WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.220 The Deep Dive, Connie Smith, Dallas Frazier, 00:00:03.500 --> 00:00:06.620 and the 1972 country album that defied the arts. 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:09.560 Join us for a fascinating deep dive into Connie 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:13.179 Smith's 1972 country music gem, If It Ain't Love 00:00:13.179 --> 00:00:16.300 and other great Dallas Frazier songs. Discover 00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:19.640 how a 1968 spiritual awakening transformed Smith's 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:22.219 career trajectory. Explore her legendary musical 00:00:22.219 --> 00:00:24.719 partnership with songwriter Dallas Frazier and 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.820 learn why this RCA Victor classic became a pivotal 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:30.460 moment in country music history. Perfect for 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:32.340 music historians and curious learners alike, 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.539 we unpack the April 1972 recording sessions, 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:38.399 Smith's groundbreaking demand for session musician 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:40.579 credits, and the chart -topping success that 00:00:40.579 --> 00:00:47.899 made 1972 her biggest year of the decade. classic 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:50.439 country albums, country gospel, Johnny Gimble, 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:53.840 Nashville session musicians, Bob Ferguson, classic 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:57.299 country charts. Imagine you're at the absolute 00:00:57.299 --> 00:00:59.340 peak of your career. Right, the absolute top. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:01.359 Yeah, you spend four straight years just churning 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:03.960 out these unstoppable, uninterrupted top 10 hits. 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.040 Yeah. The record label basically views you as 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:07.500 a golden goose at this point. Oh, absolutely. 00:01:07.579 --> 00:01:09.700 They're banking everything on you. Exactly. And 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:11.760 the fans are hanging on your every note. You 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:14.280 are the definitive bankable voice of your genre. 00:01:14.829 --> 00:01:17.650 And then, right at the height of all that commercial 00:01:17.650 --> 00:01:20.409 invincibility, you walk into the studio and tell 00:01:20.409 --> 00:01:22.209 the executives, you know, I'm changing the formula. 00:01:22.390 --> 00:01:24.950 Which is terrifying for a label. Just terrifying. 00:01:24.989 --> 00:01:27.209 It really is. And that's the fundamental tension 00:01:27.209 --> 00:01:29.609 at the heart of our deep dive today. We're exploring 00:01:29.609 --> 00:01:32.950 the career of Connie Smith, who is just an absolute 00:01:32.950 --> 00:01:35.969 titan of country music. Specifically, we're unpacking 00:01:35.969 --> 00:01:39.150 a really fascinating artifact from 1972. It's 00:01:39.150 --> 00:01:42.909 her 19th solo studio album, If It Ain't Love. 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:45.540 and other great Dallas Frazier songs. And it 00:01:45.540 --> 00:01:47.879 is really the perfect focal point for understanding 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:50.480 that whole era of music. It really is. Our mission 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:53.019 for this deep dive is to use the historical and 00:01:53.019 --> 00:01:55.739 biographical documentation surrounding this specific 00:01:55.739 --> 00:01:59.599 RCA Victor release to, well, chart a much larger 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:01.859 narrative. We are going to look at the shifting 00:02:01.859 --> 00:02:04.640 dynamics of the 1970s Nashville music industry, 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:07.400 the deeply collaborative intricacies of the artist 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:09.819 -songwriter relationship, and that really delicate 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:13.159 high wire act of blending secular country music 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:16.060 with sacred gospel. Exactly. We've got studio 00:02:16.060 --> 00:02:18.419 timelines, personnel rosters, chart histories. 00:02:18.979 --> 00:02:21.780 All of it paints a really vivid picture of a 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:24.259 very specific moment in time. And for those of 00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:26.240 you listening, whether you're a classic country 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:29.060 aficionado who already knows every single lyric 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:32.860 to once a day, or you're just someone fascinated 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:35.520 by how creative professionals navigate immense 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:38.830 pressure and industry expectations. This is such 00:02:38.830 --> 00:02:41.069 a compelling case study. It's a universal story 00:02:41.069 --> 00:02:43.710 in a lot of ways. It is. It's a story about creative 00:02:43.710 --> 00:02:46.620 loyalty. advocating for the invisible workers 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:49.060 behind the scenes, and pulling off a massive 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:51.219 comeback entirely on your own terms. Right, and 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:53.520 to really grasp what was at stake for Connie 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:56.099 Smith in 1972, we kind of have to rewind first. 