Blues in My Heart (album)

Blues in My Heart is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in April 1965 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the seventh studio album released in Jackson's career and the first to reach the Billboard country chart. The record was a collection of traditional country songs centered around themes of having the blues. It received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release.

Blues in My Heart
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1965 (1965-04)
RecordedMay 1964 (1964-05)
StudioColumbia Studio
GenreCountry[1]
LabelCapitol
ProducerKen Nelson
Wanda Jackson chronology
Two Sides of Wanda
(1964)
Blues in My Heart
(1965)
Wanda Jackson Sings Country Songs
(1965)

Background and content

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Wanda Jackson was first known as a Rockabilly performer with a series of recordings during the 1950s, including "Fujiyama Mama" and the top 40 pop hit "Let's Have a Party". In 1961, she returned to the country market and had two top ten hits with the songs "Right or Wrong" and "In the Middle of a Heartache".[2] According to Jackson, she started to become more associated with the country field as the 1960s progressed, which included the album Blues in My Heart. In her 2017 autobiography, Jackson commented that the record was among her favorite albums she ever made.[3]

Blues in My Heart consisted of 12 tracks. The songs included on the project were covers of songs first recorded by others. Only one tune composed by Harlan Howard was an original piece.[1][3] Among its covers was Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me, Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and Carl Belew's "Lonely Street". The album's theme was centered around having "the blues" and according to the liner notes, the project is intended to have a "lovely, lonesome sound". In addition, four of the album's tracks include the word "blues" in it. Blues in My Heart was recorded in May 1964 at the Columbia Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions were produced by Ken Nelson.[4]

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
BillboardFavorable

Blues in My Heart was released in April 1965 on Capitol Records. It was the seventh studio album released in Jackson's career. The project was originally issued as a vinyl LP containing six tracks on either side of the record.[4] In later decades, it was re-released in digital and streaming formats, including Apple Music.[5] The album reached the top ten of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at number nine in August 1965 after spending 14 weeks on the chart.[6] To date, it is Jackson's highest-charting album on the country chart and was also her first to reach a peak position there.[7] The record received a positive review from Billboard magazine in their May 1965 issue: "Wanda Jackson has returned to the country field in grand style and with a great selection of some country standards...this album is a must."[8]

Track listings

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Vinyl version

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Side one[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."Blues in My Heart"Red Foley2:10
2."Lonely Street"
Carl Belew2:30
3."Midnight"Red Foley2:20
4."Weary Blues from Waitin'"Hank WilliamsHank Williams3:15
5."I'm Waiting Just for You"Lucky Millinder2:03
6."Oh Lonesome Me"Don GibsonDon Gibson2:41
Side two[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."Blues Stay Away From Me"
The Delmore Brothers2:52
2."Worried Mind"Jimmie Davis2:50
3."Just for You"Harlan HowardWanda Jackson2:40
4."I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"WilliamsHank Williams2:43
5."Nightlife"Willie NelsonWillie Nelson2:14
6."Singin' the Blues"Melvin EndsleyMarty Robbins2:38

Digital version

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Blues in My Heart (Capitol Nashville)[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."Blues in My Heart"
  • Foley
  • Carson
Red Foley2:14
2."Lonely Street"
  • Belew
  • Sowder
  • Stevenson
Carl Belew2:35
3."Midnight"
  • Atkins
  • Bryant
Red Foley2:23
4."Weary Blues from Waitin'"WilliamsHank Williams3:18
5."I'm Waiting Just for You"
  • Glover
  • Leigh
Lucky Millinder2:16
6."Oh Lonesome Me"GibsonGibson2:43
7."Blues Stay Away From Me"
  • A. Delmore
  • R. Delmore
  • Glover
  • Raney
The Delmore Brothers2:58
8."Worried Mind"
  • Daffan
  • Davis
Jimmie Davis2:53
9."Just for You"HowardWanda Jackson2:42
10."I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"WilliamsHank Williams2:46
11."Nightlife"NelsonWillie Nelson2:16
12."Singin' the Blues"EndsleyMarty Robbins2:39

Chart performance

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Chart (1965) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 9

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom April 1965 Vinyl Capitol Records [10]
Japan [11]
  • Canada
  • United States
[4]
2010s
  • Digital
  • Streaming
Capitol Records Nashville [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Blues in My Heart: Wanda Jackson: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  2. ^ Wolff, Kurt. "Wanda Jackson: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b Bomar, Scott; Jackson, Wanda (2017). Every night is Saturday night : a country girl's journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. United States: BMG. ISBN 9781947026070.
  4. ^ a b c d e Jackson, Wanda (April 1965). "Blues in My Heart (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records. T-2306.
  5. ^ a b c "Blues in My Heart by Wanda Jackson". Apple Music. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Blues in My Heart chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Albums: 1967-1997. Record Research Inc. ISBN 0898201241.
  8. ^ "Album Reviews: Country Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 22. May 29, 1965. p. 30. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Wanda Jackson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Jackson, Wanda (April 1965). "Blues in My Heart (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records. ST-2306.
  11. ^ Jackson, Wanda (April 1965). "Blues in My Heart (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records. CP-7374.