50 years ago: Bessie Smith's final recording session

The Essential Bessie Smith

Released: September 23, 1997 Recorded: 2/15/1923 to 11/24/1933 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: blues/jazz

Tracks, Disc 1: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Aggravatin’ Papa (8/25/23, 12 US) Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home (9/1/23, 6 US) ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Bizness if I Do (10/20/23, 9 US) Jail-House Blues (1923) Graveyard Dream Blues (1923) Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down (1924) Boweavil Blues (1924) Weeping Willow Blues (1924) Dying Gambler’s Blues (1924) St. Louis Blues (6/13/25, 3 US) You’ve Been a Good Ole Wagon (1925) Cake Walkin’ Babies from Home (1925) Careless Love Blues (10/31/25, 5 US) I Ain’t Goin’ to Play Second Fiddle (11/28/25, 8 US) At the Christmas Ball (1925) Jazzbo Brown from Memphis Town (1926) Backwater Blues (1927) After You’ve Gone (8/6/27, 7 US) Tracks, Disc 2: Alexander’s Ragtime Band (10/15/27, 17 US) There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Time Tonight (1927) Trombone Cholly (1927) Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair (1927) A Good Man Is Hard to Find (recorded 1927, charted 3/10/28, 13 US) Dyin’ by the Hour (1927) Me and My Gin (1928) Kitchen Man (1929) Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out (8/31/29, 15 US) On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual) (1930) Moan, You Moaners (1930) Black Mountain Blues (1930) Shipwreck Blues (1931) Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl (1931) Do Your Duty (1933) Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer (1933) Take Me for a Buggy Ride (1933) Down in the Dumps (1933)

Rating: 4.360 out of 5.00 (average of 18 ratings) Quotable: “If you’ve never experienced the genius of Bessie Smith, pick this one up and prepare yourself to be devastated.” – Cub Koda, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Bessie Smith was crowned the Empress of the Blues, and, while this moniker was well deserved, she was much more. A prolific recording artist, Smith was quite an eclectic performer. In fact, she may have been one of the first true crossover artists.” LG “Bessie could sing it all, from the lowdown moan of St. Louis Blues and Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out to her torch treatment of the jazz standard After You’ve Gone to the downright salaciousness of Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” CK or other “suggestive material [such] as Kitchen Man.” LG She “could breathe new life into a pop chestnut like Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” LG The collection works its way through Smith’s entire career, from her very first recording session on February 15, 1923 through her final session on November 24, 1933. DA “This two-disc, 36-song set sweats it down to the bare essentials in quite an effective manner,” CK giving “the listener a good sampling of her wide repertoire.” LG “This is the perfect entry-level set.” CK “Utilizing the latest in remastering technology, these recordings have never sounded quite this clear and full, and the selection – collecting her best-known sides and collaborations with jazz giants like Louis Armstrong” CK – ‘St. Louis Blues’…features [his] horn work” LG – Coleman Hawkins, and Benny Goodman – is first-rate. If you’ve never experienced the genius of Bessie Smith, pick this one up and prepare yourself to be devastated.” CK “The title of this album says it all.” LG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bessie Smith DA Discography of American Historical Recordings LG Lars Gandil, Amazon.com essential recording CK Cub Koda, All Music Guide First posted 3/6/2011; last updated 2/9/2022.

Eurythmics released Touch

Touch Eurythmics

Released: November 14, 1983 Peak: 7 US, 12 UK, 3 CN, 4 AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.3 UK, 1.3 world (includes US + UK) Genre: new wave

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Here Comes the Rain Again Regrets Right by Your Side Cool Blue Who’s That Girl? The First Cut Aqua No Fear, No Hate, No Pain, No Broken Hearts Paint a Rumour Total Running Time: 45:30 The Players: Annie Lennox (vocals, keyboards) Dave Stewart (guitar, bass sequencer, drum computer program)

