If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For is a studio album by American country music artist Dottie West. It was released in May 1973 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Jerry Bradley. The project was West's 20th studio recording in her music career. It consisted of ten tracks, two of which became minor hits on the country charts in 1973. The album's contemporary sound helped modernize West's music, bringing the album to chart on the Billboard country albums survey in 1973.
| If It's All Right With You/Just What I've Been Looking For | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1973 | |||
| Recorded | December 1972 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Producer | Jerry Bradley | |||
| Dottie West chronology | ||||
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| Singles from If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For | ||||
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Background and content
editIf It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For marked ten years of West recording with the RCA Victor label. To commemorate her anniversary, producer Jerry Bradley brought in a more modern sound, unlike her previous album releases. Bradley brought in songwriter Kenny O'Dell to compose two songs for the project. He also wrote the liner notes. "Country-Pop, country-rock, country-folk, country-funk -- an on and on and on. All the tags and labels we need to identify and pigeonhole the ever-changing music scene. At least we try," O'Dell said in response to the album's new sound. West also remarried during this time. Her new husband is included on the album cover (Byron Metcalf).[2]
The project was a collection of ten newly-recorded tracks by West.[1] Among the album's tracks was a cover of Tanya Tucker's "Delta Dawn" and Roberta Flack's pop hit "Killing Me Softly with His Song". O'Dell composed the album's two singles, along with co-writer Larry Henley. Also brought in to contribute tracks was Larry Gatlin, who was a new recording artist by this point.[2] A few years prior, West had discovered Gatlin after being impressed by his songwriting. This led to his own recording contract.[3] Also included is the track "I'm Your Country Girl". The song was the basis for a commercial jingle West composed for Coca-Cola.[2]
Release and reception
editIf It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For was released in May 1973 on RCA Victor Records, making it West's 20th studio album. It was issued as a vinyl LP, consisting of five songs on each side of the record.[2] It became West's first album in three years to make the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, reaching number 37 by July 23, 1973.[4] The album was reviewed positively by Billboard in May 1973. Writers praised West's voice and vocal delivery. "But it has feeling, plenty of it, and great numbers, which she performs to absolute perfection," they commented.[5]
Two singles were released from the record, one of which became a top 40 hit. The first single spawned was "If It's All Right with You" in October 1972.[6] Spending 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, the single peaked at number 28 by February 1973. It was West's first top 40 hit since 1971.[7] "If It's All Right with You" was also West's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 97 in January 1973.[8] Additionally, it was her first single since 1968 to make the Canadian RPM Country Singles chart, reaching number 48.[9] "Just What I've Been Looking For" was released as a single in March 1973.[6] The single only reached number 44 on the country songs chart later that year.[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just What I've Been Looking For" | Kenny O'Dell | 2:37 |
| 2. | "Delta Dawn" | 3:22 | |
| 3. | "Killing Me Softly with His Song" | 4:20 | |
| 4. | "If It's All Right with You" |
| 2:38 |
| 5. | "Try to Win a Friend" | Larry Gatlin | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It Was Love While It Lasted" |
| 2:35 |
| 2. | "Short and Sweet" | Billy Joe Shaver | 3:05 |
| 3. | "It Sure Seemed Right" |
| 3:02 |
| 4. | "Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall" | Gatlin | 3:36 |
| 5. | "I'm Your Country Girl" |
| 2:13 |
Personnel
editAll credits are adapted from the liner notes of If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For.[2]
Musical personnel
- Harold Bradley – bass guitar
- David Briggs – piano
- Jimmy Capps – electric guitar
- Bobby Dyson – bass
- Ray Edenton – acoustic guitar
- Larry Gatlin – background vocals
- Paul Kelley – background vocals
- Charlie McCoy – bass
- Byron Metcalf – drums
- Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
- Dale Sellers – guitar
- Buddy Spicher – fiddle, violin
- Henry Strzelecki – bass
- Jerry Shook – guitar
- Bobby Thompson – banjo
- Dottie West – lead vocals
- Chip Young – guitar
Technical personnel
- Jerry Bradley – producer
- Bill McElhiney – strings
- Jimmy Moore – cover photo
- Mike Shockley – recording technician
- Bill Vandevort – engineering
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[11] | 37 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | May 1973 | Vinyl | RCA Victor | [2] |
| United Kingdom | [12] | |||
| North America | circa 2023 |
|
Sony Music Entertainment | [13] |
References
edit- ^ a b "If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For -- Dottie West -- Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h West, Dottie (May 1973). "If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For (Liner Notes/Album Information)". RCA Victor. APL1-0151.
- ^ Burns, Ken. "Country Music: Larry Gatlin Biography". PBS. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ "If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 19. May 12, 1973. p. 55.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ ""If It's All Right with You" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ ""If It's All Right with You" [single] chart history "Hot 100"". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Search results for Dottie West under "country singles"". RPM. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ ""Just What I've Been Looking For" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Dottie West Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ West, Dottie (May 1973). "If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For (Liner Notes UK Edition)". RCA Victor. LSA-3189.
- ^ "If It's All Right with You/Just What I've Been Looking For by Dottie West". Apple Music. Retrieved 22 October 2023.