Songs of a Love Affair
Encyclopedia
Songs of a Love Affair is the debut studio album by American country
artist Jean Shepard
. The album was released in 1956 on Capitol Records
and was produced by Ken Nelson
. The release has been said to have been one of country music's first concept albums in history and also one of the first to be released by a female country music artist.
of Allmusic noted that Songs of a Love Affair was "arguably the first concept album in country music history," as it was one of the first official LP album
s issued in country music and by female artists. The album itself acquired its name from the songs themes that depicted a marriage that was ended by a love affair. One side of the record is written from a romance's dissolution. Songs such as "Passing Love Affair", "Shadows on the Wall", and "Hello Old Broken Heart" depicted the album's theme. The material consisted of all new material, and none were cover versions of other songs. The ninth track entitled "Sad Singin' and Slow Ridin'" was written by country artists Curly Fox
and Texas Ruby
. The fifth track "Hello Old Broken Heart" was composed by songwriters Joe Allison
and Audrey Allison, who would later write the number one single "He'll Have to Go
" for Jim Reeves
.
chart or make the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 list either. The record was originally issued as a 12-inch LP album
, and contained six songs on each side of the record. Allmusic reviewed Songs of a Love Affair and gave it four in half out five stars, however a written review was not provided. The album has not been reissued on cassette
or compact disc
since its original release in 1956.
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 Jean Shepard
Jean Shepard
Ollie Imogene Shepard , better known as Jean Shepard, is an American honky tonk singer-songwriter who was a pioneer for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the #1 spot...
. The album was released in 1956 on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and was produced by Ken Nelson
Ken Nelson (United States record producer)
Kenneth F. Nelson was a American record producer and A & R man for Capitol Records.-Early life:Born in Caledonia, Minnesota, at the age of 14, Nelson made his radio single debut as a singer in 1925...
. The release has been said to have been one of country music's first concept albums in history and also one of the first to be released by a female country music artist.
Background and content
Songs of a Love Affair comprised twelve tracks of recorded material. The record was recorded in five separate recording sessions at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. The first took place August 26, 1953. It was not until two years later that the album's production was concluded in four separate recording sessions in between December 27 and December 30, 1955. Dan Cooper and Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic noted that Songs of a Love Affair was "arguably the first concept album in country music history," as it was one of the first official 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...
s issued in country music and by female artists. The album itself acquired its name from the songs themes that depicted a marriage that was ended by a love affair. One side of the record is written from a romance's dissolution. Songs such as "Passing Love Affair", "Shadows on the Wall", and "Hello Old Broken Heart" depicted the album's theme. The material consisted of all new material, and none were cover versions of other songs. The ninth track entitled "Sad Singin' and Slow Ridin'" was written by country artists Curly Fox
Curly Fox
Arnim LeRoy Fox , better known as Curly Fox, was an American fiddler and country musician.-Biography:...
and Texas Ruby
Texas Ruby
Texas Ruby , born Ruby Agnes Owens, was a pioneering country music female vocalist of the 1930s through the early 1960s.-Biography:...
. The fifth track "Hello Old Broken Heart" was composed by songwriters 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....
and Audrey Allison, who would later write the number one single "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:...
" for 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...
.
Release
Songs of a Love Affair was released as Jean Shepard's debut studio album in 1956 and was the only album she released that year. The album did chart any Billboard Magazine albums list upon its release. Singles were not originally issued from the release, however in 1960 the songs "The Mysteries of Life" and "Did I Turn Down a Better Deal" were spawned from the record. Although two singles were sent to radio, neither charted the Billboard Magazine Hot Country SongsHot 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 or make the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 list either. The record was originally issued as a 12-inch 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...
, and contained six songs on each side of the record. Allmusic reviewed Songs of a Love Affair and gave it four in half out five stars, however a written review was not provided. The album has not been reissued on cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
or 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 ,...
since its original release in 1956.
Track listing
Side one- "Passing Love Affair" – (Jack RhodesJack RhodesAndrew Jackson Rhodes was an American country music producer and songwriter, penning such hits as "A Satisfied Mind", "Silver Threads and Golden Needles", "Conscience I'm Guilty", "The Waltz of the Angels", "Beautiful Lies", and "Till the Last Leaf Shall Fall"...
, Jack Rollins) - "Shadows on the Wall" – (Ronnie Badger, Tommy Reiff)
- "Girls in Disgrace" – (Mary McDaniel, Dan Welch)
- "Over and Over" – (McDaniel, Welch)
- "Hello Old Broken Heart" – (Audrey Allison, Joe AllisonJoe AllisonJoe Marion Allison was an American Hall of Fame songwriter, a radio and television personality, a record producer, and a country music business executive....
) - "Tell Me What I Want to Hear" – (Gertrude Cox, Rhodes)
Side two
- "The Mysteries of Life" – (Virgil F. Stewart)
- "I'll Thank You All My Life" – (Lucille Dean, Dick Reynolds)
- "Sad Singin' and Slow Ridin'" – (Curly FoxCurly FoxArnim LeRoy Fox , better known as Curly Fox, was an American fiddler and country musician.-Biography:...
, Texas RubyTexas RubyTexas Ruby , born Ruby Agnes Owens, was a pioneering country music female vocalist of the 1930s through the early 1960s.-Biography:...
) - "Did I Turn Down a Better Deal" – (Tommy CollinsTommy Collins (country music)Leonard Raymond Sipes , better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter....
) - "I Married You for Love" – (Rhodes)
- "It's Hard to Tell the Married from the Free" – (Don HelmsDon HelmsDon Helms was a steel guitarist best known as the steel guitar player of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys group....
, Gene Jackson)
Personnel
- Tommy CollinsTommy Collins (country music)Leonard Raymond Sipes , better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter....
– 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... - John Cuivello – drums
- Clarence Lee – 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...
- Red MurrellRed MurrellJoyce Wayne "Red" Murrell was a Western swing performer from Missouri. He led one of the more notable Western swing bands in California, Red Murrell and his Ozark Playboys. He was a popular session guitar player for many other artists as well. Early in his career, he played with Billy Hughes's...
– bass - Fuzzy Owen – guitar
- 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...
– guitar - Jelly Sanders – 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...
- Jean Shepard – lead vocals
- Lewis Talley – guitar
- Bill Woods – leader, 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...