Rating: 4.087 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album “Eurythmics followed their…breakthrough album Sweet Dreams with the superior Touch, which yielded three hit singles and kept the innovative duo at the forefront of the 1980s British new wave explosion and MTV phenomenon. Mixing cold, hard, synthesized riffs with warm, luscious vocals, the duo crafted some of the most unique and trendsetting music the 1980s had to offer. Subsequent albums found the duo leaning heavier toward straightforward rock – this album found them at the height of their electronic incarnation.” AM Beyond the album’s three singles “other standouts include the seven-and-a-half-minute disco trance of ‘Paint a Rumour,’ the driving ‘The First Cut,’ and the icy, spellbinding, and sparse ‘No Fear No Hate No Pain (No Broken Hearts).’” AM “The cool, sophisticated musical experimentalism all over Touch cemented Eurythmics’ reputation as one of the most innovative duos of their time; the hit singles solidified their reputation as dependable 1980s hitmakers and MTV mainstays. Touch is a testament to what Eurythmics were at the height of their electronic-techno phase and, without doubt, is a milestone in 1980s pop music.” AM The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Here Comes the Rain Again Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: 1/13/84 (single), Touch (1983), Greatest Hits (1991), Live 1983-1989 (1993), Ultimate Collection (2005) B Side: “Paint a Rumour” Peak: 4 BB, 5 CB, 3 GR, 4 RR, 6 AC, 8 AR, 2 CO, 8 UK, 7 CN, 16 AU, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.20 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 184.56 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Here Comes the Rain Again” “is a melodramatic opus, complete with pre-techno beats, sweeping strings, and Annie Lennox’s rushing, cool vocals.” AM It shows how the Eurythmics achieved success via Dave “Stewart’s innovative approach to pop songs and Lennox’s soul-bearing singing.” TC The song found the duo moving on “from the synth-pop of earlier records with the addition of a string section.” TC The song also uses “a quirky arrangement with its absence of a chorus” TC and employs “a melody that borrows from torch songs but doesn’t quite go to the same places.” TC Dave and Annie wrote the song in New York at the Mayflower Hotel. It reflects on her experiences with anxiety and depression. She said, “I lived like that for years, sort of verging on suicide…No matter how much you want to get out of that sort of thing, or who much help you get, it’s a very hard thing to crack…But…with a bit of luck and a lot of grit, you can also turn them into something creative.” TC

Regrets Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 23 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.74 streaming About the Song: A

Right by Your Side Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: 10/23/83 (single), Touch (1983), Greatest Hits (1991), Live 1983-1989 (1993), Ultimate Collection (2005) B Side: “Right by Your Side (Party Mix)” Peak: 29 BB, 30 CB, 33 GR, 28 RR, 38 AC, 5 CO, 10 UK, 39 CN, 15 AU, 6 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.27 streaming About the Song: “’Right by Your Side," finds the duo in a cheerful, Caribbean-inspired mode.” AM

Cool Blue Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.72 streaming About the Song: A

Who’s That Girl? Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: 7/1/83 (single), Touch (1983), Greatest Hits (1991), Live 1983-1989 (1993), Ultimate Collection (2005) B Side: “You Take Some Lentils and You Take Some Rice,” “ABC (Freeform)” Peak: 21 BB, 21 CB, 15 GR, 16 RR, 5 CO, 3 UK, 15 CN, 20 AU, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.59 streaming About the Song: “The soulful ‘Who’s That Girl’ is an icy, steamy throwback to the torch songs of yesteryear, with Lennox oozing sensuality from every syllable emitted from her lips.” AM

The First Cut Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 30 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.66 streaming About the Song: A

Aqua Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 39 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.56 streaming About the Song: A

No Fear, No Hate, No Pain, No Broken Hearts Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 27 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.02 streaming About the Song: A

Paint a Rumour Eurythmics

Writer(s): Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart Released: Touch (1983) Peak: 30 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.39 streaming About the Song: A

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review of Touch by Jose F. Promis TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 184. RL Ross Larkin (2026). Eurythmics: Song by Song. Fonthill: Great Britain. Related DMDB Pages: First posted 6/12/2026.

