Wanda Jackson Country! is a
studio album by American recording artist
Wanda Jackson. It was released in February 1970 via
Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was Jackson's fifteenth studio album released in her recording career and her fifteen with the Capitol label. The album included four single releases that made chart positions on the American country music survey: "By the Time You Get to Phoenix", "Everything's Leaving", "
My Big Iron Skillet" and "
Two Separate Bar Stools".
Background and content
Wanda Jackson recorded a series of Rockabilly selections for Capitol Records in the 1950s, with songs like "
Fujiyama Mama" and "
Let's Have a Party". She made the transition back into Country music with two top ten songs in 1961. During the remainder of the decade, she became more identified with the Country market, having further hit singles with "
The Box It Came In" and "
Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine".[2]Wanda Jackson Country! was among the studio albums Jackson cut for the
Country audience. It was recorded between 1967 and 1969 at the Columbia Studio in
Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions were produced by Kelso Herston,
Ken Nelson and
George Richey. It was her first album to include production credits by George Richey.[3] In her autobiography, Jackson writes her dis-taste for Richey's production work on these sessions: "He wasn't making any suggestions, paying me any attention, or giving me any feedback. That just made me mad."[4]
Wanda Jackson Country! consisted of ten tracks.[1] The album included a mixture of original and cover tunes. Among its original tunes was "The Pain of It All", "Everything's Leaving", "Two Separate Bar Stools" and "My Big Iron Skillet".[3] The latter recording was co-written by a friend of Jackson's husband who pitched the song to her.[4] Cover recordings for the album included
Tammy Wynette's "
Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" and
Charley Pride's "
Just Between You and Me". Also featured on the project is an
answer song to
Glen Campbell's "
By the Time I Get to Phoenix". Jackson's husband re-worked the lyrics, along with Melvin Nash, which became "By the Time You Get to Phoenix".[3]
Release and singles
Wanda Jackson Country! was originally released in February 1970 on Capitol Records. The album marked Jackson's fifteen studio release in her career and her fifteenth for the Capitol label. It was originally issued as a
vinyl LP, containing five songs on both sides of the record.[3] In later years, it was re-released via
Capitol Records Nashville to digital and streaming markets, which included
Apple Music.[5] A total of four singles were included on the album, beginning with "By the Time You Get to Phoenix" in January 1968.[6] Two months later, it reached number 48 on the BillboardHot Country Singles chart.[7]
In June 1969, "Everything's Leaving" was issued as the second single from the album.[8] The single eventually climbed to number 48 on the same Billboard chart.[9] "My Big Iron Skillet" was issued as the third single in September 1969.[10] The song became the album's highest-charting hit, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard country chart by November 1969.[11] "Two Separate Bar Stools" was spawned as the final single from the album in December 1969.[12] By February 1970, the song had peaked at number 35 on the Billboard country chart.[13]
^
abcdefgJackson, Wanda (February 1970). "Wanda Jackson Country! (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records. ST-434.
^
abBomar, Scott; Jackson, Wanda (2017). Every night is Saturday night : a country girl's journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
United States: BMG.
ISBN9781947026070.
