ALBUM: George Jones & Tammy Wynette, ‘Songs Of Inspiration’
One of the most frustrating things about being a Tammy Wynette fan in the digital age is how few of her 42 studio albums are available on CD or as downloads. It seems odd given Wynette’s fame as the “First Lady of Country Music” (and surely the second most famous female country singer after Dolly) but many assume it was down to George Richey, her husband at the time of her death, who had control over Wynette’s estate. Since he passed away a few years back, Wynette’s albums have finally been quietly popping up to buy on download sites and now we have another piece of the puzzle with Real Gone Music’s latest release, Songs Of Inspiration.
This collection puts together two of Wynette’s gospel albums, one with her ex-husband and most famous duet partner, the legendary George Jones, and the other her 1969 album, Inspiration. This album came hot on the heels of “Stand By Your Man,” released just months before, and in some ways it makes sense that after her ode to doing a women’s duty she would follow it up with an album of traditional religious hymns that also harken back to her childhood singing in her local church; Wynette herself often named it as her favorite of all her albums.
You absolutely get the feeling that these are songs that meant a lot to Wynette throughout her life and some may well have been among the earliest songs she sang as a child. It opens with a belter, her stunning rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which begins quietly, Wynette’s sob-in-her-throat voice at its most affecting, and beautifully builds, her voice becoming powerful and emotive but at the same time never overdone. It’s Tammy Wynette at her absolute best and an incredible opening to the album.
Some may say the rest of the album doesn’t live up to this first track but to me the rest is equally convincing and may well boast some of her best performances on record. Her version of “Crying In The Chapel” gives Elvis’ a run for its money, while her vocals on “I Believe” are positively thrilling, and it’s hard to imagine anyone not being stirred by her rousing, soulful version of “How Great Thou Art.”
These may be gospel songs but thanks to Billy Sherrill’s production, they all have the sheen of the Nashville Sound complete with pedal steel, fiddles, and plenty of strings. But it’s Wynette’s voice that’s the star here (and it’s showcased at the height of its power). There’s no doubt this was a true labor of love for her as it shows in every word she sings. What a treat to have this lost treasure back in print.
Not quite as great, but maybe a little more fun, is the other album featured here, Wynette’s second album with her then-husband George Jones, amusingly but appropriately titled We Love To Sing About Jesus. Again produced by Billy Sherrill, this is overall a more upbeat album with more of a true gospel flavor thanks to the Jordanaires and the Nashville Edition providing a chorus of clap-along-friendly backing vocals, which sometimes do overpower those superb Jones/Wynette harmonies.
The material here is more contemporary than Wynette’s album, with many of the songs coming from one of Jones’ favorite songwriters, Earl Montgomery, but the highlights actually come from some of the songs written by other artists, most notably the excellent “Jesus And Me,” penned by Nashville legend Tom T. Hall. There’s also a strange but compelling re-write of the old Jack Greene single (which was later also a big hit for Elvis) written by Dallas Frazier “There Goes My Everything,” now re-titled “He is My Everything.” Although the lyrics don’t quite gel, there’s no doubt it’s still a thrill to hear Jones’s legendary voice bring on that heart-breaking tone especially as the only slow song on the album that showcases this.
We Love To Sing About Jesus isn’t in the same league as Inspiration and often you wish you could hear just Wynette and Jones harmonize alone rather than their voices blending with a chorus of others, but it’s still a great, feel good toe-tapping record, and it’s actually great fun to hear old Jones tell the story of “Noah and the Ark.”
The CD also comes with a few bonus tracks including another Earl Montgomery-penned track, “It’s A 10-33 (Let’s Get Jesus On The Line),” a single for Jones in 1977 that sounds like it wouldn’t be out of place on We Love To Sing About Jesus. Also included is both sides of a 1970 hit single by Wynette, “The Wonders You Perform” b/w “Gentle Shepherd,” the latter from Wynette’s holiday album Christmas With Tammy but strangely left off the CD release. But the real gem of the bunch is also the oddest: “I’d Like To See Jesus (On The Midnight Special)”, complete with references the show’s host Wolfman Jack and a plea to hear Jesus “sing my favorite song.” This is from Wynette’s fantastic 1978 album Womanhood, another of her records long overdue a CD release, but it’s lovely to find this quirky track here and it makes a great, uplifting end to this superb reissue.
To get your copy of George Jones’ and Tammy Wynette’s Songs of Inspiration, visit the Real Gone Music store!
