Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe

Jody Miller had recently moved to Los Angeles, California and then signed with Capitol Records as a folk performer. Her debut studio album would be released in 1963 titled Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe.[2] "I was very into Folk Music at the time," Miller recalled on her official website.[3] The album was recorded at Capitol Studios, located in Hollywood, California. Sessions took place between December 1962 and January 1963. It was produced by Kermit Walter.[4]

The recording sessions were backed by The Wrecking Crew, a group that featured Billy Strange and future artist Glen Campbell.[5] The project consisted of 12 songs in total. According to the liner notes, the material for the album was songs Miller learned as a child.[4] According to Miller herself, her favorite songs on the album were "The Hangman", "Railroad Boy" and "Butterfly".[3]

Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe was released in 1963 on Capitol Records. It was originally distributed as a vinyl LP, offered in both mono and stereo versions. The original disc featured six songs on either side of the record.[4] In 2021, Capitol released her entire catalog from the label to digital retailers which included her debut album.[5] Cash Box magazine gave the disc a positive review in June 1963, calling her "a talent to watch". The magazine further commented, "The lark has a rich, deep, vibrant wide-range voice and a distinctive feelingful style of phrasing."[1]

The album helped Miller secure an opportunity to promote material on Tom Paxton's folk television show in 1963.[2] However, the album was not a commercial success. "By the time I cut my first LP with Capitol, folk music was on its way out," she told The Oklahoman.[6] Miller would go on to have her commercial breakout single with 1965's "Queen of the House". She would have further success in the pop and country genres through the 1970s.[2]