Patsy Cline (album)

Untitled

Patsy Cline is a self-titled studio album by American country music singer, Patsy Cline, released on August 5, 1957. This was the debut album by Cline and would be one of three studio albums Cline would record during her lifetime.

Background

Cline's debut album produced two singles. Her first single "Walkin' After Midnight," was released in 1957 and became both a classic and a Top 20 pop smash. However, Cline could not follow-up the success of "Walkin' After Midnight" and the second single from the album, "I Don't Wanta" failed to chart. Cline would not have another major hit or studio album until 1961. Her flip side of "Walkin' After Midnight", "A Poor Man's Roses" was not featured on the album.

Although Cline recorded for the Four Star label, the album was not released on Four Star. Instead, the album was released on Decca Records, the future recording company of Cline from late 1960 to her death in 1963, where she would issue two studio albums. This album was later digitally remastered for a release as a CD on MCA Records (which took over Decca in 1973) in 1988, using the original album cover.

Recording for the album

Recording for Cline's debut album began as early as January 1956 and ended as late as May 23, 1957. Because the album was released on Decca, the album was produced by Owen Bradley, who would later produce all of Cline's sessions between 1960 and 1963. Background vocals were done by the popular Nashville background vocal group, The Anita Kerr Singers, who also backed a number of popular Country music artists in the 50s and 60s.

Individual tracks

Cline recorded a total of 12 songs for the album. The tracks were a mix of Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, and Country pop. Many music critics have called songs from this album very different from any of the other material she would record for her albums later. One of the songs recorded for the album, "Don't Ever Leave Me Again", was co-written by Patsy Cline with James Crawford and Lillian Claiborne. She signed it, however, in her real name, Virginia Hensley, in the songwriting credits.

Track listings

1957 original LP version

• Side 1:

1. "That Wonderful Someone" – 2:26 (Gertrude Berg)
2. "(Write Me) In Care of the Blues" – 2:33 (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
3. "Hungry For Love" – 2:25 (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
4. "Too Many Secrets" – 2:14 (Bobby Lile)
5. "Don't Ever Leave Me Again" – 2:25 (Virginia Hensley, Lillian Claiborne, James Crawford, Virginia Hensley )
6. "Ain't No Wheels On This Ship" – 1:53 (Wayland Chandler, W.S. Stevenson)

• Side 2:

1. "I Can't Forget" – 2:25 (Carl Belew, W.S. Stevenson)
2. "I Don't Wanta" (1957 version) – 2:17 (Durwood Haddock, Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
3. "Three Cigarettes (In An Ashtray)" – 2:11 (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
4. "Walkin' After Midnight" – 2:33 (Don Hecht, Alan Block)
5. "Fingerprints" – 2:43 (Woodie O. Fleener, Don Hecht, W.S. Stevenson)
6. "Then You'll Know" – 3:12 (Bobby Lile)

1988 CD version

1. "That Wonderful Someone" – 2:27
2. "In Care of the Blues"
3. "Hungry Love" – 2:27
4. "Too Many Secrets" – 2:14
5. "Don't Ever Leave Me Again" – 2:26
6. "Ain't No Wheels In this Ship (We Can't Roll)" – 1:55
7. "I Can't Forget You" – 2:25
8. "I Don't Wanta" – 2:20
9. "Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray" – 2:12
10. "Walkin' After Midnight" – 2:33
11. "Fingerprints" – 2:44
12. "Then You'll Know" – 3:12

Chart positions

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1957	"Walkin' After Midnight"	Country Singles	2
		Pop Singles	12