   

Lionel Richie hit #1 with “All Night Long”

All Night Long (All Night) Lionel Richie

Writer(s): Lionel Richie (see lyrics here) Released: August 31, 1983 First Charted: September 16, 1983 Peak: 14 US, 13 CB, 14 GR, 13 RR, 14 AC, 17 RB, 2 UK, 13 CN, 16 AU, 4 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.6 UK, 1.6 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 80.43 video, 275.60 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: After a hit-laden career with the Commodores and the monstrous success of “Endless Love,” his #1 duet with Diana Ross, Lionel Richie released his first solo album in 1982. The album generated three top 10 hits, including the #1 song “Truly,” but it was merely a precursor to the even bigger smash that was to come with his 1983 album, Can’t Slow Down. That album produced five top-10 hits, the biggest of which was the #1 lead single “All Night Long (All Night).” The song “was a joyous celebration with Caribbean influences and lots of partying.” FB The multi-cultural vibe for the song was inspired by his vacations in the Caribbean and his observation of calypso dancing. SF As he told Motown when he wanted to release the song, “This is the rhythm that the whole world dances to on vacation.” SF Regarding the lyrics “Tom bo li de say de moi ya” and “jambo jumbo,” Richie said he tried to get his wife’s Jamaican gynecologist to help with pronunciations. FB He also called a friend at the United Nations for some African phrases, but was told there were 101 African dialects and could take a few weeks just to come up with a few words. In the end, Richie said the words were gibberish, NYP a “wonderful joke,” written when he ran out of time to hire a translator to come up with the foreign-language lyrics he wanted for the song. WK In early 1984, Richie performed the song for 2.6 billion people in 120 countries at the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles with 200 breakdancers and athletes from all over the world. FB Resources: FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 580. NYP New York Post (9/21/2013). “Five surprising facts about Richie’s classic ‘All Night Long’” by Kristen Fleming SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/26/2020; last updated 12/6/2022.

A Kenny Rogers Retrospective: 1969-1983

A Retrospective: 1967-1983 Kenny Rogers

A Brief History: Country singer Kenny Rogers was born on August 21, 1938 in Houston, Texas. He died on March 20, 2020 at age 81. He was one of the best-selling artists of all time with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, but was one of music’s most successful crossover artists, finding huge success on the country, pop, and adult contemporary charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. He started his career in the late ‘50s with the Scholars, then worked with jazz singer Bobby Doyle, and was part of the folk ensemble the New Christy Minstrels from 1966-1967. He and several members of the latter group formed the First Edition in 1967, with whom Rogers recorded through 1976 before embarking on a solo career. The Studio Albums (with the First Edition): The First Edition (1967) 1969 (1969) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (1969) Something’s Burning (1970) Backroads (1972) The Studio Albums (solo): Love Lifted Me (1976) Kenny Rogers (1977) Daytime Friends (1977) Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West, 1978) Love or Something Like It (1978) The Gambler (1978) Classics (with Dottie West, 1979) Kenny (1979) Gideon (1980) Share Your Love (1981) Love Will Turn You Around (1982) We’ve Got Tonight (1983) Compilations: TG Ten Years of Gold (1978) 80 Greatest Hits (1980) 20 20 Greatest Hits (1983) The above compilations are spotlighted on this page. The snapshots of the studio albums will indicate all songs featured on any of these compilations, noted with the codes above. Appearing after song titles are the songwriters in italicized parentheses, running times in brackets, and when relevant, the date the song was released as a single and its peaks on various charts. Click for codes to singles charts. The First Edition (1967): Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In (Mickey Newbury) [3:24] (2/3/68, 5 US, 5 CB, 3 HR) 1969 (1969): But You Know I Love You (Mike Settle) [3:16] (1/11/69, 19 US, 15 CN, 17 HR, 18 AC) TG Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (Mel Tillis) [2:53] (6/7/69, 6 US, 7 CN, 9 HR, 6 AC, 39 CW, 2 UK) TG, 80, 20 Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (1969): Reuben James (Barry Etris, Alex Harvey) [2:41] (9/20/69, 26 US, 14 CB, 17 HR, 29 AC, 46 CW) TG, 80, 20 Something’s Burning (1970): Something’s Burning (Mac Davis) [4:19] (2/7/70, 11 US, 5 CB, 7 HR, 8 UK) TG, 20 Backroads (1972): Today I Started Loving You Again (Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens) [3:10] (7/14/73, 69 CW) TG Love Lifted Me (1976): Love Lifted Me (Preston Ross, Howard Smith) [3:49] (12/13/75, 97 US, 19 CW, 99 AU) TG, 20 While the Feeling’s Good (Roger Bowling, Freddie Hart) [4:02] TG Kenny Rogers (1977): Lucille (Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum) [3:41] (1/29/77, 5 US, 6 CB, 7 HR, 12 RR, 10 AC, 12CW, 11 UK, 111 CN, 7 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) TG, 80, 20 Daytime Friends (1977): Daytime Friends (Ben Peters) [3:14] (7/30/77, 28 US, 28 CB, 36 HR, 13 AC, 11 CW, 39 UK, 21 CN, 69 AU) TG, 20