00:02:56.139 --> 00:02:58.080 We have to look at the sheer magnitude of her 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.039 early success. Yeah, let's set the stage. When 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:03.639 she signed with RCA Victor in 1964, she didn't 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:06.060 just have a hit. She experienced what the historical 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:09.659 record accurately describes as a commercial zenith. 00:03:09.740 --> 00:03:11.719 Xenon's almost feels like an understatement when 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:14.080 you actually look at the raw data. Really? How 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:17.759 so? Well, from 1964 to 1968, she maintained an 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:20.580 entirely uninterrupted string of top ten country 00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:24.340 singles. Wow. Uninterrupted for four years. Yes. 00:03:24.699 --> 00:03:27.500 In the music industry, especially in the highly 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:30.240 volatile singles -driven market of the 1960s, 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:33.439 a four -year streak without a single miss is 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:36.219 just staggering. That creates a very specific 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:38.259 kind of gravity around an artist, doesn't it? 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:41.319 Oh, massive gravity. RCA Victor would have built 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:43.539 their financial projections around her releases. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.460 They knew exactly what a Connie Smith record 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:49.740 sounded like, that soaring, crystalline country 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:52.460 vocal, and they knew exactly how the market would 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:55.159 respond. She was the foundational for the label's 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:57.060 Nashville operations during those years. Which 00:03:57.060 --> 00:03:59.780 makes what happened next so jarring from a business 00:03:59.780 --> 00:04:02.460 perspective. Definitely. Because in 1968, Smith 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:05.120 became a Christian. Now, a lot of artists have 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.139 private spiritual lives, but this wasn't just 00:04:07.139 --> 00:04:09.500 a quiet offstage transition. No, it wasn't at 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.340 all. Her professional outlook... profoundly changed. 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:15.219 She decided that she absolutely had to incorporate 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:17.839 more gospel music into her daily repertoire, 00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:20.639 her live shows, and her studio albums. I have 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:22.980 to imagine the A &R executives at RCA were just 00:04:22.980 --> 00:04:25.660 having heart palpitations over that. Right. You 00:04:25.660 --> 00:04:28.519 don't take a flawless hit -making machine and 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:31.439 suddenly introduce religious material into the 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.180 secular mainstream market without facing severe 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:36.819 pushback. You really don't. The label's anxiety 00:04:36.819 --> 00:04:38.959 would have been rooted in a very pragmatic fear 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:41.360 of alienating the core demographic. It makes 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:43.600 sense purely from a numbers game. It does. If 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.379 you compare it to other massive artistic pivots 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:49.220 like, say, Bob Dylan plugging in an electric 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:52.459 guitar at Newport or Ray Charles infusing the 00:04:52.459 --> 00:04:55.660 gospel sound into secular rhythm and blues, there 00:04:55.660 --> 00:04:58.920 is always this period of intense friction. But 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.480 for Smith... Her faith wasn't a marketing gimmick. 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:04.120 Exactly. It was a profound personal conviction 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:06.980 that demanded expression in her art. The tension 00:05:06.980 --> 00:05:09.699 between commercial expectations, RCA wanting 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:11.980 more of the heartbreak and honky tonk anthems 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:14.899 that made them millions, and her spiritual directive 00:05:14.899 --> 00:05:17.279 must have been immense. And the data actually 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:20.629 reflects that friction. Following that 1968 pivot, 00:05:20.910 --> 00:05:23.110 her secular singles did become less successful. 00:05:23.310 --> 00:05:24.769 They took a hit? Yeah, they weren't bombing. 00:05:24.930 --> 00:05:26.449 By that stretch, I mean, she was still reaching 00:05:26.449 --> 00:05:28.649 the top 10, which most artists would kill for. 