The First Word in Memory
Studio album by
Janie Fricke
ReleasedAugust 1984 (1984-08)
RecordedMay 1984 (1984-05)
StudioThe Bennett House
GenreCountry-pop[1]
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Montgomery
Janie Fricke chronology
Love Lies
(1983)		 The First Word in Memory
(1984)		 Somebody Else's Fire
(1985)
Singles from The First Word in Memory
  1. "Your Heart's Not in It"
    Released: August 1984
  2. "The First Word in Memory Is Me"
    Released: December 1984

The First Word in Memory is a studio album by American country music artist Janie Fricke. It was released in August 1984 via Columbia Records and was a collection of ten tracks. The disc was the ninth studio project of Fricke's career and her third highest-charting album on the American country LP's chart. Spawned from the album were two singles: "Your Heart's Not in It" and the title track. Both songs would become major country hits in the United States and Canada.

Background and content

When Janie Fricke began focusing on ballads in the early 1980s, her singles led to a breakthrough in country music. She began a string of top ten and number one country songs like "Down to My Last Broken Heart", "Tell Me a Lie" and "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy".[2] She would further adapt by implementing up-tempo country pop into her music with the releases It Ain't Easy (1982) and Love Lies (1983). For The First Word in Memory, Fricke would continue this same trend.[3][4] Her 1984 project was recorded at The Bennett House and was produced by Bob Montgomery. It was Fricke's third album with Montgomery.[5] The First Word in Memory contained a total of ten tracks.[1] It included a song written by Dave Loggins called "Without Each Other". The track was a duet with singer Benny Wilon. The project also contained a song composed by Pam Tillis called "One Way Ticket", along with "In Between Heartaches" was composed by Deborah Allen.[5]

Release, reception and singles

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic

The First Word in Memory was originally released in August 1984 on Columbia Records. It was the ninth studio collection released in her music career. The album was originally offered as both a vinyl LP and a cassette.[5][6] In later years, the album was re-released to digital markets which included Apple Music.[7] In its original release, The First Word in Memory made America's Billboard country albums survey. In total, the disc spent 32 weeks on the chart before reaching the number 17 position. It was Fricke's third highest-charting album on Billboard in her career.[8] The album would later receive a three-star rating from AllMusic.[1]

Two singles were spawned from The First Word in Memory. Its first single issued was "Your Heart's Not in It", which was distributed by Columbia Records in August 1984.[9] The single spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and spent one week at the number one spot in December 1984.[10] The album's title track was released by Columbia in December 1984 as the final single.[11] The song reached the top ten of the Billboard country list in 1985, peaking at the number seven spot in the spring.[10] In Canada, "Your Heart's Not in It" reached number one the RPM country songs chart and the title track climbed to number five.[12]

Track listings

Original versions

Side one (LP and cassette versions)[5][6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Talkin' Tough"
3:32
2."The First Word in Memory Is Me"
3:31
3."One Way Ticket"
2:54
4."First Time Out of the Rain"
2:58
5."A Love Like Ours"Donny Lowery2:31
Side two (LP and cassette versions)[5][6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Your Heart's Not in It"
2:48
2."In Between Heartaches"
2:42
3."Another Man Like That"
2:51
4."Without Each Other" (with Benny Wilson)Dave Loggins3:04
5."Take It from the Top"David Stephenson3:17

Digital version

Music download and streaming versions[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Talkin' Tough"
  • Newton
  • Noble
  • Vickers
3:33
2."The First Word in Memory Is Me"
  • Bunch
  • Kennedy
  • Rose
3:34
3."One Way Ticket"
  • Buckingham
  • Tillis
2:56
4."First Time Out of the Rain"
  • Chater
  • Foster
3:02
5."A Love Like Ours"Lowery2:33
6."Your Heart's Not in It"
  • Garvin
  • Jones
  • Shapiro
2:51
7."In Between Heartaches"
  • Allen
  • Van Hoy
2:44
8."Another Man Like That"
  • Rakes
  • Ray
  • Raymond
2:53
9."Without Each Other" (with Benny Wilson)Loggins2:56
10."Take It from the Top"Stephenson3:20

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of The First Word in Memory.[5]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for The First Word in Memory
Chart (1984) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] 17

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Japan August 1984 Vinyl [14]
North America Columbia Records [5]
Cassette [6]
United Kingdom Vinyl CBS Records International [15]
North America 2016
  • Music download
  • streaming
 Columbia Records [16][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The First Word in Memory: Janie Fricke: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Janie Fricke Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Erlewine, Michael (1997). All Music Guide to Country. Miller Freeman Publications. p. 163. ISBN 9780879304751.
  4. ↑ Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. ABC-CLIO. p. 110. ISBN 9780313366000.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fricke, Janie (August 1984). "The First Word in Memory (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Columbia Records. FC-39338.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Fricke, Janie (August 1984). "The First Word in Memory (Cassette Liner Notes and Album Information)". Columbia Records. FCT-39338.
  7. 1 2 3 "The First Word in Memory by Janie Fricke". Apple Music. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Janie Fricke chart history (Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Fricke, Janie (August 1984). ""Your Heart's Not in It"/"Take It from the Top" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 38-04578.
  10. 1 2 "Janie Fricke chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Fricke, Janie (December 1984). ""The First Word in Memory Is Me"/"One Way Ticket" (7" vinyl single)". Columbia Records. 38-04731.
  12. ↑ "Search results for "Janie Fricke" under Country Singles". RPM. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "Janie Fricke Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
  14. ↑ Fricke, Janie (August 1984). "The First Word in Memory (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". CBS Records International/Sony Music Entertainment. 28AP-2969.
  15. ↑ Fricke, Janie (August 1984). "The First Word in Memory (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". CBS Records International. CBS-26105.
  16. ↑ "Press Release: Sony Legacy Releases Four Janie Fricke Albums Digitally For The First Time Ever". The Country Note. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
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