Here's the Answer
Encyclopedia
Here's the Answer is the second studio album by American country
artist Skeeter Davis
. The album was released in January 1961 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Chet Atkins
. The album consisted of cover versions of hit singles by country artists and answer songs to the hits.
, United States
in three sessions. The first session took place May 13, 1960, followed by a session October 11, and then ending in December of that year. Like Davis' previous release, she harmonized with herself on the recordings in order to give her voice and the production a fuller sound. The album consisted of cover versions of major hit singles by country artists on the RCA Victor label, followed by Davis' answer song
to the hit. It included the original versions of hits by artists such as Jim Reeves
' "He'll Have to Go
", Floyd Cramer
's "Last Date", and Hank Locklin
's "Please Help Me, I'm Falling
". In response, Davis' sings the answer songs, "He'll Have to Stay", "My Last Date (With You)", and "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too". Richie Unterberger of Allmusic called the concept behind the album to be "hokey". Unterberger explained that half of the album wasn't "Davis at all", but instead the original versions of the song by the original artists are included. Unterberger gave the release only two out of five stars, stating, "It gets really ridiculous when Davis sings an answer song ("My Last Date") to Floyd Cramer
's instrumental hit "Last Date." Davis' songs are okay mainstream country/pop; a couple of them ("(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" and "My Last Date") were even Top 40 pop hits. But alternating her tracks bang-bang with hits by various other male country stars makes for a rather herky-jerky listening experience."
Here's the Answer was released as an LP record
, and contained six songs on each side of the record. The album was reissued on a compact disc
in the mid 1990s and added the four additional bonus tracks Davis recorded as duets with Bobby Bare
and Porter Wagoner
in the 1960s; "A Little Bitty Tear
" with Porter Wagoner, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" with Porter Wagoner, "A Dear John Letter
" with Bobby Bare, and "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" with Bobby Bare.
's "Please Help Me, I'm Falling
" called, "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too". The single was released in July 1960 and peaked for three weeks at #2 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs
chart and became her first single to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100
, reaching #39. The second single was released in December 1960 called, "My Last Date (With You)". The song reached #5 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs, while also reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1961. The songs became her second and third Top 10 hits as a solo artist. Here's the Answer was officially released in January 1961, but did chart any Billboard list.
Side two
Bonus tracks on reissued version
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis
Mary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo...
. The album was released in January 1961 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
. The album consisted of cover versions of hit singles by country artists and answer songs to the hits.
Background and content
Here's the Answer was recorded at the RCA Victor Studio in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in three sessions. The first session took place May 13, 1960, followed by a session October 11, and then ending in December of that year. Like Davis' previous release, she harmonized with herself on the recordings in order to give her voice and the production a fuller sound. The album consisted of cover versions of major hit singles by country artists on the RCA Victor label, followed by Davis' answer song
Answer song
An answer song is, as the name suggests, a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. It is also known as a response song. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s through 1950s...
to the hit. It included the original versions of hits by artists such as Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves
James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
' "He'll Have to Go
He'll Have to Go
"He'll Have to Go" is an American country and pop hit recorded on October 15, 1959 by Jim Reeves. The song, released in the fall of 1959, went on to become a massive hit in both genres early in 1960.-Background:...
", Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
's "Last Date", and Hank Locklin
Hank Locklin
Lawrence Hankins Locklin , better known as Hank Locklin, was an American country music singer-songwriter...
's "Please Help Me, I'm Falling
Please Help Me, I'm Falling
"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording becoming his second number one on the country charts...
". In response, Davis' sings the answer songs, "He'll Have to Stay", "My Last Date (With You)", and "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too". Richie Unterberger of Allmusic called the concept behind the album to be "hokey". Unterberger explained that half of the album wasn't "Davis at all", but instead the original versions of the song by the original artists are included. Unterberger gave the release only two out of five stars, stating, "It gets really ridiculous when Davis sings an answer song ("My Last Date") to Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
's instrumental hit "Last Date." Davis' songs are okay mainstream country/pop; a couple of them ("(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" and "My Last Date") were even Top 40 pop hits. But alternating her tracks bang-bang with hits by various other male country stars makes for a rather herky-jerky listening experience."
Here's the Answer was released as an LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, and contained six songs on each side of the record. The album was reissued on a compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the mid 1990s and added the four additional bonus tracks Davis recorded as duets with Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
and Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
in the 1960s; "A Little Bitty Tear
A Little Bitty Tear
"A Little Bitty Tear" is a song written by the American country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran. It has been recorded by many musical acts, including Cochran himself and Burl Ives.-History:...
" with Porter Wagoner, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" with Porter Wagoner, "A Dear John Letter
A Dear John Letter
"A Dear John Letter", or "Dear John" is the name of a popular country music song. It was popularized by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard, and was a crossover country-pop hit in 1953....
" with Bobby Bare, and "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" with Bobby Bare.
Release
Here's the Answer spawned two singles in 1960. The first single released was Davis' response to Hank LocklinHank Locklin
Lawrence Hankins Locklin , better known as Hank Locklin, was an American country music singer-songwriter...
's "Please Help Me, I'm Falling
Please Help Me, I'm Falling
"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording becoming his second number one on the country charts...
" called, "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too". The single was released in July 1960 and peaked for three weeks at #2 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart and became her first single to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, reaching #39. The second single was released in December 1960 called, "My Last Date (With You)". The song reached #5 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs, while also reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1961. The songs became her second and third Top 10 hits as a solo artist. Here's the Answer was officially released in January 1961, but did chart any Billboard list.
