Showcase (Bill Anderson album)

Showcase is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in November 1964 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The album was Anderson's third studio release as a recording artist and second to be released in 1964. It included two singles that became major hits on the Billboard country chart along with subsequent B-sides.

Showcase
Studio album by
Bill Anderson
ReleasedFebruary 1964 (1964-02)
Recorded1963–1964
StudioColumbia Recording Studio
Genre
[1]
LabelDecca
ProducerOwen Bradley
Bill Anderson chronology
Bill Anderson Sings
(1964)		 Showcase
(1964)		 From This Pen
(1965)
Singles from Showcase
  1. "Me"
    Released: June 1964
  2. "Three A.M./In Case You Ever Change Your Mind"
    Released: October 1964

Background and content

Showcase was produced at the Columbia Recording Studio between 1963 and 1964. The venue itself was located in Nashville, Tennessee. All recording sessions were produced by Owen Bradley, whom Anderson had previously collaborated with on his two previous album releases.[2] The album consisted of 12 tracks.[3] Four of the album's tracks were composed entirely by Anderson. These songs were "Then and Only Then", "Cincinnati, Ohio" and "In Case You Ever Change Your Mind".[2] Both "Then and Only Then" and "Cincinnati, Ohio" would later become country hits for Connie Smith. "Then and Only Then" would be featured on Smith's 1965 eponymous album while "Cincinnati, Ohio" was included on her 1967 album Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson.[4][5]

Release and reception

Showcase was officially released in November 1964 on Decca Records.[2] It was issued as a vinyl record, with six songs contained on each side of the record.[3] Upon its release Showcase did not reach positions on any Billboard album publications. It was Anderson's first studio release to not enter such charts.[6] The album also included three singles that were released and became major hits. Its first single was the second track, "Me". Released in June 1964, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in September.[7] The second single issued was the album's seventh track, "Three A.M." Released in October 1964, it also peaked at number eight on the country chart, reaching this position in February 1965.[8] The single's B-side also became a charting single, "In Case You Ever Change Your Mind". Becoming a minor hit, the song reached number 38 on the country singles chart.[6] Following its release, the album received ratings and reviews by music publishers. In 1964, Billboard positively reviewed the album in their December issue of the publication. "A powerful set of performances of material written by Bill Anderson (four songs)," writers commented.[9] In a later review by Allmusic, the album was given a rating of two out of five stars.[1]

Track listing
Side one[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Can Have Her"Bill Cook2:32
2."Me"Alex Zanetis2:12
3."In the Misty Moonlight"Cindy Walker2:31
4."Then I'll Stop Loving You"Jim Reeves2:26
5."Memory No. 1"
2:32
6."I'll Be Somewhere"Roger Miller2:22
Side two[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Three A.M."Anderson2:30
2."Worry"Chip Taylor2:01
3."In Case You Ever Change Your Mind"Anderson2:22
4."I Love You More and More Every Day"Don Robertson2:10
5."Cincinnati, Ohio"Anderson2:08
6."Then and Only Then"Anderson2:25

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Showcase.[2]

Musical personnel

Technical personnel

  • Owen Bradley – record producer
  • Hal Buksbaum – photography

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States November 1964 Vinyl Decca [3][2]

References
  1. "Bill Anderson Showcase – Bill Anderson – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  2. Anderson, Bill (November 1964). "Showcase (Liner Notes and Album Information)". Decca Records.
  3. "Bill Anderson – Bill Anderson Showcase (1964, Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  4. Smith, Connie (March 1965). "Connie Smith (Liner Notes)". RCA Victor.
  5. Smith, Connie (October 1967). "Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson (Liner Notes)". RCA Victor.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  7. ""Me" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  8. ""Three AM" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  9. "Special Merit Picks". Billboard. 76 (49): 24. December 5, 1964.
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