I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too
Encyclopedia
I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too is the debut studio album by American country
artist Skeeter Davis
. The album was released in November 1959 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Chet Atkins
. It signified Davis' first solo album ever released after departing from the duo, The Davis Sisters.
, United States
. The first session took place in May 1958, followed by January 30, 1959, and then ending in September 1959. The album took its name from Chet Atkins
' idea of harmonizing Davis' vocals with herself. Atkins used this technique because Davis' vocals were not suited to singing lead vocals, as she had previously sung harmony as part of The Davis Sisters. By using the technique of harmonizing with herself, it gave her voice a fuller sound and production. The debut record contained twelve tracks of material. Besides a selected amount of new songs ("Am I That Easy to Forget
", "Set Him Free", "Have You Seen This Man", and "Devil's Doll") the rest of the album contained cover versions of songs. It included cover versions of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart
", Jan Howard
's "The One You Slip Around With", and Buck Owens
' "Under Your Spell Again". It also included a solo version of The Davis Sisters' 1953 hit, "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
".
The album was originally released as an LP album
with six songs on each side of the record. Allmusic rated the album and gave it four out of five stars, without an official written review provided.
", released in August 1958. The single failed to chart. "Set Him Free" was released as the second single in February 1959 and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs
chart, becoming Davis' first Top 10 hit. The third and final single was "Am I That Easy to Forget
", which was released in January 1960. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart that same year. The single would later become a hit for Debbie Reynolds
, Jim Reeves
, and Engelbert Humperdinck
. The album was officially issued in November 1959 on RCA Victor Records, but failed to enter any Billboard chart (Billboard's country album chart did not debut until 1964).
Side two
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 November 1959 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...
. It signified Davis' first solo album ever released after departing from the duo, The Davis Sisters.
Background and content
I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too was recorded in three recording sessions 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...
. The first session took place in May 1958, followed by January 30, 1959, and then ending in September 1959. The album took its name from 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...
' idea of harmonizing Davis' vocals with herself. Atkins used this technique because Davis' vocals were not suited to singing lead vocals, as she had previously sung harmony as part of The Davis Sisters. By using the technique of harmonizing with herself, it gave her voice a fuller sound and production. The debut record contained twelve tracks of material. Besides a selected amount of new songs ("Am I That Easy to Forget
Am I That Easy to Forget
"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
", "Set Him Free", "Have You Seen This Man", and "Devil's Doll") the rest of the album contained cover versions of songs. It included cover versions of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
", Jan Howard
Jan Howard
Lula Grace Johnson , known professionally as Jan Howard, is an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry star. She attained moderate success as a country female vocalist during the 1960s and early 1970s...
's "The One You Slip Around With", and Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
' "Under Your Spell Again". It also included a solo version of The Davis Sisters' 1953 hit, "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record...
".
The album was originally released as an LP album
LP album
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...
with six songs on each side of the record. Allmusic rated the album and gave it four out of five stars, without an official written review provided.
Release
I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too spawned three singles between 1958 and 1960. The first single released was the cover version of "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever KnowI Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record...
", released in August 1958. The single failed to chart. "Set Him Free" was released as the second single in February 1959 and peaked at #5 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, becoming Davis' first Top 10 hit. The third and final single was "Am I That Easy to Forget
Am I That Easy to Forget
"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
", which was released in January 1960. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart that same year. The single would later become a hit for Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
, 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...
, and Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel. Humperdinck was born at Siegburg in the Rhine Province; at the age of 67 he died in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.-Life:After receiving piano lessons, Humperdinck produced his first composition...
. The album was officially issued in November 1959 on RCA Victor Records, but failed to enter any Billboard chart (Billboard's country album chart did not debut until 1964).
Track listing
Side one- "Just When I Needed You" – (Jack Anglin, Clyde Baum, Johnnie WrightJohnnie WrightJohnnie Robert Wright, Jr. , known professionally as Johnnie Wright, was an American country music singer-songwriter who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was also the husband of Kitty Wells.-Early life and career:Born in Mount Juliet,...
) - "Am I That Easy to ForgetAm I That Easy to Forget"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
" – (Carl Belew, W.S. Stevenson) - "Have You Seen This Man" – (Skeeter Davis, Justin TubbJustin TubbJustin Wayne Tubb was an American country music singer and songwriter. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was the oldest son of legendary country singer Ernest Tubb.-Biography:...
, Marie Wilson) - "Your Cheatin' HeartYour Cheatin' Heart"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
" – (Hank Williams) - "The One You Slip Around With" – (Harlan HowardHarlan HowardHarlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
, Charles Owen) - "Devil's Doll" – (Cindy WalkerCindy WalkerCindy Walker was a prolific American songwriter, as well as a country music singer and dancer. As a songwriter Walker was responsible for a large number of popular and enduring songs recorded by many different artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, often tailoring...
)
Side two
- "Chained to a Memory" – (Jenny Lou CarsonJenny Lou CarsonJenny Lou Carson, , born Virginia Lucille Overstake, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit...
) - "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever KnowI Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record...
" – (Cecil Null) - "Standing in the Shadows" – (Ray PriceRay Price (musician)Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
) - "Under Your Spell Again" – (Buck OwensBuck OwensAlvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, Dusty Rhodes) - "Set Him Free" – (Davis, Helen Moyers, Wilson)
- "Let Those Brown Eyes Smile at Me" – (Rusty Nail)
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... - 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, 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...
- Ray Edenton – 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...
- 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
- Tommy Jackson – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- 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:...
– 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... - Donald Slayman – fiddle
- Velma Smith – rhythm guitar
Sales chart positions
Singles| Year | Song | 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... |
||
| 1959 | "Set Him Free" | 5 |
| 1960 | "Am I That Easy to Forget" | 11 |