Country Girl (Dottie West album)

Country Girl is a studio album by American country music artist Dottie West. It was released in August 1968 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Chet Atkins. The project was West's ninth studio album and second to be released in 1968. The album consisted of 12 tracks, which contained new recordings and cover versions. The album's title track became a major hit in 1968 and would later be a signature song for West.

Country Girl
Studio album by
Dottie West
ReleasedAugust 1968 (1968-08)
RecordedFebruary 1968
StudioRCA Studio B
Genre
LabelRCA Nashville
ProducerChet Atkins
Dottie West chronology
What I'm Cut Out to Be
(1968)		 Country Girl
(1968)		 Feminine Fancy
(1968)
Singles from Country Girl
  1. "Country Girl"
    Released: March 1968

Background and content

Country Girl was recorded in February 1968 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions were produced by Chet Atkins, West's long-time producer on the RCA Victor label.[2] Atkins helped define West's musical style and sound in her early recording career by implementing the Nashville Sound into her recordings. In this style, West's sound was backed by pop-tinged arrangements that could appeal to a wide array of listeners.[1][3]

Country Girl was a collection of 12 tracks.[4] Country Girl included covers of Bob Wills's "Faded Love" and Willie Nelson's "Little Things".[2] Among the album's new recordings was the title track. West would later be recruited to write and sing jingles for Coca-Cola commercials after an associate of McCann-Erickson Advertising heard the title track. The song and the album would later help define West's early musical persona.[5] West dedicated the album to her daughter, Shelly, who's picture is featured on the album cover. "Shelly, you look like your Daddy, with your blue eyes, blond hair and even the same smile, but today you reminded me of me, for I saw you as a country girl , like I was -- and always will be," West wrote in the liner notes.[2]

Release and chart performance

Country Girl was released in August 1968, becoming West's ninth studio album issued and her second to be issued in 1968.[2] It was first issued as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on each side.[4] In 2018, it was reissued to digital retailers through Sony Music Entertainment.[6] The album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart after eight weeks on the list.[7] The title track was the album's only single issued. Released in March 1968, it became a major hit after reaching number 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[8] In Canada, the single also became a major hit, reaching number five on the RPM Country Singles chart. It became West's first song to chart on any Canadian chart and only one of two solo singles to chart within the decade.[9]

Track listing

Original vinyl version
Side one[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Country Girl"
3:03
2."Less of Me"Glen Campbell2:35
3."Faded Love"
3:25
4."Just Call Me Lonesome"Rex Griffin3:20
5."My Goal for Today"
1:59
6."You've Still Got a Place in My Heart"Leon Payne2:37
Side two[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Little Things"
3:10
2."I'm Too Far Gone"Billy Sherrill3:35
3."The Healing Hands of Time"W. Nelson2:25
4."When"Ben Peters2:37
5."Hold Me Tighter"W. Nelson2:18
6."Take These Chains from My Heart"
2:38

Digital version
Country Girl (2018)[6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Country Girl"
  • Lane
  • West
3:03
2."Less of Me"Campbell2:35
3."Faded Love"
  • B. Wills
  • Jack Wills
  • John Wills
3:25
4."Just Call Me Lonesome"Griffin3:20
5."My Goal for Today"
  • Howard
  • Pennington
1:59
6."You've Still Got a Place in My Heart"Payne2:37
7."Little Things"
  • S. Nelson
  • W. Nelson
3:10
8."I'm Too Far Gone"Sherrill3:35
9."The Healing Hands of Time"W. Nelson2:25
10."When"Peters2:37
11."Hold Me Tighter"W. Nelson2:18
12."Take These Chains from My Heart"
  • Heath
  • Rose
2:38

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Country Girl.[2]

Musical personnel

Technical personnel

  • Chet Atkins – producer
  • Jim Malloy – engineering
  • Bill Vandevort – engineering
  • Dottie West – liner notes

Chart performance
Chart (1968) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] 18

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Canada August 1968 Vinyl RCA Victor [11]
United States [4]
June 15, 2018 Music download Sony Music Entertainment [6]

References
  1. "Country Girl: Dottie West: Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. West, Dottie (August 1968). "Country Girl (Album Information/Liner Notes)". RCA Victor.
  3. Ankeny, Jason. "Dottie West: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  4. "Dottie West -- Country Girl (1968, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. Telegraph-Herald August 18, 1976 p.12
  6. "Country Girl by Dottie West on Amazon Music". Amazon. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  7. "Country Girl chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  8. ""Country Girl" [single] chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  9. "Search results for "Country Girl"". RPM. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  10. "Dottie West Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  11. "Dottie West -- Country Girl (Canada)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
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