Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith is the second collaborative studio album by American country artists Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith, released in January 1970 by RCA Victor. The album was a collection of country gospel songs performed as duets by both artists and the pair's first album of religious music. Included was the song "If God Is Dead (Who's That Living in My Soul)". Released as a single, the song charted in the top 60 of the American country chart in 1970. The album received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release. In 2002, the album was re-released under the title God Will and included a twelfth track.
| Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith | ||||
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| Recorded | December 9 – 11, 1969 | |||
| Studio | RCA Victor Studios | |||
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| Connie Smith chronology | ||||
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| Nat Stuckey chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith | ||||
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| God Will cover | ||||
 In 2002, the album was re-issued on a new label and renamed. | ||||
Background
editNat Stuckey and Connie Smith were signed to the RCA Victor label as solo artists during the 1960s. After first breaking through with the 1966 top five single "Sweet Thang", Nat Stuckey had several more top ten singles with RCA including "Plastic Saddle".[3][4] In 1964, Connie Smith's career was launched with her debut single called "Once a Day". Spending eight weeks at the top of the American country chart, the song set forth a series of top ten singles during the decade on RCA.[5] The duo first collaborated together in 1969 with the country studio album Young Love. Included on the disc was a cover of the gospel song, "Whispering Hope". The song inspired the creating of a gospel album between the pair. It was also an opportunity for Smith to record more gospel material,[6] after becoming a Christian in 1968 and pushing for more gospel material on recording sessions.[3] "I wanted to do a gospel record at that point, so this was a way to record one," recalled Smith in 2012.[6]
Recording and content
editStuckey and Smith recorded the tracks for Sunday Morning over the course of three days: December 9, December 10 and December 11, 1969. The sessions took place at the RCA Victor Studios, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The recordings were produced by Bob Ferguson and Felton Jarvis. It was the second album project pairing for Ferguson and Jarvis.[7] Both producers had originally paired the performers together in 1969 for their first album.[6] A total of eleven tracks (all recorded as duets) comprised the project.[8] Some of the album's tracks were cover versions of previously recorded country gospel and sacred songs. Among these covers was Johnny Cash's "Daddy Sang Bass". The song was requested by Bob Ferguson to include on the project. Also included was a cover of Cash's "He Turned Water into Wine" and the gospel track "Crumbs from the Table". Other recordings were composed by popular Nashville songwriters such as John D. Loudermilk, Cindy Walker and Marijohn Wilkin.[6][8]
Release and reception
editSunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith was released in January 1970 on the RCA Victor label. It was the eighth studio album of Stuckey's career and the fifteenth studio album of Smith's. The project was originally issued by the label as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on "side one" and five songs on "side two".[8] According to biographer Barry Mazor, the cover photo was taken "at two completely different times and places by two different photographers" because Smith was involved in a car accident which setback album photos.[6] In February 1970, Billboard magazine gave the album a positive response. "The coupling of Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith in an album of sacred material cannot fail to prove a powerful lure to country buyers," reviewers commented.[2]
Decades later, the album was re-issued to digital and streaming markets through Sony Music Entertainment.[9]
Following its original release, there were requests to radio for the album's track "If God Is Dead (Who's That Living in My Soul)".[6] This demand led to RCA Victor releasing the song as a single in February 1970.[10] The song later charted on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at number 59 in 1970.[4] In 2002, the album was re-released via a compact disc and cassette through the label Music Row Talent Records. However, the album was re-titled with a different cover photo under the name God Will. A total of 12 tracks was included on the disc. The additional twelfth track was the duo's cover of "Whispering Hope", which was pulled from their 1969 Young Love album.[6][11][12]
Sunday Morning track listings
