In 1973, Conway Twitty was still among the handful of kings of the countrypolitan sound. The title track of this set had some problems at country radio due to what was supposedly the suggestive nature of its title. Too bad radio missed out on a great song and a very fine Twitty album. He wrote both singles on the album, the other being the wondrously sad "Baby's Gone." In typical fashion, Twitty's voice was still in fine shape after almost 20 years of belting it out on records and stages. This is Twitty at his most country-fried, and there is still that rockabilly sheen to his delivery such as on "Bring It On Home to Your Woman." But the gift of Twitty's interpretive singing is felt best on cuts like Wiley Smith's "Til the Pain Outwears the Shame." He stays in the honky tonk groove and takes it to the bridge of pure sorrowful wail with a backing chorus boosting him up into the stratosphere. On "Baby's Gone," it becomes clear that Elvis Presley listened to a lot of Twitty in the late '60s and early '70s. His phrasing reflects it. And Twitty was so much more honest emotionally. And when he gets into the upper registers as he does on Jack Dunham's "When the Final Change Is Made," the spine tingles. And yet, he can turn a classic like Harlan Howard's "Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)" into a Buck Owens-styled Bakersfield honky tonk stomper. You've Never Been This Far Before is a remarkable album that contains within it all the magic that Twitty brought to country music.
CONWAY TWITTY
YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE
MCA 359August 13/1973
Produced by Owen Bradley
Grady Martin, Pete Wade, Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton, Jimmy Capps - guitarLloyd Green, Hal Rugg, John Hughey - steel
Roy Huskey, Henry Strzelecki - bass
Buddy Spicher - fiddle
Buddy Harman, Willie Ackerman - drums
Jerry Smith - piano
The Jordanaires, Carol Lee Cooper & L.E. White - vocals
Recorded:
June/1973, Bradley's Barn, Mt Juliet
1.
YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE
(Conway Twitty) « © '73 Tree Publishing, BMI »I can almost hear the stillness
As it yelds to the sound of your heart beating pum pum pum
And I can almost hear the echo
Of the thoughts that I know you must be thinking pum pum pum
And I can feel your body tremble
As you wonder what this moment holds in store pum pum pum
And as I put my arms around you
I can tell you've never been this far before pum pum pum
I don't know what I'm saying
As my trembling fingers touch forbidden places pum pum pum
I only know I've waited
For so long for the chance that we are taking pum pum pum
I don't know and I don't care
What made you tell him you don't love him anymore pum pum pum
And as I taste your tender kisses
I can tell you've never been this far before pum pum pum
And as I take the love you're giving
I can feel the tension building in your mind hmm hmm hmm
And you're wondering if tomorrow
I'll still love you like I'm loving you tonight hmm hmm hmm
You have no way of knowing but tonight will only make me love you more
And I hope that you'll believe me
Cause I know you've never been this far before pum pum pum pum pum pum
**********
2.
BORN TO LOSE
(Frankie Brown) « © '43 Peer International, BMI »Born to lose I've lived my life in vain
Every dream has only brought me pain
All my life I've always been so blue
Born to lose and now I'm losin' you
Born to lose it's been so hard to bear
And when I've waited and I found that you're not there
You've grown tired and now you say we're through
Born to lose and now I'm losin' you
[ guitar ] Mhm all my life I've always been so blue
Born to lose and now I'm I'm losin' you
**********
3.
BRING IT ON HOME (TO YOUR WOMAN)
(Norro Wilson - Carmol Taylor - Joe Stampley) « © '73 Al Gallico Music, BMI »Oh I've got a few good words to lay on everybody
It's about a man too blind to understand
The way I've treated my woman was a doggone pity
But we know there's a weakness in every man
Just like a fool I went and left my baby crying
A different kinda lovin' I had on my mind
But everybody that I met was either cheatin' or lying
When I get a good thing at home all the time
It's a lonely old feeling when you go from town to town
When you can't get the woman at home off your mind
I'm so tired of livin' in this new world that I've found
Lord I hope I didn't waste too much time
I gotta put my pride aside and call my baby
Gotta do it now can't wait another day
I dialed a number and then I heard the voice of my lady
It blew my mind when I heard her say
And she said (bring it on home) to your woman
I've got a lot of lovin' a waitin' I hope you ain't forgot
And she said (bring it on home) to your woman
And when you get here you better give me all the love you've got
And she said (bring it on home)...
**********
4.
