Making every effort to strike while the iron was hot, Epic sent Charlie Rich and Billy Sherrill back into the studio to keep his profile in the public eye. What should have been a haphazard dash-off slab of re-dos and hastily chosen tracks instead turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises of Rich's monumental run in the 1970s. Very Special Love Songs is almost entirely comprised of cover versions and showcases the close, nearly symbiotic partnership Rich and Sherrill had developed. While more on the country tip than many of his recordings from the period, it's still country with a grand twist. The title track is layered with a huge string section and chorus that has Rich crooning like Richard Harris in "MacArthur Park." "Why Don't We Go Somewhere and Love" is more straight-ahead but has odd textures like Sherrill bringing in a barely audible harpsichord to play beneath the acoustic guitars and Hargus Robbion's honky tonk piano. The chorus is straight out of Mac Davis and hits home hard. Other tracks, such as "Take Time to Love," "A Field of Yellow Daisies," and "Why, Oh Why," are offerings of such soulful vulnerability they transcend every country music stereotype that existed at the time. Re-recordings of "He Follows in My Footsteps" and "There Won't Be Anymore" blow away the originals. Rich's voice is stronger, even if it is a bit more worn from cigarettes and whiskey, and it's so much more honest emotionally. Side one is the optimistic and hopefully side while the flip is a shade darker, sadder, more melancholy, but in true Rich fashion, "Pretty People" opens the glimmer of possibly, the barely glimpsed sliver of hope on the horizon that the sad times will end eventually and that the song's protagonist will be able to embrace that time with gratitude. The strings and piano carry the tune all the way out with the vocal ending barely a second before the track does, leaving its exhortations out in the ether hanging for the listener to take inside and contemplate. It's a wonderful release despite the rush.
CHARLIE RICH
VERY SPECIAL LOVE SONG
Epic EQ-32531January/1974
Produced by Billy Sherrill
Billy Sanford, Pete Wade, Jimmy Capps - guitarRay Edenton, Glenn Keener - rh.guitar
Tommy Allsup - bass guitar
Pete Drake - steel
Bob Moore, Norbert Putman, Henry Strzelecki - bass
Jerry Carrigan - drums
Hargus Pig Robbins, Larry Butler - piano/keyboards
Charlie McCoy - vibes
Strings:
Sheldon Kurland Strings
Vocal accompaniment by The Nashville Edition
Arrangements by Bill McElhiney and Bergen White
Recorded:
Jan-July 1973, Columbia Studios, Nashville
1.
VERY SPECIAL LOVE SONG
(Billy Sherrill - Norro Wilson) « © '73 Algee Music, BMI »Babe somewhere I know I'm gonna find it babe
It'll have my love behind it
And it will be a symphony of all you mean to me
A very special love song oh
And babe if there's a way you know I'm gonna say it babe
If there's a melody I'll play it
I'll play it through especially for you and all the words are true
A very special love song oh
So don't be surprised if you're sittin' alone and you hear it
I'm gonna sing it to the whole big lonely world
Turn your radio way down low and get near it
And I'll tell the world I love you girl
Babe if there's an ounce of love I'm gonna give it to you babe
If there's a breath of life I'm gonna live it every day for you
And oh the whole night through singing just for you
A very special love song for you
**********
2.
WHY DON'T WE GO SOMEWHERE AND LOVE
(Kenny O'Dell - Larry Henley) « © '72 Warner House Of Music, BMI »I don't want to read the paper this morning
I don't want to hear no busy city sounds
So many things that's so much more important
They're the onloy things worth thinking about
Why don't we go somewhere and love it's been a long long time
Why don't we just go somewhere and love and lock the world outside
Why don't we just lay down what we're doing
We don't need a reason or a rhyme
Don't take the time to stop and think about it
Cause if we talk too much then we might just change our minds
Why don't we go somewhere and love...
Why don't we go somewhere and love it's been a long long time
So why don't we go somewhere and love and leave it all behind
**********
3.
TAKE TIME TO LOVE
(Tony Joe White - Donnie Fritts) « © '73 Combine Music, BMI »I awoke late last night and and heard you cryin' softly by the window
I walked across the floor to ask what's wrong
And as I put my arms around your shoulders
Right away I knew it had been too long
Since we'd walked hand in hand by the river
Or late for hours watching skies above
Or let our eyes hold each other close to crowded room
So long since we had taken time to love
We've got to take some time for understanding
Or let long and winding road back to love
Let's don't let our story have a sad sad and blue
We've got to pick the time to love
So baby come and lay back down beside me
And let me hold you close and keep you warm
We don't need no special plans for tomorrow
Together we will take it as it cools
And we'll walk hand in hand by the river
And late for hours watching skies above
Taking time to find out all the good things we once had
Taking time to love taking time to love
**********
4.