editVinyl version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunday Morning" |
| NA |
| 2. | "His Love Takes Care of Me" | Jimmy Peppers | NA |
| 3. | "Crumbs from the Table" | Barbara Miller | NA |
| 4. | "Daddy Sang Bass" | Carl Perkins | NA |
| 5. | "Now Lord What Can I Do for You" |
| NA |
| 6. | "Well It's All Right" | Cindy Walker | NA |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If God Is Dead (Who's That Living in My Soul)" | Lawrence Reynolds | NA |
| 2. | "He Turned the Water Into Wine" | Johnny Cash | NA |
| 3. | "Way Up on the Mountain" |
| NA |
| 4. | "God Will" | NA | |
| 5. | "Did You Let Your Light Shine" | Miller | NA |
Digital version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunday Morning" |
| 2:18 |
| 2. | "His Love Takes Care of Me" | Peppers | 2:31 |
| 3. | "Crumbs from the Table" | Miller | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Daddy Sang Bass" | Perkins | 2:25 |
| 5. | "Now Lord What Can I Do for You" |
| 3:10 |
| 6. | "Well It's All Right" | Walker | 3:04 |
| 7. | "If God Is Dead (Then Who's This Living in My Soul)" | Reynolds | 2:54 |
| 8. | "He Turned the Water Into Wine" | Cash | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Way Up on the Mountain" |
| 2:35 |
| 10. | "God Will" |
| 2:27 |
| 11. | "Did You Let Your Light Shine" | Miller | 2:30 |
God Will track listings
editCompact disc and digital versions
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God Will" |
| 2:27 |
| 2. | "Now Lord What Can I Do for You" |
| 3:10 |
| 3. | "Well It's All Right" | Walker | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Crumbs from the Table" | Miller | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Did You Let Your Light Shine" | Miller | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Sunday Morning" |
| 2:17 |
| 7. | "Daddy Sang Bass" | Perkins | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Way Up on the Mountain" |
| 2:33 |
| 9. | "His Love Takes Care of Me" | Peppers | 2:30 |
| 10. | "He Turned the Water Into Wine" | Cash | 3:11 |
| 11. | "If God Is Dead (Then Who's This Living in My Soul)" | Reynolds | 2:54 |
| 12. | "Whispering Hope" |
| 3:42 |
Cassette version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God Will" |
| NA |
| 2. | "Now Lord What Can I Do for You" |
| NA |
| 3. | "Well It's All Right" | Walker | NA |
| 4. | "Crumbs from the Table" | Miller | NA |
| 5. | "Did You Let Your Light Shine" | Miller | NA |
| 6. | "Sunday Morning" |
| NA |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Daddy Sang Bass" | Perkins | NA |
| 2. | "Way Up on the Mountain" |
| NA |
| 3. | "His Love Takes Care of Me" | Peppers | NA |
| 4. | "He Turned the Water Into Wine" | Cash | NA |
| 5. | "If God Is Dead (Then Who's This Living in My Soul)" | Reynolds | NA |
| 6. | "Whispering Hope" |
| NA |
Personnel
editAll credits are taken from the original studio sessions, which are adapted from the biography booklet by Barry Mazor titled Just for What I Am.[7]
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Musical personnel
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Technical personnel
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Release history
edit| Region | Title | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith | January 1970 | Vinyl | RCA Victor Records | [8] |
| God Will | June 11, 2002 |
|
Music Row Talent Records | [11][12] | |
| Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith | 2010s |
|
Sony Music Entertainment | [9] | |
| God Will | [13] |
References
editFootnotes
edit- ^ "Sunday Morning: Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 9. February 28, 1970. p. 49. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ a b Kurutz, Steve. "Nat Stuckey Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 128.
- ^ Bush, John. "Connie Smith: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mazor 2012, p. 27.
- ^ a b Mazor 2012, pp. 61–62.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Connie; Stuckey, Nat (January 1970). "Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". RCA Victor. LSP-4300.
- ^ a b c "Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith by Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith". Apple Music. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ Smith, Connie; Stuckey, Nat (February 1970). ""If God Is Dead (Who's That Living in My Soul)"/"Love Takes Care of Me" (7" vinyl single)". RCA Victor. 47-9805.
- ^ a b c Stuckey, Nat; Smith, Connie (June 11, 2002). "God Will (CD Liner Notes and Album Information)". Music Row Talent Records. AMS-CD-11050.
- ^ a b c d Stuckey, Nat; Smith, Connie (June 11, 2002). "God Will (Cassette Liner Notes and Album Information)". Music Row Talent Records. AMS-CAS-11051.
- ^ a b "God Will by Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith". Apple Music. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
Books
edit- Mazor, Barry (February 27, 2012). Just for What I Am (Box Set Biography). Bear Family Records. ISBN 978-3-89916-638-5.