Country and West

Country and West
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 1970 (1970-05)
RecordedFebruary 1970
StudioRCA Studio B (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length32:00
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerDanny Davis
Dottie West chronology
Makin' Memories
(1969)
Country and West
(1970)
Forever Yours
(1970)
Singles from Country and West
  1. "It's Dawned on Me You're Gone"
    Released: July 1970

Country and West is a studio album by American country music artist Dottie West. It was released in May 1970 on RCA Victor Records and was produced by Danny Davis. Her fourteenth studio album, Country and West spawned one single that became a minor hit on the national publication charts in 1970. It was also one of three studio albums West would release in 1970.

Background and content

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Country and West was recorded at RCA Studio B in February 1970. The sessions were produced by Danny Davis and was West's second studio album to be fully produced by him. Davis had also written the liner notes for the project. "Being her producer for recordings I am probably more critical of what she sings than any of her listeners, and to me she is 'something wonderful'," he commented.[2] The album was a collection of 11 tracks.[1] Some of the songs were recordings while others were cover versions. Country and West included cover versions of Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again", Tammy Wynette's "I Stayed Long Enough", Dolly Parton's "As Long as I Love You" and Ernest Tubb's "Tomorrow Never Comes". It was one of West's few RCA studio releases to not include a self-penned track. West's songwriting collaborator, Red Lane, did contribute to composing the single "It's Dawned on Me You're Gone".[2]

Release and reception

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Country and West was released in May 1970 on RCA Victor Records, becoming her fourteenth studio recording. It was issued on a vinyl LP, featuring six songs on "side one" and five songs on "side two" of the record.[2] The album did not reach any peak positions on the Billboard charts following its release.[3] However, it did spawn one single.[4] Spending ten weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, "It's Dawned on Me You're Gone" would peak at number 37 in September 1970.[5] Following its release, the project was reviewed favorably by Billboard magazine. In their June 1970 issue, writers called the album "a powerful package", praising West's vocals and Davis' production. "The vocalist has a style which radiates individuality and warmth and she is excellently produced by Danny Davis," writers commented.[6]

Track listing

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Side one[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It's Dawned on Me You're Gone"2:50
2."As Long as I Love You"Dolly Parton3:07
3."Love's Farewell"Wayne White2:29
4."I'm Only Human"Alex Zanetis3:50
5."Today I Started Loving You Again"Merle Haggard3:00
6."Left Over Feelings"William C. Rainsford2:38
Side two[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again"3:14
2."Tomorrow Never Comes"2:40
3."You Destroyed Me"Rainsford3:06
4."I Stayed Long Enough"Tammy Wynette2:18
5."Loving You (Has Meant Everything to Me)"Don Gibson2:56

Personnel

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

Musical personnel

Technical personnel

  • Danny Davis – producer
  • Tom Pick – engineering
  • Al Puchucki – engineering
  • Roy Shockley – recording technician
  • Tasso Vendikos – photography

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States May 1970 Vinyl RCA Victor Records [2]
circa 2023
  • Music download
  • streaming
Sony Music Entertainment [7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Country and West -- Dottie West -- Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g West, Dottie (May 1970). "Country and West (Liner Notes & Album Information)". RCA Victor. LSP-4332.
  3. ^ "Dottie West Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  5. ^ ""It's Dawned on Me You're Gone" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 23. June 6, 1970. p. 66.
  7. ^ "Country and West by Dottie West". Apple Music. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
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