biography). Bear Family Records. BCD-17609.