The Ultimate Collection (Billie Jo Spears)

I recently picked up a copy of Billie Jo Spears' The Ultimate Collection. It was assembled and released by EMI Gold in 2007. It's probably the best Spears retrospective currently on the market, as it contains two discs that span various stages of her career, although the tracks are not arranged chronologically. My only complaint is that the liner notes are pretty skimpy. Spears is a U.S. country artist who placed over thirty hits on the Billboard country chart, but had very little crossover success; however, she had much more in the UK.

I became interested in Spears when I heard her hit "Mr. Walker, It's All Over" and fell in love with it. This collection is highly enjoyable, and I would recommend it to country music fans. Here are the tracks:

1. Blanket on the Ground (#1 U.S. country, #6 UK, #78 U.S. pop / 1975)
This is probably her signature song. It was one of her biggest hits for sure, and it holds up very well in my opinion.

2. What I've Got in Mind (#4 UK, #5 U.S. country / 1976)
This one was written by Kenny O'Dell. Another big hit.

3. Sing Me an Old Fashioned Song (#34 UK / 1976)
I wonder if this just wasn't released in the U.S. or what. It's quite good.

4. I Will Survive (#21 U.S. country, #47 UK / 1979)
This is indeed the song most closely associated with Gloria Gaynor, and it is indeed a country version. It's actually a very good one, believe it or not.

5. (I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden
A version of the Joe South song that Dobie Gray recorded in the 1960s, but that is likely most closely identified with Lynn Anderson.

6. See the Funny Little Clown (#80 U.S. country / 1974)
A remake of the Bobby Goldsboro hit.

7. Stay Away from the Apple Tree (#20 U.S. country / 1975)
Roger Bowling, who wrote "Blanket on the Ground," also co-wrote this one. It's an Eden reference.

8. Silver Wings and Golden Rings (#20 U.S. country / 1976)
I need to revisit this one to form a more concrete opinion.

9. Misty Blue (#5 U.S. country / 1976)
This Bob Montgomery tune has been taken on by everyone from Eddy Arnold to Dorothy Moore. Spears does a fine job with it too.

10. Never Did Like Whiskey (#18 U.S. country / 1976)
This is one of my favorite discoveries on this collection. Great song. It's another penned by Kenny O'Dell.

11. Lonely Hearts Club (#18 U.S. country / 1978)
Another Roger Bowling co-writing credit on this track. I like it very much.

12. I've Got to Go (#17 U.S. country / 1978)
Bowling strikes yet again, penning this one with Larry Butler. I don't actually know much about Mr. Bowling, but Spears does this song of his justice yet again.

13. Country Roads
This is a version of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Not bad.

14. Desperado
About a million versions out there, so here's another for the mix. It's decent. "Desperado" has never been one of my favorite songs in any form.

15. '57 Chevrolet (#16 U.S. country / 1978)
I really enjoyed this one! Roger Bowling strikes again.

16. Yesterday (#60 U.S. country / 1979)
A version of the Beatles tune. I'm not a big fan of the song itself, and this version didn't do much to change that. She sings it well enough, though.

17. Livin' Our Love Together (#23 U.S. country / 1979)
This one was written by Ben Peters. Good tune.

18. Rainy Days and Stormy Nights (#21 U.S. country / 1980)
Decent tune.

19. (Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
A good version of B. J. Thomas's big hit.

20. If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
I can't figure out when she recorded this one. Anyway, it's a version of the song that's also been tackled by the likes of Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley, but is likely best known in the recording done by Olivia Newton-John.

21. That's What Friends Are For
Not the song introduced by Rod Stewart and later a big hit for Dionne Warwick & Friends, but rather a version of Barbara Mandrell's 1976 country hit. This version also came out in '76.

22. Standing Tall (#15 U.S. country / 1980)
A good song, this is. Ben Peters co-wrote this one.

23. Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad (#13 U.S. country / 1981)
Great song! Some of you may be familiar with the big hit version by Tammy Wynette from 1967. Spears does a wonderful job with it in this updated arrangement.

24. What the World Needs Now Is Love (#58 U.S. country / 1981)
Her take on the oft-remade Jackie DeShannon classic (penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) is decent enough. Oddly enough, the only version I've ever heard that I really like is the one by Dionne Warwick with The Hip-Hop Nation United from the late 1990s. I'm not sure which is odder - that that's the version I like most, or that this is the second time I've had cause to bring up Warwick while talking about a Billie Jo Spears collection!

25. He's Got More Love in His Little Finger (#48 U.S. country / 1969)
As disc two starts, we go back to some of her earlier songs. This one's a good one, and I believe it was her first chart hit.

