Downtown Country

Downtown Country
Studio album by Connie Smith
Released	January 1967
Recorded	August 25, 1966 – October 27, 1966
Genre	Country
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Bob Ferguson
Connie Smith chronology
Born to Sing (1966) Downtown Country (1967) Connie in the Country (1967)
Singles from Downtown Country
"The Hurtin's All Over" Released: September 1966

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Downtown Country is the sixth studio album by American country artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in January 1967 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Bob Ferguson. The album featured Smith's major hit singles from 1966, "The Hurtin's All Over," which peaked within the Top 5 on the Billboard Magazine Country chart.

Background

Downtown Country was a departure from Smith's previous albums, as most of the material was more Pop-oriented and featured cover versions of Pop music material as well. Violins, violas, and other orchestral arrangements were incorporated into the album's material to add a more Pop-sounding style. The album consisted of twelve tracks, many of which were cover versions, including Petula Clark's "Downtown," Elvis Presley's "It's Now or Never," Sandy Posey's "Born a Woman," Lynn Anderson's "Ride, Ride, Ride," and Connie Francis's "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own." The album was released on a 12-inch vinyl LP record with six songs on each side of the record, and was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. Reviewed by Allmusic, Downtown Country was a given a rating of four out of five stars.^[2]

Release and aftermath

Downtown Country spawned only one single, the Harlan Howard-penned, "The Hurtin's All Over." Released in September 1966, the song became a major country hit, peaking within the Top 5, reaching #3 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart in early 1967. In addition, the album itself also reached a peak position. Downtown Country reached a peak of #5 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, becoming Smith's last Top 5 album.^[3] It was Smith's first album to be released in 1967 as well.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Ride, Ride, Ride" – (Liz Anderson)
2. "Downtown" – (Tony Hatch)
3. "It's Now or Never" – (Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder)
4. "Born a Woman" – (Martha Sharp)
5. "Everybody Loves Somebody" – (Ken Lane, Irving Taylor)
6. "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" – (Marilyn Garret, Dorothy Wayne, Ben Weisman)

Side two

1. "It's Gonna Rain Today" – (Dallas Frazier)
2. "My Heart Has a Mind Of Its Own" – (Howard Greenfield, Jack Keller)
3. "The Hurtin's All Over" – (Harlan Howard)
4. "Your Mem'ry Comes Along" – (Paul Tannen, Johnny Tillotson)
5. "It'll Be Easy" – (Jan Crutchfield)
6. "My Own Peculiar Way" – (Willie Nelson)

Personnel

• Brenton Banks – violin
• Byron Bach – cello
• Howard Carpenter – viola
• Jerry Carrigan – drums
• Dorothy Dillard – background vocals
• Ray Edenton – guitar
• Dolores Edgin – background vocals
• Solie Fott – viola
• Buddy Harman – drums
• Lillian Hunt – violin
• Roy Huskey – bass
• Shelly Kurland – violin
• Martin Katahn – viola
• Piere Menard – violin
• Wayne Moss – bass guitar, guitar
• Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
• Priscilla Hubbard – background vocals
• Dean Porter – guitar
• Harold Ragsdale – harpsichord, vibes
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
• Connie Smith – lead vocals
• Leo Taylor – drums
• Gary Vanosdale – viola
• Pete Wade – guitar
• Bill Walker – harpsichord
• Lamar Watkins – guitar
• William Wright – background vocals
• Harvey Wolfe – cello

Sales chart positions

Albums

Chart (1967)	Peak position
U.S. Top Country Albums	5

Singles

Year	Song	Chart positions
		US Country
1966	"The Hurtin's All Over"	3

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ "Downtown Country > Overiew". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r245308. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 
3. ^ "Charts & Awards". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r245308/charts-awards. Retrieved 2009-08-09.