Wonderful Wanda

Wonderful Wanda is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in August 1962 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the fourth studio album in Jackson's music career and her first to consist entirely of country music songs. Wonderful Wanda included the songs "In the Middle of a Heartache", "A Little Bitty Tear" and "If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me". All three recordings became commercially-successful singles on both the country and pop charts respectively.

Wonderful Wanda
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1962 (1962-08)
RecordedApril 1961 – February 1962
StudioBradley Film & Recording, Nashville
Genre
LabelCapitol
ProducerKen Nelson
Wanda Jackson chronology
Right or Wrong
(1961)
Wonderful Wanda
(1962)
Love Me Forever
(1963)
Singles from Wonderful Wanda
  1. "In the Middle of a Heartache"
    Released: September 1961
  2. "A Little Bitty Tear"
    Released: December 1961
  3. "If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me"
    Released: March 1962

Background and content

In the 1950s, Wanda Jackson became one of the United States' first female Rockabilly performers. During this era she recorded singles like "Fujiyama Mama" and "Let's Have a Party". In 1961, Jackson returned to the country market with the single "Right or Wrong".[3] After the song's country success, Jackson traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to record more country sides with producer Ken Nelson. According to Jackson and fellow-writer/historian Scott Bomar, it was the first Nashville sessions to feature musician Roy Clark on guitar. It was also among her first sessions to feature orchestra and string arrangements.[4]

The sessions for Wonderful Wanda were held at the Bradley Studio in Nashville between April 1961 and February 1962.[5] The album was a collection of 12 songs.[1] Both "I'd Be Ashamed" and "In the Middle of a Heartache" were penned by Jackson herself. Also included were cover versions of songs first made successful by other artists. "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)", which was first made popular by Warner Mack, while "Seven Lonely Days" was first made successful by Georgia Gibbs. Other songwriters included on the album project were Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard.[5]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
BillboardFavorable

Wonderful Wanda was released in August 1962 on Capitol Records and was the fourth proper studio release of Jackson's career. The album was originally distributed as a vinyl LP containing six songs on either side of the record.[5] In later years, it was distributed to digital and streaming sites, including Apple Music, which issued the album on Capitol Records Nashville.[6] Wonderful Wanda received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its original release. "In all moods she's in fine form here and the fans will quickly dig," staff writers noted.[2]

Prior to the album's release, Jackson had reached success with its first single, "In the Middle of a Heartache".[4] The song spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and peaked at number six in January 1962, becoming her highest-charting disc on the survey.[7] It also became her third single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 27 in December 1961.[8] It was followed by Jackson's version of "A Little Bitty Tear", which was released as a single in December 1961[9] and peaked at number 84 on the Hot 100 in January 1962.[10] In March 1962, "If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me" was issued as the project's final single.[11] Not only did it peak at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100,[12] it also climbed to number 28 on the country songs chart[13] and number 16 on the adult contemporary singles chart.[14] In addition, both "A Little Bitty Tear" and "In the Middle of a Heartache" reached lower-charting positions in Australia in 1962.[15]

Track listings

Vinyl version

Side one[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In the Middle of a Heartache"
  • Laurie Christenson
  • Pat Franzese
  • Wanda Jackson
2:34
2."Seven Lonely Days"
2:08
3."If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me"Harlan Howard2:32
4."Is It Wrong"Warner MacPherson2:16
5."Don't Ask Me Why"2:30
6."Let My Love Walk In"Dick Glasser2:15
Side two[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Little Bitty Tear"Hank Cochran2:16
2."I Need You Now"
2:17
3."I Don't Wanta Go"Glasser2:14
4."We Could"Felice Bryant3:01
5."You Don't Know, Baby"Walter Spriggs2:45
6."I'd Be Ashamed"Jackson2:39

Digital version

Wonderful Wanda (Capitol Records Nashville)[6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In the Middle of a Heartache"
  • Christenson
  • Franzese
  • Jackson
2:34
2."Seven Lonely Days"
  • Brown
  • A. Shuman
  • E. Shuman
2:08
3."If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me"Howard2:32
4."Is It Wrong"MacPherson2:16
5."Don't Ask Me Why"
  • Weisman
  • Wise
2:30
6."Let My Love Walk In"Glasser2:15
7."A Little Bitty Tear"Cochran2:16
8."I Need You Now"
  • Crane
  • Jacobs
2:17
9."I Don't Wanta Go"Glasser2:14
10."We Could"Bryant3:01
11."You Don't Know, Baby"Spriggs2:45
12."I'd Be Ashamed"Jackson2:39

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom August 1962 Vinyl Jasmine Records [16]
United States Capitol Records [5]
2010s
  • Digital
  • Streaming
Capitol Records Nashville [6]

References

  1. "Wonderful Wanda: Wanda Jackson: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  2. "Spotlight Albums of the Week". Billboard. Vol. 74, no. 40. October 6, 1962. p. 37. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. Wolff, Kurt. "Wanda Jackson: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  4. Bomar, Scott; Jackson, Wanda (2017). Every night is Saturday night : a country girl's journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. United States: BMG. ISBN 9781947026070.
  5. Jackson, Wanda (August 1962). "Wonderful Wanda (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records. ST-1776.
  6. "Wonderful Wanda by Wanda Jackson". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  7. ""In the Middle of a Heartache" chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  8. ""In the Middle of a Heartache" chart history (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  9. Jackson, Wanda (December 1961). ""A Little Bitty Tear"/"I Don't Wanta Go" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records. https://www.billboard.com/artist/wanda-jackson/chart-history/hsi/.
  10. ""A Little Bitty Tear" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  11. Jackson, Wanda (March 1962). ""If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me"/"Let My Love Walk In" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records. 4723.
  12. ""If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me" chart history (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  13. ""If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me" chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  14. "Wanda Jackson chart history (Adult contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  15. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
  16. Jackson, Wanda (August 1962). "Wonderful Wanda (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Jasmine Records. JAS-304.
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