Ten Years of Gold Kenny Rogers

Released: January 1978 Recorded: 1967-1977 Charted: February 4, 1978 Peak: 33 US, 12 CW, -- UK, 23 CN, 68 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, -- UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (2) Reuben James (3) But You Know I Love You (4) Something’s Burning (5) Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In (6) Lucille (7) Daytime Friends (8) While the Feeling’s Good (9) Love Lifted Me (10) Today I Started Loving You Again Total Running Time: 34:29

Rating: 3.857 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Ten Years of Gold: The first five cuts on the album were actually re-recordings of songs Rogers originally did with the group the First Edition. The chart dates and figures, however, are for the original releases. Today I Started Loving You Again is the only original First Edition song on the album. Four of the songs (Lucille, Daytime Friends, While the Feeling’s Good, and Love Lifted Me) are the original solo hits from Rogers in 1976 and 1977. Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West, 1978): Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) (John Dyes, Jeffrey M. Tweel) [3:00] (2/18/78, 44 AC, 12 CW) 80 Love or Something Like It (1978): Love or Something Like It (Steve Gassmeyer, Rogers) [2:51] (6/3/78, 32 US, 38 CB, 41 HR, 12 AC, 11 CW, 36 CN) 20 The Gambler (1978): The Gambler (Don Schlitz) [3:32] (10/28/78, 16 US, 13 CB, 18 HR, 21 RR, 3 AC, 13 CW, 22 UK, 8 CN, 25 AU) 80, 20 She Believes in Me (Steve Gibb) [4:11] (3/31/79, 5 US, 7 CB, 4 HR, 11 RR, 12 AC, 12 CW, 42 UK, 8 CN, 34 AU, sales: 1 million) 80, 20 Classics (with Dottie West, 1979): Til I Can Make It on My Own (with Dottie West) (George Richey, Billy Sherrill, Tammy Wynette) [3:19] (7/7/79, 3 CW) 20 Kenny (1979): You Decorated My Life (Debbie Hupp, Bob Morrison) [3:37] (9/8/79, 7 US, 7 CB, 5 HR, 3 RR, 2 AC, 12 CW, 12 CN, 61 AU) 80, 20 Coward of the County (Roger Bowling, Billy Edd Wheeler) [4:18] (11/17/79, 3 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 6 RR, 5 AC, 13 CW, 12 UK, 13 CN, 6 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) 80, 20 Gideon (1980): Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (Carnes, Dave Ellingson) [3:39] (3/21/80, 4 US, 4 CB, 4 HR, 2 RR, 2 AC, 3 CW, 3 CN, 38 AU) 80, 20 You Were a Good Friend (Kim Carnes, Dave Ellingson) [3:54] (11/19/83, 20 CW) 20

Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers

Released: September 23, 1980 Recorded: 1977-1980 Peak: 12 US, 111 CW, 40 UK, 3 CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): 12.0 US, -- UK, 15.6 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) The Gambler (2) Lady (3) Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (4) Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town (5) She Believes in Me (6) Coward of the County (7) Lucille (8) You Decorated My Life (9) Reuben James (10) Love the World Away (11) Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) (12) Long Arm of the Law Total Running Time: 42:35

Rating: 4.308 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Greatest Hits: This 12-track compilation is Rogers’ best-seller, moving more than 12 million copies in the U.S. It covers just three years of his career, but they were the years when he established himself as one of the most dominant crossover artists ever by regularly charting on the country (seven #1’s), pop (seven top 10’s, including a #1), and adult contemporary charts (nine top 10’s, including two #1’s). Three songs (Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Reuben James, Lucille) overlap with Ten Years of Gold. Of the other nine, two are brand new (Lady, Long Arm of the Law). The collection also features Love the World Away, which was on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, but hadn’t been featured on a Rogers’ album. Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Love the World Away (Bob Morrison, J. Wilson) [3:11] (6/13/80, 14 US, 17 CB, 8 HR, 15 RR, 8 AC, 4 CW, 25 CN) 80 Lady (Lionel Richie) [3:54] (9/26/80, 16 US, 14 CB, 15 HR, 15 RR, 14 AC, 11 CW, 12 UK, 2 CN, 16 AU, sales: 16 million, airplay: 2 million) 80, 20 Long Arm of the Law (Roger Bowling, Billy Edd Wheeler) [4:17] () 80 Share Your Love (1981): I Don’t Need You (Rick Christian) [3:27] (6/5/81, 3 US, 5 CB, 5 HR, 3 RR, 16 AC, 12 CW, 2 CN, 64 AU, airplay: 2 million) 20 Through the Years (Steve Dorf, Marty Panzer) [4:21] (12/26/81, 13 US, 12 CB, 10 HR, 5 RR, 12 AC, 5 CW, 92 AU) 20 Love Will Turn You Around (1982): Love Will Turn You Around (David Malloy, Rogers, Thom Schuyler, Even Stevens) [3:40] (7/3/82, 13 US, 12 CB, 10 RR, 12 AC, 11 CW, 12 CN, 96 AU) 20 We’ve Got Tonight (1983): We’ve Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton) (Bob Seger) [3:51] (1/21/83, 6 US, 10 CB, 10 RR, 2 AC, 11 CW, 28 UK, 4 CN, 11 AU) 20 Scarlet Fever (Mike Dekle) [3:57] (7/30/83, 94 US, 5 CW) 20

20 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers

Recorded: 1969-1983 Charted: November 12, 1983 Peak: 22 US, 16 CW, -- UK, 29 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, -- UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) Lucille (2) Lady (3) Love Lifted Me (4) We’ve Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton) (5) Scarlet Fever (6) Love or Something Like It (7) She Believes in Me (8) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (9) Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (10) You Were a Good Friend (11) The Gambler (12) Through the Years (13) Daytime Friends (14) You Decorated My Life (15) Til I Can Make It on My Own (with Dottie West) (16) Reuben James (17) Coward of the County (18) I Don’t Need You (19) Something’s Burning (20) Love Will Turn You Around Total Running Time: 72:51

Rating: 4.236 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

About 20 Greatest Hits: This retrospective of Rogers’ career from 1969 to 1983 offers a more complete picture than either of its predecessors. Six of the songs from Ten Years of Gold show up here. Nine of the songs from Greatest Hits are featured, with three of those also being on Ten Years of Gold. That leaves eight more cuts, of which three are from the eras already covered by the first two compilations. That means this set only adds five songs from 1981 to 1983, including I Don’t Need You, Through the Years, Love Will Turn You Around, and We’ve Got Tonight. Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia for Kenny Rogers First posted 12/5/2020; last updated 3/20/2024.