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:33.350 But that aura of absolute uninterrupted invincibility 00:05:33.350 --> 00:05:36.470 faded. The streak was broken. And when an artist 00:05:36.470 --> 00:05:39.170 alters their winning formula, the industry usually 00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.670 assumes that the peak is over and the slow decline 00:05:41.670 --> 00:05:44.850 has begun. But that's exactly why we are focusing 00:05:44.850 --> 00:05:48.259 on 1972 today. Right. Because four years after 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:52.019 this massive life and career shift, 1972 becomes 00:05:52.019 --> 00:05:54.540 her most successful year of the entire decade. 00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:57.339 It is the defining triumph of this era for her. 00:05:57.500 --> 00:05:59.819 Just think about the resilience that takes. To 00:05:59.819 --> 00:06:01.740 step off the conventional commercial treadmill, 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:04.019 alter your brand to align with your personal 00:06:04.019 --> 00:06:06.720 values. Take a slight commercial hit and then 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:09.620 roar back four years later with three top 10 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:12.120 hits in a single year. It requires incredible 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:14.560 resilience. It proves that she didn't just survive 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.420 her stylistic pin it. She conditioned her audience 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:19.860 to evolve with her. It's kind of like a modern 00:06:19.860 --> 00:06:22.519 pop star suddenly deciding to record an acoustic 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:26.019 folk album. The label might panic, but true talent 00:06:26.019 --> 00:06:28.230 sustains the career. That's a great way to look 00:06:28.230 --> 00:06:30.730 at it. She filtered her immense talent through 00:06:30.730 --> 00:06:33.529 her newfound authenticity and the mark that ultimately 00:06:33.529 --> 00:06:36.319 rewarded that. So those three top 10 hits in 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:39.420 1972 included the title track of the album we're 00:06:39.420 --> 00:06:41.959 dissecting today. If it ain't love, let's leave 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.160 it alone. A fantastic track. And a massive part 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.300 of how she engineered this triumphant year revolves 00:06:48.300 --> 00:06:51.060 around a very specific creative partnership. 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:54.160 The album isn't just a collection of random songs 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.860 picked by the label. It is completely dedicated 00:06:56.860 --> 00:07:00.360 to one writer. Every single one of the 10 tracks 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:03.050 was composed by Dallas Frazier. Which is a profound 00:07:03.050 --> 00:07:05.470 statement in the context of the Nashville studio 00:07:05.470 --> 00:07:07.529 system. How did that system normally work back 00:07:07.529 --> 00:07:10.350 then? Well typically a major country album in 00:07:10.350 --> 00:07:13.410 the 1970s was an amalgamation. A producer and 00:07:13.410 --> 00:07:15.649 the artist would sit down and listen to dozens 00:07:15.649 --> 00:07:17.949 of pitch tapes from various music publishers 00:07:17.949 --> 00:07:20.230 all up and down Music Row. Just cherry picking 00:07:20.230 --> 00:07:22.680 the best singles. Exactly, selecting the best 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:24.839 individual songs from a wide variety of writers 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:28.560 to construct a balanced album. So to bypass that 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.319 entire machinery and dedicate an entire 10 -track 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:35.560 LP to a single, living songwriter elevates the 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:38.319 composer to equal billing with the star. It's 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:40.079 a declaration that this isn't just a collection 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:42.899 of singles, it's a cohesive, artistic vision 00:07:42.899 --> 00:07:45.079 shared between two people. It's incredibly rare. 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:47.779 The documentation notes this was actually Smith's 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:50.680 second time doing this. She released Connie Smith 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:54.100 sings Bill Anderson back in 1967. Right. But 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:56.980 the dedication to Dallas Frazier feels distinct. 00:07:57.209 --> 00:07:59.790 because of how he responded to it. We have this 00:07:59.790 --> 00:08:01.649 quote from Frazier from the source material that 00:08:01.649 --> 00:08:03.730 really contextualizes the respect between them. 00:08:03.850 --> 00:08:05.889 It's a brilliant quote. He said, I've only had 00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:08.370 two albums like this. George Jones sings Dallas 00:08:08.370 --> 00:08:11.389 Frazier and this from Connie. And my goodness, 00:08:11.670 --> 00:08:13.470 to have the best male country singer and the 00:08:13.470 --> 00:08:15.689 best female country singer do an album of my 00:08:15.689 --> 00:08:18.189 songs, that's quite a privilege. You really cannot 00:08:18.189 --> 00:08:20.430 overstate the weight of that compliment. No kidding. 00:08:20.649 --> 00:08:24.310 Being compared to George Jones. Yes. In the pantheon 00:08:24.310 --> 00:08:26.649 of country music, George Jones is widely considered 00:08:26.509 --> 00:08:29.290 the absolute gold standard for male vocalists. 