Jeannie Seely "The Seely Feeling" (Monument Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Foster)
Jeannie Seely "Thanks, Hank" (Monument Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Foster)
A mellow, easygoing tribute to songwriter Hank Cochran who, not coincidentally, was Seely's husband at the time. This is a nice album -- much like his records, this is not dazzling, but it gets the point across. Also, much like his records, there was no chart action, though country fans can take comfort in the fine, low-key performances. (Reissued as Make The World Go Away, on Columbia's Harmony imprint; the Harmony reissue is missing three songs: "These Memories," "I Want To Go With You," and "Someone's Waiting.")
Jeannie Seely "I'll Love You More" (Monument Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Foster)
This one's maybe a little snoozy. The songs are all pretty slow and downcast, a bit lethargic, even. Fine, expressive singing, but the string-laden, slow arrangements all start to sound the same after a while.
Jeannie Seely "Little Things" (Monument Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Foster & Jim Malloy)
Jeannie Seely "Jeannie Seely" (Decca Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Owen Bradley)
Jeannie Seely & Jack Greene "Jack Greene & Jeannie Seely" (Decca Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Owen Bradley & Harry Silverstein)
Jeannie Seely "Please Be My New Love" (Decca Records, 1970) (LP)
Jeannie Seely "Can I Sleep In Your Arms/Lucky Ladies" (MCA Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Walter Haynes)
Maybe the most interesting thing about this album is just how much of a throwback it is, with mid-tempo weepers that recall her late '60s sound, and a couple of loping country shuffles, such as Wayne P. Walker's "Pride" and Mel Tillis's "Alright, I'll Sign The Papers," which go back to a late-'50s style. This was even more remarkable since at the time, MCA's country division had perhaps the most dynamic, distinctive in-house production style of any major-label -- their stuff in the early '70s ranks among my favorite pop-country -- but this album doesn't follow that path. And that's not to say there's anything wrong here -- indeed, this is a mighty tasty record, definitely worth checking out! It's just Seely was following her own muse, current trends or not.
Jeannie Seely & Jack Greene "Two For The Show" (MCA Records, 1973) (LP)
Jack Greene & Jeannie Seely "...And The Renegades" (Renegade Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Greene, Jeannie Seely & Tommy Hill)
An independently released album made after MCA's early 'Seventies purge of the old Decca Records country roster... Jack Greene sings most of Side One, while Jeannie Seely dominates Side Two -- she also sings exclusively Hank Cochran songs, in keeping with her long career link to Cochran's work. Their band, the Renegades, included Daryl Hornburger (steel guitar, dobro), Brian Sterling (lead guitar, banjo), Paul Stephans (bass) and Brian Vanaugh (drums).
Jeannie Seely & Jack Greene "Live At The Grand Ole Opry" (Pinnacle Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Greene & Hank Cochran)
Jeannie Seely "Number One Christmas" (Power Pak Records, 1994)
Jeannie Seely "Personal" (1997)
Jeannie Seely "Been There, Sung That" (1999)
Jeannie Seely "Life's Highway" (OMS Records, 2003)
It's interesting to hear one-time chart-topper Jeannie Seely adopting a bluegrass-based backing (courtesy of 'grass pickers Glenn Duncan, Rob Ickes, Buck White and others...)Ê Honestly, though, her voice ain't what it used to be, and while this disc will be a welcome addition for her devoted fans, it's not nearly as strong as her best old stuff.
Jeannie Seely was an East Coast native (from Pennsylvania) who got the country bug as a young girl, and set out to make her fortune in the music business, at first writing songs for others to sing, and then eventually moving to Nashville, where she was the "girl" singer in Porter Wagoner's road show, after Norma Jean left in 1965. The next year, she broke out as a solo artist, scoring a national hit with her first single, Hank Cochran's "Don't Touch Me," and later became a lifelong member of the Grand Ole Opry. Seely later hit the road as Jack Greene's duet partner, and was married to Cochran for several years. Her career was sidelined in 1977 when she was in a near-fatal car crash; Seely has recorded off and on over the years, and also did a lot of stage and film acting, often country biopics and other music-related roles. Here's a quick look at her career...
