I Wanta Sing
I Wanta Sing | ||||
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Studio album by George Jones | ||||
Released | 1977 | |||
Recorded | 1977 | |||
Genre | Country, country rock | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Billy Sherrill | |||
George Jones chronology | ||||
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Singles from I Wanta Sing | ||||
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I Wanta Sing is an album by country singer George Jones.[1] It was released in 1977 on the Epic record label.
Background
In the few years following his divorce from Tammy Wynette, Jones career began to sputter; his first two solo albums, 1975's Memories of Us and 1976's The Battle, did not crack the top 20 on Billboard's country albums chart. Things turned around briefly with Alone Again in 1976, which boasted the hit single "Her Name Is". I Wanta Sing peaked at number 38.[2] Two singles, "Old King Kong" and "If I Could Put Them All Together", also failed to crack the top 20. Part of the reason for the album's failure was Jones's unreliability at the time, as his personal life began to unravel. The singer had signed a management deal with a local hustler named Shug Baggot, who would later do time for cocaine trafficking. George, who had long indulged in amphetamines and whiskey, was soon addicted to cocaine as well, and the drug would increase Jones's already considerable paranoia. Beset with money problems, he began missing shows and other personal appearances, although he made several television spots to plug his new LP, looking dapper singing "If I Could Put Them All Together" on Marty Robbins's television show and taking part in a medley with Robbins and Faron Young. The single only made it to number 24.
Composition
Perhaps to combat all the bad publicity and disturbing stories that were beginning to emerge about Jones, producer Billy Sherrill loaded I Wanta Sing with songs that are predominantly lighthearted. In his autobiography I Lived To Tell It All, Jones confessed "I usually let whatever producer I was working for select the songs, then I selected from his selections. I'd usually pick ten from about twenty-five prospective songs. Why not? I wasn't writing myself anymore, and my producer, whoever he happened to be at the time, always brought me songs from the best writers in Nashville." The title track (the only song on the album Jones did have a hand in writing) features snippets of songs by his favorite singers, such as "The Great Speckled Bird" by Roy Acuff and "Always Late With Your Kisses" by Lefty Frizzell. Numbers like "Please Don't Sell Me Anymore Whiskey Tonight" and "They've Got Millions in Milwaukee" seem to coyly play up Jones hard drinking reputation.
"They've Got Millions in Milwaukee" is a cover of a Larry Chesier song from 1976. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" is a cover of a Floyd Tillman song from 1946 that was also recorded by Merle Haggard in 1977. "Bull Mountain Lad" is a cover of a Wild Bill Emerson song from his 1976 album, Bull Mountain Lad.
In 2011, the album was paired (somewhat uncomfortably) with Jones's 1972 Epic debut George Jones (We Can Make It) and reissued with bonus tracks.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Christgau's Record Guide | B[3] |
The New York Times called the album "a good, pure-country example of his mellow bass-baritone at work."[4]
Track listing
- "I Wanta Sing" (George Jones, Earl Montgomery, Ernie Rowell)
- "Please Don't Sell Me Anymore Whiskey Tonight" (Jody Emerson, Ronal McCown)
- "They've Got Millions in Milwaukee" (Larry Cheshier, Glenn Sutton)
- "If I Could Put Them All Together (I'd Have You)" (Even Stevens)
- "I Love You So Much It Hurts" (Floyd Tillman)
- "Rest in Peace" (George Richey, Billy Sherrill)
- "Bull Mountain Lad" ("Wild" Bill Emerson, Jody Emerson)
- "Old King Kong" (Sammy Lyons)
- "You've Got The Best of Me Again" (Ernie Rowell, Bob House)
- "It's a 10–33 (Let's Get Jesus on the Line)" (Earl Montgomery, Alvin McLendon, Al Stancil)
Personnel
- George Jones – vocals
- Cliff Parker – electric guitar
- Ray Edenton – acoustic guitar
- Jim Vest, Pete Drake – steel guitar
- Henry Strzelecki – bass
- Buddy Spicher – fiddle
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
- Charlie McCoy – harmonica
- Jerry Carrigan – drums
References
- ^ Country Music: The Encyclopedia. St. Martin's Press. 2000. p. 225.
- ^ "George Jones". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Rockwell, John (2 Sep 1977). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C15.
- v
- t
- e
- Grand Ole Opry's New Star
- Country Church Time
- White Lightning and Other Favorites
- George Jones Salutes Hank Williams
- George Jones Sings Country and Western Hits
- George Jones Sings from the Heart
- George Jones Sings Bob Wills
- Homecoming in Heaven
- My Favorites of Hank Williams
- I Wish Tonight Would Never End
- George Jones Sings Like the Dickens!
- I Get Lonely in a Hurry
- The Race Is On
- Mr. Country & Western Music
- New Country Hits
- Old Brush Arbors
- Trouble in Mind
- Country Heart
- Love Bug
- I'm a People
- We Found Heaven Right Here on Earth at "4033"
- Walk Through This World with Me
- George Jones Sings the Songs of Dallas Frazier
- The George Jones Story
- My Country
- If My Heart Had Windows
- I'll Share My World with You
- Where Grass Won't Grow
- Will You Visit Me on Sunday
- George Jones with Love
- George Jones Sings the Great Songs of Leon Payne
- George Jones (We Can Make It)
- A Picture of Me (Without You)
- Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You)
- In a Gospel Way
- The Grand Tour
- Memories of Us
- The Battle
- Alone Again
- I Wanta Sing
- Bartender's Blues
- My Very Special Guests
- I Am What I Am
- Still the Same Ole Me
- Shine On
- Jones Country
- You've Still Got a Place in My Heart
- Ladies' Choice
- Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes
- Wine Colored Roses
- Too Wild Too Long
- One Woman Man
- You Oughta Be Here with Me
- And Along Came Jones
- Walls Can Fall
- High-Tech Redneck
- The Bradley Barn Sessions
- I Lived to Tell It All
- It Don't Get Any Better Than This
- Cold Hard Truth
- The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001
- The Gospel Collection
- Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't
- Burn Your Playhouse Down – The Unreleased Duets
- What's in Our Heart (with Melba Montgomery)
- Close Together (As You and Me) (with Melba Montgomery)
- Bluegrass Hootenanny (with Melba Montgomery)
- George Jones & Gene Pitney – For the First Time! Two Great Stars
- George Jones & Gene Pitney – Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee! (with Gene Pitney)
- It's Country Time Again! (with Gene Pitney)
- Double Trouble (with Johnny Paycheck)
- A Taste of Yesterday's Wine (with Merle Haggard)
- Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again (with Merle Haggard)
- George Jones & The Smoky Mountain Boys
- Hillbilly Hit Parade
- George Jones Singing 14 Top Country Song Favorites
- George Jones Sings His Greatest Hits
- The Fabulous Country Music Sound of George Jones
- Long Live King George
- The Crown Prince of Country Music
- A King & Two Queens (with Judy Lynn and Melba Montgomery)
- Blue & Lonesome
- Heartaches & Tears
- Famous Country Duets
- Hits by George
- The Best of George Jones
- All-Time Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
- Encore
- Anniversary – 10 Years of Hits
- By Request
- Super Hits
- Friends in High Places
- Super Hits, Volume 2
- 16 Biggest Hits
- 50 Years of Hits
- God's Country: George Jones and Friends