Happiness
Studio album by
Margo Smith
ReleasedApril 1977 (1977-04)
RecordedMarch 1976 – February 1977
StudioColumbia Recording Studio
Genre
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerNorro Wilson
Margo Smith chronology
Song Bird
(1976)		 Happiness
(1977)		 Don't Break the Heart That Loves You
(1978)
Singles from Happiness
  1. "Take My Breath Away"
    Released: September 1976
  2. "Love's Explosion"
    Released: January 1977
  3. "My Weakness"
    Released: May 1977
  4. "So Close Again"
    Released: August 1977

Happiness is a studio album by American country music artist Margo Smith. It was released in April 1977 via Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Norro Wilson. The album contained ten tracks that mixed country and pop arrangements, according to one critic. Four singles were released off the record, including the major hits "Take My Breath Away" and "Love's Explosion." The album itself also reached charting positions following its release.

Background and content

Margo Smith had her first success on with the top ten hit "There I Said It," which was issued on 20th Century Fox Records. The label folded in 1975 and Smith signed with Warner Bros. Records the following year. She soon had another top ten hit with a cover of "Save Your Kisses for Me."[2] Like her previous album effort, Smith worked under the production of Norro Wilson, who produced Happiness between March 1976 and February 1977. All sessions took place at the Columbia Recording Studio, located in Nashville, Tennessee.[3] Happiness consisted of country and pop music songs, according to Jim Worbois of Allmusic. Of its country songs was a cover of "Lovesick Blues." Of its pop songs was a cover of "My Happiness," which was made successful by Connie Francis.[1] Four tracks were self-penned by Smith herself. Of these self-penned songs was "So Close Again," which was a duet with Norro Wilson (who also co-wrote the track).[3]

Release and reception

Happiness was released in April 1977 on Warner Bros. Records. With its release, Happiness became the fourth studio project in Smith's music career.[3] The album was distributed as a vinyl LP and a cassette, containing five songs on each side.[4][5] Happiness reached number 41 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, becoming her third album to reach a position here.[6] The project also included four singles released between 1976 and 1977. The first was "Take My Breath Away," which was issued in September 1976 and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Love's Explosion" was released as the second single from the album in January 1977, peaking at number 12. It was followed in May 1977 by "My Weakness," which reached number 23 on the same chart. Its final single release was "So Close Again," which only peaked at number 43 on the Billboard country list.[7] Happiness was give three stars by Jim Worbois of Allmusic, who praised its variety of country and pop songs. However, he also found that some cover songs do not fit, such as "My Happiness."[1]

Track listings

Vinyl version

Side one[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love's Explosion"
2:43
2."What Would I Do Then"
  • Carmol Taylor
  • Wilson
2:28
3."I Forgave (But I Forgot to Forget)"Linda Hargrove2:22
4."So Close Again" (with Norro Wilson)
  • James B. Shaw
  • Smith
  • Wilson
3:04
5."Saturday Night at the General Store"
  • Daniel D. Darst
  • Steve Davis
2:08
Side two[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take My Breath Away"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
2:49
2."I'd Rather Have a Heart Abused"Smith2:28
3."My Happiness"
2:55
4."Lovesick Blues"
2:39
5."My Weakness"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
 

Cassette version

Side one[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love's Explosion"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
2:43
2."What Would I Do Then"
  • Taylor
  • Wilson
2:28
3."I Forgave (But I Forgot to Forget)"Hargrove2:22
4."So Close Again" (with Norro Wilson)
  • Shaw
  • Smith
  • Wilson
3:04
5."My Weakness"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
 
Side two[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take My Breath Away"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
2:49
2."I'd Rather Have a Heart Abused"Smith2:28
3."My Happiness"
  • Blasco
  • Bergantine
2:55
4."Lovesick Blues"
  • Friend
  • Mills
2:39
5."Saturday Night at the General Store"
  • Darst
  • Davis
2:08

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Happiness.[3]

Musical personnel

Charts

Chart (1977) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] 41

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States April 1977 Vinyl Warner Bros. Records [3][4]
Cassette [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Worbois, Jim. "Happiness: Margo Smith: Songs, reviews, credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Margo Smith: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith, Margo (April 1977). "Happiness (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Warner Bros. Records. BS 3049.
  4. 1 2 "Margo Smith -- Happiness (1977, LP)". Discogs. 1977. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Margo Smith -- Happiness (1977, Cassette)". Discogs. 1977. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Albums: 1967-1997. Record Research Inc. ISBN 0898201241.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.