Track listing
Side one| Track | Song Title | Writer(s) | Artist Performing | Length |
| 1 | "He'll Have to Go He'll Have to Go "He'll Have to Go" is an American country and pop hit recorded on October 15, 1959 by Jim Reeves. The song, released in the fall of 1959, went on to become a massive hit in both genres early in 1960.-Background:... " |
Joe Allison Joe Allison Joe Marion Allison was an American Hall of Fame songwriter, a radio and television personality, a record producer, and a country music business executive.... , Audrey Allison |
Jim Reeves Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound... |
2:22 |
| 2 | "He'll Have to Stay" | Allison, Allison, Charles Grean | Skeeter Davis | 2:25 |
| 3 | "Last Date Last Date (song) "Last Date" is a 1960 instrumental written and performed by Floyd Cramer. "Last Date" peaked at number 11 on the country chart and peaked at number two on the Hot 100.-Chart performance:-Cover versions:... " |
Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note... |
Floyd Cramer | 2:28 |
| 4 | "My Last Date (With You)" | Boudleaux Bryant, Cramer, Skeeter Davis | Skeeter Davis | 2:33 |
| 5 | "Tell Laura I Love Her Tell Laura I Love Her "Tell Laura I Love Her," a teenage tragedy song written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh, was an American Top Ten popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart... " |
Jeff Barry Jeff Barry Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:... , Ben Raleigh |
Ray Peterson Ray Peterson Ray Peterson was an American pop music singer who was best remembered for singing "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corrine, Corrina" in the 1960s.-Career:... |
2:58 |
| 6 | "Tell Tommy I Miss Him" | Barry, Raleigh | Skeeter Davis | 2:26 |
Side two
| Track | Song Title | Writer(s) | Artist Performing | Length |
| 7 | "Please Help Me, I'm Falling Please Help Me, I'm Falling "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording becoming his second number one on the country charts... " |
Hal Blair, Don Robertson | Hank Locklin Hank Locklin Lawrence Hankins Locklin , better known as Hank Locklin, was an American country music singer-songwriter... |
2:23 |
| 8 | "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" | Blair, Rbertson, Davis | Skeeter Davis | 2:25 |
| 9 | "I Really Don't Want to Know I Really Don't Want to Know "I Really Don't Want to Know" is a popular song with music was written by Don Robertson and lyrics by Howard Barnes. The song was published in 1953.... " |
Howard Barnes, Robertson | Eddy Arnold Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more... |
2:47 |
| 10 | "I Really Want You to Know" | Barnes, Robertson, Davis | Skeeter Davis | 2:28 |
| 11 | "Just One Time" | Don Gibson Don Gibson Donald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was... |
Don Gibson | 2:45 |
| 12 | "I Want to See You Too (Just One Time)" | Gibson, Davis | Skeeter Davis | 2:22 |
Bonus tracks on reissued version
| Track | Song Title | Writer(s) | Artist Performing | Length |
| 13 | "A Little Bitty Tear A Little Bitty Tear "A Little Bitty Tear" is a song written by the American country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran. It has been recorded by many musical acts, including Cochran himself and Burl Ives.-History:... " |
Hank Cochran Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold and others... |
Skeeter Davis and Porter Wagoner Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and... |
2:07 |
| 14 | "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" | Scotty Wiseman | Skeeter Davis and Porter Wagoner | 2:33 |
| 15 | "A Dear John Letter A Dear John Letter "A Dear John Letter", or "Dear John" is the name of a popular country music song. It was popularized by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard, and was a crossover country-pop hit in 1953.... " |
Billy Barton, Fuzzy Owen, Louis Talley | Bobby Bare Bobby Bare Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:... and Skeeter Davis |
1:55 |
| 16 | "We'll Sing in the Sunshine We'll Sing in the Sunshine "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" is a 1964 hit song written and recorded by Gale Garnett which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending 5 September 1964. The song also enjoyed success on easy listening and country music radio stations, spending seven weeks at number one on... " |
Gale Garnett Gale Garnett Gale Zoë Garnett is a New Zealand-born Canadian singer best known in the United States for her Grammy-winning folk hit "We'll Sing in the Sunshine." Garnett has since carved out a career as a writer and actress.-Biography:... |
Bobby Bare and Skeeter Davis | 2:21 |
Personnel
- Chet AtkinsChet AtkinsChester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jerry ByrdJerry ByrdGerald Lester "Jerry" Byrd was an American musician who played Lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music.-Career:...
– bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles... - Floyd CramerFloyd CramerFloyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Skeeter Davis – harmony vocals, background vocals, lead vocals
- Jimmy Day – steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Hank GarlandHank GarlandWalter Louis Garland , better known as Hank Garland, was a Nashville studio musician who performed with Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and many others.-Biography:...
– guitar - Buddy HarmanBuddy HarmanBuddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...
– drums - Bud Issac – steel guitar
- Anita Kerr Singers – background vocals
- Grady MartinGrady MartinThomas Grady Martin was one of the most renowned, inventive and historically significant American session musicians in country music and rockabilly....
– guitar - Bob MooreBob MooreBob Loyce Moore is an American session musician, orchestra leader, and bassist who was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
– bass - Velma Smith – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
Sales chart positions
Singles| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| 1960 | "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" | 2 | 39 |
| "My Last Date (With You)" | 5 | 26 | |