Listening to Bobbie Gentry... part 5

Touch 'em with love (1969)

Side one
1."Touch 'Em With Love" (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins) 2:05
2."Greyhound Goin' Somewhere" (R. Dorsey, M. Murphy) 2:27
3."Natural To Be Gone" (John Hartford) 2:24
4."Seasons Come, Seasons Go" (Gentry) 2:50
5."Glory Hallelujah, How They'll Sing" (Gentry) 2:53
Tracks 2 & 3 arranged by Don Tweedy

Side two
1."I Wouldn't Be Surprised" (Henley, Mathis) 3:25
2."Son of a Preacher Man" (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins) 2:07
3."Where's The Playground, Johnny" (Jimmy Webb) 2:32
4."I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) 2:55
5."You've Made Me So Very Happy" (Berry Gordy, Jr., Patrice Holloway, Brenda Holloway) 3:21
Tracks 1 2 3 & 5 arranged by Mark Levine
Track 4 arranged by Don Tweedy

I honestly believe this is one of the great albums of all time. Somewere between 'Dusty in Memphis' and 'From Elvis in Memphis'. I love those two albums, but I think Bobbie did it better than either. Like she finally decided to make the country/soul/pop commercial album Capitol wanted, and for good measure made it so much better than anyone could have expected.

'I wouldn't be surprised' is the centrepiece. On an album of highlights it outdoes them all. It absolutely floors me.

Gets me everytime.

I long believed this album was recorded with Chips Moman. The arrangements are só American Studios, but apparently it was all done in Nashville (recording at Muscle Shoals with Rick Hall came on the next album).

Man, here's another one:

And she got the hit she was looking for too, with her version of 'I'll never fall in love again'.

Characteristically, just like when 'Billie Joe' hit, she used the success as leverage to record another deeply personal and ambitious album, but first she did 'Fancy'.