TILL THE PAIN OUTWEARS THE SHAME
(Wiley J. Smith) « © '73 Coal Miners Music, BMI »It's common knowledge everybody knows I love you
When cheatin' caused you wear another's name
Every night I swear tomorrow I'll forget you Lord I can't
I'll keep hurtin' till the pain outwears the shame
So I'll be back in your arms again tomorrow
We'd let us part a stolen love become a burning flame
It's wrong and I should go but when I do I know
I'll be hurtin' till the pain outwears the shame
[ steel ] Tonight I love you for the last time then I'll say goodbye
But down inside I know it's all in vain
Before I'll leave the hurt's already startin' I can't go
I think it's over till the pain outwears the shame
So I'll be back in your arms...
**********
5.
WEAKNESS IN YOUR MAN
(Conway Twitty) « © '73 Tree Publishing, BMI »I've seen these teardrops fill your eyes so many times before
And each time I tell myself I won't hurt you anymore
I know you know that hurting you's not part of my plan
It's just part of the weakness in your man
It seems I never say the things that I want you to know
I love you but I know sometimes I just don't let it show
I guess I just expect you to stand by and understand
It's just part of the weakness in your man
I know you love me and I know how hard you try
You do everything you can to satisfy
I never mean to do the things I know I sometimes do
And I'll forget the little things that mean so much to you
But you take all this and with one sweet kiss I know you'll understand
It's just part of the weakness in your man
It's just part of the weakness in your man
**********
6.
SEASONS OF MY HEART
(George Jones - Darrell Edwards) « © '55 Fort Knox Music, BMI / Trio Music, BMI »The seasons come the seasons go
We get sunshine rain and snow
Just the way that it was planned to be
But there's no seasons in my heart
While you play the leading part
Cause the flowers will bloom eternaly
Your leaving will bring autumn sorrow
And my tears like withered leaves will fall
But spring could bring some glad tomorrow
Darling we could be happy after all
[ fiddle ] Your leaving will bring...
**********
7.
BABY'S GONE
(Conway Twitty - Bill Parks) « © '73 Tree Publishing, BMI »My hand is trembling as the key unlocks the door
My legs are shaky as I walk across the floor
My voice weakens as I call out I'm home
Do my eyes deceive me or is my baby gone
Baby's gone she couldn't stand to tell me face to face
And things just ain't the way they used to be around this place
Her perfume lingers where she once laid her head
And I can almost taste the teardrops that she shed
As she searched her mind and tried to find just where our love went wrong
But it's ended and it's over baby's gone
Baby's gone she couldn't stand...
**********
8.
WHEN THE FINAL CHANGE IS MADE
(Jack Dunham) « © '73 Tree Publishing, BMI »Lately I watched strange changes overcome you
Destroying the loving part of you I knew
You're letting someone turn you into a stranger
And when the final change is made I won't have you
When the final change is made I won't have you
Someone's got you chasing rainbows in your mind
He already owns your conscience but he's not true
Cause when the final change is made he'll have you
When the final change is made he'll have you
But he'll never own the part of you I love
And I'll turn to that loving part of you I knew
Cause when the final change is made I'll still want you
Yes when the final change is made I'll still love you
**********
9.
ABOVE AND BEYOND (THE CALL OF LOVE)
(Harlan Howard) « © '60 Tree Publishing, BMI / Jat Music, BMI »I'll give you love that's above and beyond the call of love
And I'll never ever make you cry
I'll give you love that's above and beyond the call of love
And love is something that money can't buy
Well a poor boy's chances for a pretty girl's glances
Are sometimes very few
Ain't got no money if you'll be my honey here's what I'll offer you
I'll give you love...
[ steel - guitar ] Oh we met by chance and I knew at a glance
That I'd found my destiny
I'd still carry you off and marry you if you would agree
To givin' me love...
**********
10.
YOU MAKE IT HARD TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT
(John Riggs - Michael White) « © '73 Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP »Doing wrong is not a heavy on mind
But tonight I know I did for the very first time
Soon I'll pace you for I love you without a doubt
You make it hard to take the easy way out
I'll confess and hope that you understand
Then I'll beg you to forgive this one mistake in your man
Yes I'll admit I can't back on your account
You make it hard to take the easy way out
You make it hard to take the easy way out
To lose your love would be the end there's no doubt
The hurt I feel is only shame I brought about
You make it hard to take the easy way out
**********
11.
I LOVE YOU MORE IN MEMORY
(L.E. White) « © '72 Tree Publishing, BMI »Just outside my window there's a sound that I can't stand
The cold night rain is falling and the crying lonesome wind
It's telling me you're gone and he's with you tonight
I love you more in memory than he can holding you tight
There were times when you were happy but just for a while
Then a hunger for his love came and took away your smile
While you're in his arms you'll be in my dreams tonight
I love you more in memory than he can holding you tight
You know I loved you and I know how hard you'd try
But there's a part of you I never could satisfy
So I'm losing your sweet love a little more each night
I love you more in memory than he can holding you tight
[ steel ] I love you more in memory than he can holding you tight
**********
