Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson

Connie Smith reached peak career success several years prior with her 1964 debut single titled "Once a Day". Spending eight weeks at the top of the country songs chart, the song launched her career and set forth a series of top ten singles during the decade.^[2] Smith had previously recorded seven studio albums released by the RCA Victor and Camden labels between 1965 and 1967. Most of these projects were recorded at RCA Studio B, where she recorded in a traditional country style.^[3]

Smith started recording at RCA Studio A in 1966 as the label encouraged her to record more "middle of the road" pop material. Studio A allowed for more string and orchestral instrumentation.^[4] Although Smith disliked the new studio, she did favor an album project cut there, which would later be titled Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson.^[5] Bill Anderson had discovered Smith and helped her sign a recording contract with RCA in 1964. Anderson also wrote many of her early singles.^[2] Her professional relationship with Anderson prompted the album's creation. Smith later commented that, "It was an honor, not favor" to make the project.^[5]

Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson was recorded in sessions held between October 24, 1966 and February 27, 1967. The recording sessions were produced by Bob Ferguson and were held at RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee.^[6] A total of 12 tracks comprised the collection, all of which were self-penned by Bill Anderson. One exception was the track "My Whole World Is Falling Down", which was co-written by Anderson and Jerry Crutchfield.^[1][7] Four of the album's songs had been hit singles by Anderson himself: "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome", "Walk Out Backwards", "Easy Come – Easy Go" and "I Love You Drops".^[8] Anderson had first sung "I Love You Drops" to Smith. She had originally asked Anderson to release her own version as a single, but he declined and instead made his own single version.^[5]

Two tracks on the album had been made commercially-successful for other artists. Ray Price had originally reached number one on the country chart in 1958 with "City Lights".^[8] Brenda Lee had reached the top 30 of the Hot 100 in 1963 with "My Whole World Is Falling Down".^[9] Two of the album's cuts had previously appeared on Anderson's own projects. "In Case You Ever Change Your Mind" and "Cincinnati, Ohio" first appeared on Anderson's 1964 Showcase LP.^[10] "On and On and On", "It Comes and Goes" and "It's Not the End of Everything" were new recordings. "That's What Lonesome Is" was first pitched to Jean Shepard.^[5]

Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson was originally released in May 1967 on the RCA Victor label. It was first distributed as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on either side of the record.^[7] Decades later, the album was re-issued to digital and streaming sites including Apple Music.^[12] The disc spent 17 weeks on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart, climbing to the number 11 position by August 1967. It was Smith's second LP to chart outside the top ten.^[13] The record received positive reception from Billboard magazine in June 1967: "Connie Smith honors Bill Anderson's songs and her renditions do them honor." The magazine concluded by stating that Smith has an "imitable style" while keeping "Anderson's lyric intent".^[14] Years later, AllMusic rated the album three out of five stars.^[1] The project's only single was Smith's version of "Cincinnati, Ohio", which was released by RCA Victor in June 1967.^[15] It became Smith's ninth top ten single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, climbing to the number four position by August 1967.^[16]

All songs composed by Bill Anderson, except where noted.

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson^[7] and the biography booklet by Colin Escott titled Born to Sing.^[6]