Sammi Smith (1943-2005) was one of the pioneering women of the 1970s "outlaw country" scene... Her child was an interesting twist on the Dust Bowl migration saga: Smith was born in California, but her family moved back to Oklahoma and moved around a lot. She dropped out of school at a young age -- eleven! -- and started working as a professional singer in her teens, and was championed in the late 'Sixties by Johnny Cash, who helped her get her first record deal in 1967. After scoring a major Nashville hit with her version of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night," she moved to Texas around the same time as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, and became a mainstay in the Texas outlaw scene. Her husband, Jody Payne, became Nelson's guitarist in the early '70s; their son, Waylon Payne, has recorded several alt-country albums. At the end of the 1970s, Smith largely retired from the music business, although she recorded sporadically in the next couple of decades... Here's a quick look at her work.
Sammi Smith "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (Mega Records, 1970) (LP)
Sammi Smith "Lonesome" (Mega Records, 1971) (LP)*
Sammi Smith "Something Old, Something New, Something Blue" (Mega Records, 1972) (LP)
Sammi Smith "The Toast Of '45" (Mega Records, 1973) (LP)
Sammi Smith "The Rainbow In Daddy's Eyes" (Mega Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Malloy)
The repertoire is the main draw for this album, which otherwise is characterized by sweet vocals and bland, snoozy arrangements, compliments of Bill Walker. (Bergen White arranged four tracks out of ten, and these are all modestly more lively than the Walker tracks.) The songs, though, are interesting -- she revives Rex Griffin's "Last Letter" and "Faded Love" from the Bob Wills catalog, tackles Hoyt Axton's "Never Been To Spain," and gives a nod to Arlo Guthrie on a convincing (though still snoozy) version of "City Of New Orleans." Standouts include the Willie Nelson-ish "It's Not Easy" (which Smith wrote herself) and the title track, "The Rainbow In Daddy's Eyes," about a daughter who suffers while her dreamer daddy keeps pursuing pipe dreams instead of providing for his family: in the end, all they have left is prayer, which they offer when he tragically kicks the bucket. Also notable is the album's closer, "Birmingham Mistake," a moody, "Ballad Of Billy Joe"-ish tune written from the point of view of a "love child" put up for adoption at birth, who spends the rest of her life trying to overcome the stigma: it's possible it may have also been an interracial affair, but that's not entirely clear from the lyrics. Mostly, this is a pretty lethargic record, though as always Smith herself is a compelling presence. Worth a spin or two, with a few tunes you might want to keep on your radar.
Sammi Smith "Sunshine" (Mega Records, 1975) (LP)
Sammi Smith "Today I Started Loving You Again" (Mega Records, 1975) (LP)
Sammi Smith "As Long As There's Sunday" (Elektra Records, 1976) (LP)*
Sammi Smith "Mixed Emotions" (Elektra Records, 1977) (LP)
Sammi Smith "New Winds, All Quadrants" (Elektra Records, 1978) (LP)
Sammi Smith "Girl Hero" (Cyclone Records, 1979) (LP)
Sammi Smith "Better Than Ever" (Step One Records, 1986)
Sammi Smith "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" (Playback Records, 1991)
