Song Bird is a studio album by American country music artist Margo Smith. It was released in July 1976 via Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Norro Wilson. Songbird was the third studio recording of Smith's music career. The album contained a total of ten tracks, including the single release, "Save Your Kisses for Me." The album would reach chart positions and the single would become a major hit.
| Song Bird | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1976 | |||
| Recorded | January – March 1976 | |||
| Studio | Columbia Recording Studio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Norro Wilson | |||
| Margo Smith chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Song Bird | ||||
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Background and content
editIn 1975, Margo Smith had her first major hit with "There I Said It." A corresponding album was also released via 20th Century Fox Records. However, the label closed its doors at the end of the year. In 1976, Smith signed with Warner Bros. Records instead.[2] Under the production of Norro Wilson, Smith began recording her next album. Sessions for the album took place between January and March 1976 at the Columbia Recording Studio, located in Nashville Tennessee. Song Bird consisted of ten tracks, four of which were penned by Smith herself. It also included cover versions of "Save Your Kisses for Me," which was first a pop hit for Brotherhood of Man. Also included were covers of Ray Price's "Heartaches by the Number," Dottie West's "Six Weeks Every Summer (Christmas Every Other Year)" and Jean Shepard's "Safe in These Lovin' Arms of Mine."[3]
Release and chart performance
editSong Bird was released in July 1976 via Warner Bros. Records. The project marked the third studio release of Smith's career.[3] It was distributed as a vinyl LP, containing five songs on each side of the record.[4] Song Bird was among 14 albums of new material issued by Warner Bros. Records in July 1976. The label promoted the album, along with its additional country music releases that month, which included Buck Owens' Buck 'Em and Doug Kershaw's Ragin' Cajun.[5] Song Bird peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in 1976, becoming her second LP to reach a charting position.[6] The album's only single was Smith's cover of "Save Your Kisses for Me," which was issued by Warner Bros. in May 1976. The song eventually peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, becoming the second top ten hit of her career.[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heartaches by the Number" | Harlan Howard | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Six Weeks Every Summer, Christmas Every Other Year" | Fran Powers | 3:11 |
| 3. | "I'm About to Do It Again" | Margo Smith | 2:32 |
| 4. | "Let's Have a Hand for the Little Lady" | Smith | 3:06 |
| 5. | "Safe in These Loving Arms" |
| 2:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Save Your Kisses for Me" | 3:04 | |
| 2. | "Get Me My Crying Towel" | Smith | 2:53 |
| 3. | "My Happiness" |
| 2:55 |
| 4. | "When, Where and Why" | Smith | 2:02 |
| 5. | "Foot Stompin'" | Wilson | 2:34 |
Personnel
editAll credits are adapted from the liner notes of Song Bird.[3]
Musical and technical personnel
- Lou Bradley – Engineer
- Ivan Nagy – Photography
- Margo Smith – Lead vocals, background vocals
- Norro Wilson – Producer
Charts
edit| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] | 34 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | July 1976 | Vinyl | Warner Bros. Records | [3][4] |
References
edit- ^ "Songbird: Margo Smith". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Brennan, Sandra. "Margo Smith: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Margo (July 1976). "Song Bird (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Warner Bros. Records. BS 2955.
- ^ a b "Margo Smith -- Song Bird (1976, LP) (US)". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Warners July LPs (Los Angeles)" (PDF). Record World. July 3, 1976. p. 53. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Albums: 1967-1997. Record Research Inc. ISBN 0898201241.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.