SATISFIED MAN
(Jerry Foster - Bill Rice) « © '74 PolyGram Int, ASCAP »You won't ever see me running around
There's no point in looking for what I've already found
When it comes to loving she's the one
There's nothing worth doing that she ain't already done
My good loving woman understands
There's no way of losing a satisfied man
I wouldn't take chances to try something new
Cause her kind of loving is much too good to lose
I never will leave her loving arms
Her love's like a fever there's no other woman that warm
My good loving woman understands...
My good loving woman understands...
**********
5.
FIELD OF YELLOW DAISIES
(Margaret A. Rich) « © '65 Mekamillion Music, BMI »We met in a field of yellow daisies wild and young and free
And he picked a bouquet for me
She loves me she loves me not for daisies didn't lie
They knew better than I she'd go away
But they didn't say why
Have you ever been in a field of yellow daisies
Where the air is warm and pure and sweet
Just as the loved one at your feet
She loves me she loves me not for daisies didn't lie
They knew better than I she'd go away
But they didn't say why
I may fade like petals from the daisies
But for her love I'll always yearn
Each year when yellow daisies return
She loves me she loves me not...
They didn't say why they didn't say why they didn't say why
We met in a field of yellow daisies
**********
6.
THERE WON'T BE ANYMORE
(Charlie Rich) « © '64 Charles Rich Music, BMI »Don't wait for the postman if you're looking for a letter from me
There won't be anymore there won't be anymore
And don't sit by your telephone if you're waitin' for a call from me
There won't be anymore there won't be anymore
Don't think of the love we had till you turned bad
And broke my loving heart in two
And when your heart is breaking and you need some loving from me
There won't be anymore there won't be anymore
(It won't be like before there won't be anymore)
Don't think of the love we had till you turned bad...
It won't be like before there just won't be anymore
**********
7.
WHY OH WHY
(Charlie Rich) « © '64 Charles Rich Music, BMI »Why oh why must I sit and cry that's not the sorta thing I like to do
Why oh why did we say goodbye when I know I'm still in love with you
Why oh why am I still pretending you'll come back to me
When in my heart I know that happy ending can never be
And though I try to get you off my mind I found there's not a easy thing to do
Cause when I try to get you off my mind how your love what it did good tryin' to
Why oh why am I still pretending all alone yes all alone
I guess it should become I know I'll never have you for my own
**********
8.
ALMOST PERSUADED
(Billy Sherrill - Glenn Sutton) « © '66 Al Gallico Music, BMI »Last night all alone in a barroom
Met a girl with a drink in her hand
She had ruby red lips and coal black hair
And eyes that would tempt any man
Then she came and sat down at my table
And as she placed her soft hands in mine
I found myself wanting to kiss her
For temptation was flowing like wine
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside
Then we danced and she whispered I need you
Take me away from here and be my man
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it
The reflection of my wedding band
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home
**********
9.
HE FOLLOWS MY FOOTSTEPS
(Margaret A. Rich) « © '73 Mekamillion Music, BMI »He follows my footsteps with every step I take
I hear his little footsteps with every move I make
I know he loves his mother and his sisters and brothers
But it's my footsteps he follows so I'm bound to walk the line
For that little man of mine
Times I lay myself to bed he's gotta have to slip
That I have to go away on another lonely trip
I promise in the moon and stars I get them if I could
I kiss away his tears and say now boy you be real good
He follows my footsteps with every step I take...
So I'm bound to walk the line
For that little man of mine
**********
10.
STAY
(Charlie Rich) « © '58 Charles Rich Music, BMI »I don't know what to say
But I pray that you'll stay with me now
That I need you so
Don't you know I feel so bad for what I've done
I was just a mistake
That I make when I straight fall from you
I want you to know I love you so
And you always will be the one
Many mistakes have been made before
But darling I would forgive you
I promise I won't fail you anymore
Just tell me what I should do
I don't know what to say
But I pray that you'll stay with me now
That I need you so
Love you so more than anyone could ever know
**********
11.
PRETTY PEOPLE
(Charlie Rich) « © '73 Charles Rich Music, BMI »Well I'm feeling so down today
The white clear skies're turnin' gray
And I know all it means is rain
But I think I can't stand the pain
Cause I been through it all and found
There are some very pretty people in this world
Some very pretty people in this world
You know pretty people don't like fightin'
And to me that's pretty good
Well I'm looking inside the room
Guess I see what I wanna see
And the world's childish games are old
And I'm tired of playing with gold
When I look up some friends and know
There are some very pretty people in this world
Some very pretty people in this world
Some very pretty people in this world
You know pretty people don't like fightin'
And if you're a pretty people too
Then the world will be a better place for you
**********
