Connie Smith - Latest Shade Of Blue - Columbia Recordings 1973 - 1976 (4-CD Box Set) - Bear Family

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Connie Smith is one of the touchstone figures in Country Music.

Her complete COLUMBIA recordings from 1973 to 1976.

9 albums on 4 CDs – from gospel and Christmas songs to classic country and pop.

The accompanying 96-page book includes dozens of previously unpublished photos, a detailed discography, session-by-session discussion of the making of the records, and an overview of Connie Smith’s life as she balanced session scheduling and Grand Ole Opry and touring performances while being, by this time, an actively involved, dedicated mother of five.

Introduction by Connie’s husband and musical collaborator Marty Stuart, who has now joined her as an inducted member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Includes all of the tracks from the second chapter in Connie Smith’s epochal recording career, as she moved to the Columbia Records label from RCA Victor in 1973—and the first reissue of the majority of them.

Classic, infectious 1970s honky tonk singles such as “Ain’t Love a Good Thing,” her own co-write “You’ve Got Me Right Where You Want Me” and her hit takes on the Everly Brothers’ “(Till) I Kissed You” and “So Sad.”

Dozens of out-of-print and long hard-to-find recordings, including her, unforgettable Christmas album “Joy to the World,” shaped by her own arrangements of sacred holiday songs, and the singular, history-making “Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel.”

Connie Smith’s riveting interpretations of prime era country songs from the pens of Dallas Frazier, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Doug Kershaw, Tom T. Hall, Lefty Frizzell, Harlan Howard, Eddie Raven and Jessi Colter.

Connie’s deep grounding in country gospel music applied to introduction of new songs in the genre by Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Larry Gatlin and Dottie Rambo, in addition to that full album of eleven Hank Williams gospel songs.

New exploration of the steel guitar foregrounding “Connie Smith sound” as she performs virtual vocal-guitar duets with steel heroes Weldon Myrick, Lloyd Green, John Hughey, Jimmy Day, Buddy Emmons and Hal Rugg.

Detailed stories of Connie Smith’s close work with Columbia producers Ray Baker and George Richey, as they arrived at the song choices and up-to-date, yet traditionalist sounds that brought her through the pop-centric John Denver-Olivia Newton John county era with her core classic country attack intact. Based on extensive new interviews with Connie herself and with producer Baker by the book’s author Barry Mazor.

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