Back to the Country

For the Johnny Shines album, see Back to the Country (Johnny Shines album).

1975 studio album by Loretta Lynn

Back to the Country

Studio album by

Loretta Lynn

Released| February 3, 1975
Recorded| December 12, 1972–December 19, 1974
Studio| Bradley's Barn, Mount Juliet, Tennessee
Genre| Country
Length| 32:09
Label| MCA
Producer| Owen Bradley
Loretta Lynn chronology
| They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy
(1974)  | Back to the Country
(1975)  | Feelins'
(1975)

|
|

Singles from  Back to the Country

1. "The Pill"
Released: January 27, 1975

Back to the Country is the twenty-fifth solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 3, 1975, by MCA Records.[1]

The album's single, "The Pill", a controversial song about birth control, brought Lynn much notoriety in the media and was banned on a number of radio stations, although the single was reportedly her best selling of the decade.

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]

In the February 15, 1975 issue, Billboard published a review that said, "Is this the Loretta we know? Singing about "The Pill" (her runaway hit single), a barroom fight, skinny dipping, sharing a bed and other such infidelities. It's down to earth country, and no one can sing that sort of song the way Loretta does it. The only amazing thing about it is that she doesn't sing a single one of her own songs. But she does others, including those previously performed by Marie Osmond, Billy Swan, Cal Smith, and a turn-around-version of a Conway Twitty hit."[3]

Cashbox also published a review in their February 15 issue which said, "Loretta Lynn will always be No. 1 among her fans and with the chart positions she holds. Each release, single or LP, hits the same for her and MCA. Another fine collection including "Will You Be There", "Paper Roses", "Mad Mrs. Jesse Brown", "Back to the Country", "I Can Help", and lots more good country cuts. Loretta never left the country, but we like the "back to."[4]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country LPs chart and No. 182 on the Billboard Top LP's and Tape chart.

The album's only single, "The Pill", was released in January 1975[5] and peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100, despite being banned by a number of radio stations. The single was also successful in Canada, where it peaked at No. 1 on the RPM Country Singles chart and No. 49 on the RPM Top Singles chart.

## Recording

[edit]

Recording sessions for the album began on August 29, 1974, at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Three additional sessions followed on December 17, 18, and 19. Three songs on the album were from recording sessions for previous albums. "The Pill" and "The Hands of Yesterday" were recorded during the December 12, 1972 session for 1973's Entertainer of the Year. "Paper Roses" was recorded on March 4, 1974, during a session for 1974's They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy.[6]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Recording date| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "The Pill"|

* Lorene Allen
* Don McHan
* T. D. Bayless

| December 12, 1972| 2:35
2.| "Will You Be There?"|

* Gene Dunlop
* Lee Miller

| December 18, 1974| 2:19
3.| "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler"|

* Don Wayne
* Walter Haynes

| December 17, 1974| 3:51
4.| "Paper Roses"|

* Janice Torre
* Fred Spielman

| March 4, 1974| 3:15
5.| "You Love Everybody But You"| Tom T. Hall| August 29, 1974| 3:15
6.| "Mad Mrs. Jesse Brown"| Ronnie Rogers| December 19, 1974| 3:24

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Recording date| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Back to the Country"| Tracey Lee| December 19, 1974| 2:19
2.| "The Hands of Yesterday"| Ray Griff| December 12, 1972| 2:54
3.| "I Can Help"| Billy Swan| December 19, 1974| 2:52
4.| "Another You"| Jimmy Peppers| December 18, 1974| 2:35
5.| "Jimmy on My Mind"| Conway Twitty| December 18, 1974| 2:50

## Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the album liner notes.[1]

* Bobby Bradley – engineer
* Owen Bradley – producer
* Harold Bradley – electric guitar, bass guitar
* Ray Edenton – rhythm guitar
* Vic Gabany – engineer
* Johnny Gimble – fiddle
* Bud Gray – photography
* Buddy Harman – drums
* The Jordanaires – background vocals
* Millie Kirkham – background vocals
* Billy Linneman – bass
* Loretta Lynn – lead vocals
* Grady Martin – lead electric guitar
* Charlie McCoy – harmonica
* Bob Moore – bass
* Joe Mills – engineer
* Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
* Hal Rugg – steel guitar
* Jerry Smith – piano
* Pete Wade – rhythm guitar

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Album

| Chart (1975)  | Peak position

|

US Hot Country LP's (Billboard)[7] | 2
US Top LP's & Tape (Billboard)[8] | 182

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Chart (1975)  | Position

|

US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] | 29

### Singles

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Peak position

|
|

Country
[10] | US
[11] | CAN
Country
[12] | CAN
[13]
"The Pill"  | 1974  | 5  | 70  | 1  | 49

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Loretta Lynn – Back To The Country". Discogs. 1975.
2. ^ Back to the Country at AllMusic
3. ^ "Billboard - February 15, 1975" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
4. ^ "Cashbox - February 15, 1975" (PDF). American Radio History. Cashbox. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
5. ^ "Billboard - February 8, 1975" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
6. ^ "Loretta's Recording Sess". Loretta Lynn Fan Website. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
7. ^ "Loretta Lynn Chart History - Hot Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
8. ^ "Loretta Lynn Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
9. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
10. ^ "Loretta Lynn Chart History - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
11. ^ "Loretta Lynn Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
12. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
13. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved April 27, 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Loretta Lynn

* Albums
* Singles
* Discography with Conway Twitty
* Awards and Nominations

Studio albums|

* Loretta Lynn Sings
* Before I'm Over You
* Songs from My Heart....
* Blue Kentucky Girl
* Mr. and Mrs. Used to Be
* Hymns
* I Like 'Em Country
* You Ain't Woman Enough
* Country Christmas
* Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)
* Singin' Again
* Singin' with Feelin'
* Who Says God Is Dead!
* Fist City
* Your Squaw Is on the Warpath
* If We Put Our Heads Together
* Woman of the World/To Make a Man
* Here's Loretta Singing "Wings Upon Your Horns"
* Coal Miner's Daughter
* I Wanna Be Free
* You're Lookin' at Country
* One's on the Way
* God Bless America Again
* Here I Am Again
* Entertainer of the Year
* Love Is the Foundation
* They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy
* Back to the Country
* Home
* When the Tingle Becomes a Chill
* Somebody Somewhere
* I Remember Patsy
* Out of My Head and Back in My Bed
* We've Come a Long Way, Baby
* Loretta
* Lookin' Good
* I Lie
* Making Love from Memory
* Lyin', Cheatin', Woman Chasin', Honky Tonkin', Whiskey Drinkin' You
* Just a Woman
* Who Was That Stranger
* Honky Tonk Angels
* Making More Memories
* All Time Gospel Favorites
* Still Country
* Van Lear Rose
* Full Circle
* White Christmas Blue
* Wouldn't It Be Great
* Still Woman Enough

Compilation albums|

* Here's Loretta Lynn
* Loretta Lynn's Greatest Hits
* Loretta Lynn Writes 'Em and Sings 'Em
* Alone with You
* Loretta Lynn's Greatest Hits Vol. II
* Blue Eyed Kentucky Girl
* All-Time Greatest Hits

Live albums|

* On the Road with Loretta and the Coal Miners
* Live from the Wheeling Jamboree

Film, television & tributes|

* Coal Miner's Daughter
* Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn
* Country Music
* Patsy & Loretta

Related artists|

* Patsy Cline
* Dolly Parton
* Conway Twitty
* Ernest Tubb
* Jack White
* The Wilburn Brothers
* Tammy Wynette

Family|

* Crystal Gayle
* The Lynns
* Oliver Lynn
* Peggy Sue
* Jay Lee Webb

Related articles|

* Amateur Championship
* Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
* Grand Ole Opry
* Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
* Still Woman Enough
* Sissy Spacek

Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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