26. Mr. Walker, It's All Over (#4 U.S. country, #80 U.S. pop / 1969)
I adore this song. As I mention, it's the reason I decided I really wanted a Spears set. Great, great song that tackles the "big city" theme of country music from a woman's perspective.

27. Daddy, I Love You (#40 U.S. country / 1970)
Pretty enough tune.

28. Marty Gray (#17 U.S. country / 1970)
Fairly easy to hear why this was a reasonably big hit. Kinda catchy.

29. I Stayed Long Enough (#30 U.S. country / 1970)
A Tammy Wynette writing credit! I wonder why Wynette didn't release it as a single herself. Strong song.

30. Souvenirs and California Memories (#68 U.S. country / 1972)
I was surprised to see that David Allen Coe co-wrote this one. I guess I didn't realize he'd been around that long. Anyway, it's a good song.

31. Harper Valley P.T.A.
Jeannie C. Riley made it a huge hit. Bobbi Martin had a cool version too. Now we can add Spears to the list of 1960s women whose mamas socked it to the Harper Valley PTA. I enjoy all three renditions.

32. Heartaches by the Number
A country classic. Good rendition.

33. Tips and Tables
Not sure if this was an album track or a failed single or what. It's shown with a 1969 copyright, so it must be among her early work. Regardless, it's a very good song.

34. Stand by Your Man
The oft-recorded Tammy Wynette hit. Spears renders it well.

35. Faded Love
Another country classic. Another good version.

36. I Don't Wanna Play House
Another one that was a hit for Tammy Wynette (1967). Spears does a very good job with it.

37. Ode to Billie Joe
I never could figure out what the heck goes on in this song. The Bobbie Gentry classic gets a decent treatment here.

38. Paper Roses
All sorts of people (e.g., Anita Bryant and Marie Osmond) have taken cracks at this one. Spears does a good job with it too.

39. Snowbird
Better known in its Anne Murray rendition.

40. Sweet Music Man
A version of Kenny Rogers's 1977 hit.

41. She's Out There Dancin' Alone
Pretty song. Barbara Mandrell also recorded it, but as far as I can tell this version predates that one. Not sure if it's the original or if we need to look elsewhere for that.

42. We Love Each Other
Very good song! It was a minor country hit in 1979 for R.C. Bannon and Louise Mandrell, but the Spears version seems to predate that one. Again, I'm not sure if it's the original or not. Written by Buddy Killen.

43. Lizzie and The Rain Man
A huge hit for Tanya Tucker and another Kenny O'Dell writing credit. This is a decent reading of it.

44. Hurt
This one's been recorded by just about everyone (Timi Yuro, Little Anthony and The Imperials, etc.) Spears does it pretty well.

45. Permanently Lonely
A Willie Nelson penned tune. I'm guessing it wasn't released as a single, because I don't see how else it wouldn't have been a hit.

46. I've Never Loved Anyone More
Co-written by former Monkee Michael Nesmith. Lynn Anderson had the hit with it. Good song.

47. Callin' Baton Rouge
Written by Dennis Linde. This is one of my favorite discoveries on here. In 1989, it was a minor country hit for New Grass Revival, whoever they may be. It was later a much bigger hit in 1994 when Garth Brooks laid his version down. However, I really love Spears's take on the song, and it's quite interesting to hear it being sung by a woman. Also of note is that this one came years before either of the aforementioned hit versions, as it was recorded on her 1980 Standing Tall album. The earliest version I can find is a 1978 recording by The Oak Ridge Boys. I assume that one is the original.

48. Slow Movin' Outlaw
Decent tune to close out the set. It was written by Dee Moeller and probably most famously recorded by Waylon Jennings.

Standout tracks include "Blanket on the Ground," "Sing Me an Old-Fashioned Song," "I Will Survive," "Never Did Like Whiskey," "Lonely Hearts Club," "'57 Chevrolet," "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," "Mr. Walker, It's All Over," "Tips and Tables," "I Don't Wanna Play House,"and "Callin' Baton Rouge." Many other good tracks here, too, though. As you can see, Spears did her own readings of many others' hits, and she oftentimes hit the mark well with her interpretations.

And here are her other U.S. country chart hits, for those wondering:
-Stepchild (#43 / 1969)
-It Coulda Been Me (#23 / 1971)
-On the Rebound (duet with Del Reeves) (#29/1976)
-Teardrops Will Kiss the Morning Dew (duet with Del Reeves) (#42/1976)
-If You Want Me (#8/1977)
-I'm Not Easy (#11/1977)
-Too Much Is Not Enough (#18/1977)
-Love Ain't Gonna Wait for Us (#24 / 1979)
-Natural Attraction (#39 / 1980)
-Midnight Blue (#39 / 1984)
-Midnight Love (#51 / 1984)