Touch My Heart is the 1966 follow-up to Ray Price's über-masterpiece Burning Memories. Issued two whole years later, this is in many ways a retrenchment for Price, who left the vast layers of strings off this one and, with producer Don Law, concentrated on a more organic approach, but could not give up the ballad style he was forging. While Touch My Heart features a more directly connected "country" sound, it is no less a pop album than the ingenious Burning Memories. Re-employing songs by Hank Cochran and Willie Nelson and drawing from the Bakersfield sound (instead of Buck Owens, this time Price used Merle Haggard and his classic "Swinging Doors"), he also relied heavily on former bandmember Johnny Paycheck for the title track and Dallas Frazier's hit "There Goes My Everything." The band is scaled back and the strings aren't quite so sweeping, but there is still plenty of the new Price grafted onto the sound of his old honky tonk singer. While the aforementioned make up the album's highlights — especially the four Cochran tunes — other notable moments include Price's cover of Marty Robbins' "The Same Two Lips" and Jeannie Seely's "Enough to Lie" for insurance. As suggested on the earlier Burning Memories, Touch My Heart is full of amazing contradictions and wondrous moments of musical whimsy and inspiration, while managing to hold together not only as an album, but as an enduring country classic. Touch My Heart is available on CD as part of a two-fer with Burning Memories from Audium, distributed by Koch. Necessary.
RAY PRICE
TOUCH MY HEART
Columbia CS-9406January/1967
Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones
Grady Martin, Wayne Moss - guitarRay Edenton - rh.guitar
Buddy Emmons - steel
Harold Bradley - bass
Len Miller, Doug Kirkham - drums
Tommy Jackson - fiddle
Bill Pursell - piano
Recorded:
1Feb 16/1966, Columbia Studios, Nashville (7)
Aug 11/1966, Columbia Studios, Nashville (1)
Oct 31/1966, Columbia Studios, Nashville (2-6,8-10)
Nov 1/1966, Columbia Studios, Nashville (11)
1.
TOUCH MY HEART
(Johnny Paycheck - Aubrey Mayhew) « © '66 Dream City Music, BMI »Touch my heart feel the hurt it's destroying me
I've tried but can't seem to shake her memory
Touch my heart feel the hurt the pain and misery
Then tell me again what love can do for me
If you lived in my world awhile you'd soon forget how to smile
In my world there's a million ways to cry
If you had my eyes you could see how someone changed my destiny
I'm a man who can't live and yet can't die
Touch my heart feel the hurt...
[ steel ] Touch my heart feel the hurt...
**********
2.
THERE GOES MY EVERYTHING
(Dallas Frazier) « © '65 Husky Music, BMI / Acuff-Rose Music, BMI »I hear footsteps slowly walking as they gently walk across a lonely floor
And a voice is softly saying darling this will be goodbye forever more
There goes my reason for living there goes the one of my dreams
There goes my only possesion there goes my everything
[ fiddle ] As my mem'ry turns back the pages
I can see the happy years we had before
And the love that kept this old heart beating
Has been shattered by the closing of a door
There goes my reason for living...
**********
3.
IT'S ONLY LOVE
(Hank Cochran) « © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »If I don't act myself when I'm around you
And I bring up the things you used to say
Well I just haven't learned to forget like you do
But it's only love it'll go away
And if I call at night while you're still sleeping
Just to talk to you about yesterday
Then before I hang up I start to creeping
Well it's only love it'll go away
It's only love it'll go away at least that's what you say
Yours did and mine will I hope some day cause it's only love it'll go away
It's only love it'll go away
**********
4.
I LIE A LOT
(Hank Cochran) « © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »I say that I don't miss you when they ask me if I do
I lie a lot that's what I do
I'm not own because I'm blue there's just nothing I want to do
Oh I lie a lot if they ask about you
Do you have to lie when they ask about me
Or is it true when you tell them you're glad that you're free
I wish it was that easy to pretend that I'd forgot
When I say that I don't miss you I lie a lot
[ steel ] Do you have to lie...
