Maps of Music

Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man (1973)

Where the lyrics of Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man take you, and where it was really made.

Billboard's reviewer found Loretta Lynn's picture on the cover unflattering, yet predicted this album could outsell all the others.

Key places

Recorded at Bradley's Barn (1973)

Recording site Bradley's Barn — Recording sessions for the album took place at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, beginning in March 1973. Three more sessions followed in April 1973. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man: third collaborative studio album by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
• Released July 9, 1973 by MCA Records
• Only single: "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man", released May 1973
• Album marks the third studio collaboration of the two singers

Background

• Twitty and Lynn recorded together as a country duo
• Producer: Owen Bradley, described in Billboard's review as the guiding hand behind the album
• Billboard praised the close harmony and the consistently strong song selection
• Lynn and Twitty's collaborations were released under MCA Records

Recording

• Recording sessions took place at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee
• Sessions began on March 6 and 7, 1973
• Three additional sessions followed on April 3, 4 and 5, 1973
• Personnel included Harold Bradley on bass guitar, Ray Edenton on acoustic guitar, John Hughey on steel, and Grady Martin on guitar
• Bob Moore played bass and Hargus Robbins played piano
• Tommy Markham played drums
• Background vocals were sung by The Nashville Sounds and The Jordanaires
• Darrel Johnson handled mastering
• Personnel details are adapted from the album liner notes and Decca recording session records

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born Loretta Webb on April 14, 1932, in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, the oldest daughter in a coal miner's family.
• Married Oliver Vanetta "Doolittle" Lynn in 1948 at age 15; the marriage lasted almost 50 years until his death in 1996.
• Began singing in local clubs in the late 1950s and formed her own band, the Trailblazers.

Career

• Signed with Zero Records in 1960; her first release was "Whispering Sea" and "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl".
• Joined Decca Records through the Wilburn Brothers; joined the Grand Ole Opry on September 25, 1962.
• Scored a string of hits from the 1960s, including "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'".
• Wrote songs on women's issues such as birth control ("The Pill") and double standards ("Rated 'X'"), many inspired by her own marriage.
• Recorded five No. 1 duets with Conway Twitty between 1971 and 1975.
• Her 1976 autobiography Coal Miner's Daughter became a bestseller and inspired the 1980 Oscar-winning film starring Sissy Spacek.
• Named Artist of the Decade for the 1970s by the Academy of Country Music, the only woman to win this honor.
• Released Van Lear Rose (2004), produced by Jack White, which won the Grammy for Best Country Album.
• Had a stroke in 2017 and broke her hip in 2018, which ended her touring after 57 years.
• Died on October 4, 2022, at age 90, at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Billboard, July 21, 1973 issue: praised the close harmony throughout and the excellent song selection
• Billboard credited Owen Bradley's guiding hand and superb production, saying the team mixes well
• Billboard named "For Heaven's Sake", "Easy on My Mind", "As Good as a Lonely Girl Can Be" and "What Are We Gonna Do About Us" as the best cuts
• Billboard's dealer note: despite an unflattering cover picture of Lynn, the duo's fans are legion and the album could outsell all others
• Cashbox, July 21, 1973 issue: called it a super album from possibly the greatest country duo
• Cashbox praised the vocal quality, the depth of feeling, and the diversity of the material, with each song different
• Cashbox recommended for airplay "Bye Bye Love", "Living Together Alone", "If You Touch Me", "What Are We Gonna Do About Us", "As Good as a Lonely Girl Can Be" and the title track

Records

• Billboard Hot Country LPs: number 1, the duo's first album to top the chart
• Billboard Top LPs & Tape: number 153
• Single "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (May 1973): number 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles, the duo's third consecutive chart-topping single
• Canada, RPM Country Singles: number 1, the duo's second single to top the chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was recorded at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
• Sessions began on March 6 and 7, 1973, and three more followed on April 3, 4 and 5.
• Billboard's dealer note said the album could outsell all the others despite an unflattering cover picture of Lynn.
• Owen Bradley, called the old master in Billboard's review, produced the album.
• Cashbox recommended the title track for airplay alongside five other songs.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact