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Memphis Portrait

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Memphis Portrait
Studio album by
Brenda Lee
ReleasedSeptember 1970 (1970-09)
StudioAmerican Sound Studio
GenrePop[1]
LabelDecca
ProducerChips Moman
Brenda Lee chronology
Johnny One Time
(1969) 		Memphis Portrait
(1970) 		Brenda
(1973)
Singles from Memphis Portrait
  1. "I Think I Love You Again"
    Released: April 1970
  2. "Sisters in Sorrow"
    Released: August 1970
  3. "Proud Mary"
    Released: 1971

Memphis Portrait is a studio album by American singer, Brenda Lee. It was released in September 1970 by Decca Records and was an attempt for Lee to capitalize on the commercial success of albums recorded in Memphis, Tennessee. Overall, the album was considered a commercial failure but received positive reviews from critics and spawned three singles. Among its singles was the charting song "I Think I Love You Again".

Background

[edit]

Brenda Lee was considered among the most popular music artists of the 1960s and had a series of top-charting pop singles. This included "I'm Sorry", "I Want to Be Wanted", "Emotions" and "Break It to Me Gently". All of these recordings were produced by Nashville's Owen Bradley,[2] but in 1967, Lee experimented with new record producers in various US cities.[3] In the early 1970s, popular songs by Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee and according to Lee, her record label suggested she travel to Memphis to make her next album in an effort to "capture some of the magic" occurring with the city's production style. Lee agreed to the idea and traveled there to collaborate with producer, Chips Moman.[4]

Recording and content

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Lee recalled spending one week recording Memphis Portrait "around the clock" and had food catered there so they did not have to leave the studio.[4] The album was produced entirely by Moman at the American Sound Studio in Memphis.[5] The project utilized Memphis-based sessions musicians rather than The Nashville A-Team group she used in Nashville. Lee remembered that the Memphis musicians embraced the same "laid back attitude" and "incredible musicianship" that the A-Team had done as well.[4] The project consisted of 11 tracks[6] that featured many covers of popular songs from the era. Among them were two songs by Joe South: "Games People Play" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes".[1] Another cover included the Bee Gees's "Give a Hand, Take a Hand".[7] Some new recordings were also part of the project, including "I Think I Love You Again".[4]

Release, critical reception and singles

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Memphis Portrait was released in September 1970 by Decca Records[8] and was the twenty first studio album of her career. It was distributed as a vinyl LP and as a 8-track cartridge.[5] The album was met with a positive reception from music publications following its release. Billboard called it "a commercial winner" with "dynamite performances", highlighting several of the album's cover songs.[1] RPM magazine positively wrote, "The 'Memphis Sound' sits well with this early 60's trooper".[7] A total of three singles were spawned from the project, beginning with the April 1970 release of "I Think I Love You Again".[9] The single peaked at the number 97 on the US Billboard Hot 100[10] and number 37 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.[11] It was followed by the August 1970 release of "Sisters in Sorrow",[12] which Cash Box called "the most teen-oriented single that she has done in years."[13] It was followed in 1971 (unknown month) by the release of "Proud Mary".[14] Lee later recalled in her autobiography that Memphis Portrait was considered by her label "a commercial failure" and its lack of success prompted her to return to working with Owen Bradley as her producer.[4]

Track listing

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Side one[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Give a Hand, Take a Hand"
2:52
2."Leaving on a Jet Plane"John Denver3:32
3."So Close to Heaven"
2:43
4."Games People Play"Joe South2:44
5."I Think I Love You Again"
2:38
Side two[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Too Heavy to Carry"
2:17
2."Walk a Mile in My Shoes"Joe South3:06
3."Hello Love"
2:30
4."Proud Mary"J. C. Fogerty2:51
5."Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
2:58
6."I'm Gonna Keep on Loving You"Paul Davis2:39

Personnel

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All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Memphis Portrait.[5]

Release history

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Release history and formats for Memphis Portrait
Region Date Format Label Ref.
North America September 1970
  • Vinyl LP (stereo)
  • 8-track cartridge
 Decca Records [5]
Australia, Brazil, United Kingdom 1971 Vinyl LP (stereo) MCA Records [15]
United Kingdom 1974 [16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Billboard Album Reviews: Pop". Billboard. September 26, 1970. p. 59. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  2. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Brenda Lee Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  3. ^ Nash, Alanna (2002). Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music. Cooper Square Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 978-1461660842.
  4. ^ a b c d e Lee, Brenda; Oermann, Robert K.; Clay, Julie (2002). Little Miss Dynamite: the life and times of Brenda Lee. Hyperion. pp. 197–199. ISBN 9780786866441.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lee, Brenda (September 1970). "Memphis Portrait (Liner Notes)". Decca Records. DL-75232 (LP stereo) 6-5232 (8-track cartridge).
  6. ^ "Memphis Portrait: Brenda Lee: Album". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "New Albums" (PDF). RPM. October 10, 1970. p. 18. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  8. ^ "MCA Hosts Joint Sales Meet In New York: Decca Product" (PDF). Cash Box. August 15, 1970. p. 26. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  9. ^ Lee, Brenda (April 1970). ""I Think I Love You Again"/"Hello Love" (7" vinyl single)". Decca Records. 32675.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Adult Songs 1961-2006. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  12. ^ Lee, Brenda (August 1970). ""Sisters in Sorrow"/"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (7" vinyl single)". Decca Records. 32734.
  13. ^ "Cashbox singles reviews: Picks of the week" (PDF). Cash Box. September 12, 1970. p. 14. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  14. ^ Lee, Brenda (1971). ""Proud Mary"/"Games People Play" (7" vinyl single)". Decca Records. 71653.
  15. ^ Lee, Brenda (1971). "Memphis Portrait (Liner Notes)". MCA Records. MAP/S-3809; MUPS-423 (LP stereo).
  16. ^ Lee, Brenda (1974). "Memphis Portrait (Liner Notes)". MCA Records. MCF-2519 (LP stereo).
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