**********
5.
YOU TOOK MY HAPPY AWAY
(Willie Nelson) « © '63 Tree Publishing, BMI »When I was with you I was happy but you took my happy away
You'll have to go leave me lonely and my lonely just won't go away
I told you I told you I'm rorry my sorry gets bigger each day
With you in my arms I'd be happy but you took my happy away
[ fiddle ] You must know by now how I need you but you treat my need you so wrong
You must know by now how I love you so don't wait till my love you is gone
I told you I told you I'm rorry...
**********
6.
SWINGING DOORS
(Merle Haggard) « © '65 Tree Publishing, BMI »This old smoke filled bar is something I'm not used to
But I gave up my home to see you satisfied
And I just called to let you know where I'm livin'
It's not much but I feel welcome here inside
I've got swinging doors a jukebox and a barstool
And my new home has a flashing neon sign
Stop by and see me anytime you want to
Cause I'm always here at home till closing time
[ fiddle - steel ] I've got everything I need to drive me crazy
And I've got everything it takes to lose my mind
And in here the atmosphere's just right for heartaches
And thanks to you I'm always here till closing time
I've got swinging doors...
**********
7.
WAY TO SURVIVE
(Hank Cochran - Moneen Carpenter) « © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »I look at your picture too often
It helps keep your mem'ry alive
It's not healthy they say to relive yesterday
But for me it's the way to survive
I must cling to what's gone if I've to go on
I can't face the future I've tried
Perhaps for the rest looking back isn't best
But for me it's the way to survive
[ steel ] When my heart aches I read all your letters
And the words make our love seem alive
They say I can't last if I live in the past
But for me it's the way to survive
I must cling to what's gone...
**********
8.
SAME TWO LIPS
(Marty Robbins) « © '56 Mariposa Music, BMI »The same two lips that once told me they love me
Are the same two lips that now tell me goodbye
And the same two hands that once held mine so tightly
Are the same two hands that now push me aside
The same two eyes that looked at me so fondly
Are the same two eyes that look at someone else
And the same two lips I taught to say they love me
Now teach I love you to somebody else
[ steel ] They say that time will change us all completely
And I guess that we're no different you and me
Well there was a time we got along so sweetly
But that old feeling's gone and there's nothing we can do
The same two arms that once held me so tightly
Are the same two arms that now hold someone else
And the same two lips I taught to say I love you
Now teach I love you to somebody else
**********
9.
ENOUGH TO LIE
(Jeannie Seely) « © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »You don't listen even when I beg you not to leave
You don't hear what I'm saying cause you're paying no attention to me
And when you come home after being gone you have no alibi
Cause you don't even care enough to lie
Would it take you very long to notice if I'm gone
If sometimes I wasn't here when you came home
You know I know where you go but you don't try to hide
Cause you don't even care enough to lie
[ steel ] Would it take you very long...
**********
10.
AM I THAT EASY TO FORGET
(Carl Belew - W.S. Stevenson) « © '59 Acuff-Rose Music, BMI »They say you've found somebody new but that won't stop my loving you
I just can't let you walk away forget the love I had for you
Yes I could find somebody too but I don't want no one but you
How could you leave without regrets am I that easy to forget
Before you leave be sure you find you want his love much more than mine
Cause I'll just say we've never met if I'm that easy to forget
[ guitar ] Before you leave be sure you find...
**********
11.
JUST FOR THE RECORD
(Hank Cochran) « © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »I know our love is over you've made it plain to see
But just for the record did you ever love me
I hope that you'll be happy I'm gonna try to be
But just for the record did you ever love me
Or was I just filling in while you waited for love to come by
Or did you once love me if you did why oh why did it die
This is the last time I'll call you from this moment on you're free
But just for the record did you ever love me
Just for the record did you ever love me
**********
