The Delta Sweete
Encyclopedia
Released in March 1968, Bobbie Gentry's second album, The Delta Sweete, did not quite match the success of Ode to Billie Joe
. The "Sweete" in the title referred to both Gentry's southern-belle good looks and the album's suite structure. The LP contained a selection of Bobbie Gentry originals and some covers.
Recording sessions for the album emphasized the unique sound of Gentry's guitar picking and her singing and phrasing styles. The prevailing sound on the album was a swampy, folk-tinged combination of blues and country, with uptown touches like strings and horns seemingly added to reflect the then modern styles of soul music
and the Nashville sound
.
Delta Sweete was a concept album based on modern life in the Deep South. Gentry wrote eight of the album's 12 tracks, which detailed her Mississippi childhood and included vignettes of home and church life ("Reunion," "Sermon"), as well as recollections of blues and country hits she heard as a youngster ("Big Boss Man", "Tobacco Road").
The song "Okolona River Bottom Band", accented by a sophisticated horn chart and breathy strings, used the same basic cadence as "Ode to Billie Joe".
"Sermon," though credited to Gentry, is actually the popular gospel public-domain standard "Run On." Many artists have recorded this song, including Elvis Presley
, who recorded perhaps the most well-known version for his 1967 Grammy-winning How Great Thou Art LP. Johnny Cash
later recorded and retitled the song as "God's Gonna Cut You Down
" during his final sessions in 2003. The song eventually appeared on his American V: A Hundred Highways in 2006.
The Delta Sweete peaked at #132 on the U.S. albums chart. The Doug Kershaw
composition "Louisiana Man" peaked at #100 on the Billboard Singles Hot 100.
albums
Ode to Billie Joe
"Ode to Billie Joe" is a 1967 song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry , a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single, released in late July, was a number-one hit in the United States, and became a big international seller. The song is ranked #412 on Rolling Stones list of...
. The "Sweete" in the title referred to both Gentry's southern-belle good looks and the album's suite structure. The LP contained a selection of Bobbie Gentry originals and some covers.
Recording sessions for the album emphasized the unique sound of Gentry's guitar picking and her singing and phrasing styles. The prevailing sound on the album was a swampy, folk-tinged combination of blues and country, with uptown touches like strings and horns seemingly added to reflect the then modern styles of soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and the Nashville sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
.
Delta Sweete was a concept album based on modern life in the Deep South. Gentry wrote eight of the album's 12 tracks, which detailed her Mississippi childhood and included vignettes of home and church life ("Reunion," "Sermon"), as well as recollections of blues and country hits she heard as a youngster ("Big Boss Man", "Tobacco Road").
The song "Okolona River Bottom Band", accented by a sophisticated horn chart and breathy strings, used the same basic cadence as "Ode to Billie Joe".
"Sermon," though credited to Gentry, is actually the popular gospel public-domain standard "Run On." Many artists have recorded this song, including Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, who recorded perhaps the most well-known version for his 1967 Grammy-winning How Great Thou Art LP. Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
later recorded and retitled the song as "God's Gonna Cut You Down
God's Gonna Cut You Down
"God's Gonna Cut You Down", also known as "Run On" and "Run On for a Long Time", is a traditional folk song which has been recorded by numerous artists representing a variety of genres...
" during his final sessions in 2003. The song eventually appeared on his American V: A Hundred Highways in 2006.
The Delta Sweete peaked at #132 on the U.S. albums chart. The Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
composition "Louisiana Man" peaked at #100 on the Billboard Singles Hot 100.
Side One
- "Okolona River Bottom Band" – 2:57
- "Big Boss Man" (Luther DixonLuther DixonLuther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, and others...
, Al SmithAl SmithAlfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
) – 2:56 - "Reunion" – 2:35
- "Parchman Farm" (Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
) – 3:00 - "Mornin' Glory" – 2:57
- "Sermon" – 2:41
Side TWo
- "Tobacco Road" (John D. LoudermilkJohn D. LoudermilkJohn D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
) – 2:50 - "Penduli Pendulum" – 2:55
- "Jessye' Lisabeth" – 3:00
- "Refractions" – 2:20
- "Louisiana Man" (Doug KershawDoug KershawDoug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
) – 2:35 - "Courtyard" – 2:58
UK Release
In 1971 the album was reissued as "Tobacco Road" in the UK with a different track order and minus the tracks "Big Boss Man" and "Parchman Farm"Side One
All tracks composed by Bobbie Gentry; except where indicated- "Okolona River Bottom Band" – 2:57
- "Louisiana Man" (Doug KershawDoug KershawDoug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
) – 2:35 - "Reunion" – 2:35
- "Mornin' Glory" – 2:57
- "Sermon" – 2:41
Side Two
- "Tobacco Road" (John D. LoudermilkJohn D. LoudermilkJohn D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
) – 2:50 - "Penduli Pendulum" – 2:55
- "Jessye' Lisabeth" – 3:00
- "Refractions" – 2:20
- "Courtyard" – 2:58
USA
BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
albums
| Year | Chart | Chart position |
| 1968 | Pop Albums | #132 |
External links
- [ The Delta Sweete] at Allmusic