00:08:29.470 --> 00:08:32.730 His ability to convey agony, his phrasing, his 00:08:32.730 --> 00:08:36.389 melisma, he is the benchmark. So for Dallas Frazier 00:08:36.389 --> 00:08:39.149 to say that. For Frazier, who worked with literally 00:08:39.149 --> 00:08:42.190 everyone in town to explicitly categorize Connie 00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:44.690 Smith on that exact same pedestal, declaring 00:08:44.690 --> 00:08:47.730 her the best female country singer, is the highest 00:08:47.730 --> 00:08:50.309 praise possible. It really is. It speaks volumes 00:08:50.309 --> 00:08:52.450 about her interpretive skills. She wasn't merely 00:08:52.450 --> 00:08:54.710 singing the melodies Frazier wrote, she was inhabiting 00:08:54.710 --> 00:08:58.240 them. What is it about their specific dynamic 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:00.019 that made it work so well? Is it just that they 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:02.419 were close friends, or is there a musical lock 00:09:02.419 --> 00:09:04.899 and key happening here? Because she had recorded 00:09:04.899 --> 00:09:08.960 his songs before this 1972 project, so they clearly 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:11.360 had a track record. It's a combination of deep 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:13.840 personal trust and complimentary skill sets. 00:09:14.259 --> 00:09:16.600 When an artist and a songwriter have a long -standing 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:19.620 relationship, the writer begins to compose specifically 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:22.059 for that voice. Ah, so tailoring the material. 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:26.019 Yes. Frazier knew the exact contours of Smith's 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:28.940 vocal range. He knew where her voice naturally 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:31.840 possessed that piercing emotive power, and he 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:33.899 understood how to craft melodies that showcased 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:36.419 her strengths perfectly. And on the flip side, 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:40.169 she knew his style too. Right. Smith knew Frazier's 00:09:40.169 --> 00:09:42.850 colloquialisms, his lyrical rhythms, and his 00:09:42.850 --> 00:09:45.889 emotional vocabulary. They weren't wasting studio 00:09:45.889 --> 00:09:48.029 time trying to decipher each other's artistic 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:51.409 intent. That deep creative trust is what allows 00:09:51.409 --> 00:09:54.309 an album like this to transcend just a standard 00:09:54.309 --> 00:09:56.450 studio session. I think anyone listening who 00:09:56.450 --> 00:09:58.549 has ever collaborated closely with someone can 00:09:58.549 --> 00:10:00.730 relate to that. When you have that established 00:10:00.730 --> 00:10:04.149 shorthand with a creative partner, you stop second 00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:05.909 -guessing the foundation and just start building. 00:10:05.909 --> 00:10:08.539 Exactly. The friction is gone. And that efficiency 00:10:08.539 --> 00:10:10.799 is violently clear when we look at the actual 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:12.980 recording timeline for this album. Let's actually 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:15.559 step inside RCA Victor Studios in Nashville for 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:18.419 a minute. It's the spring of 1972. The recording 00:10:18.419 --> 00:10:22.159 dates are April 10th, April 11, April 19, and 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:25.820 April 21. That's it. Four days. Four days of 00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:28.980 tracking to capture a masterpiece. How is that 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:31.080 physically possible without the album sounding 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:34.600 rushed or sloppy? I mean, today, four days wouldn't 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:36.600 even cover the drum sound check for some bands. 00:10:36.789 --> 00:10:39.409 It really speaks to the absolute supremacy of 00:10:39.409 --> 00:10:42.409 the Nashville studio system at that time. Modern 00:10:42.409 --> 00:10:45.009 recording, as you just pointed out, often involves 00:10:45.009 --> 00:10:48.070 months of micro adjustments, layering individual 00:10:48.070 --> 00:10:51.190 instruments digitally, and endless vocal comps. 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:54.750 Like, highly surgical. But in 1972, recording 00:10:54.750 --> 00:10:58.429 was largely a live analog process. You had the 00:10:58.429 --> 00:11:00.549 artist, the producer, in this case, Bob Ferguson, 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:04.549 and a room full of the most elite session musicians 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:07.090 on the planet. And they were fast. Unbelievably 00:11:07.090 --> 00:11:09.710 fast. They utilized the Nashville number system, 00:11:10.029 --> 00:11:12.629 which allowed musicians to transposed and arranged 00:11:12.629 --> 00:11:14.769 songs on the floor without sight reading traditional 00:11:14.769 --> 00:11:16.450 sheet music. So they didn't even have standard 00:11:16.450 --> 00:11:18.429 notes on a page? Nope. They would listen to a 00:11:18.429 --> 00:11:20.649 rough work tape, map out the arrangement in minutes 00:11:20.649 --> 00:11:22.909 using this number system, and then track it live. 00:11:23.370 --> 00:11:26.230 The pressure of the red light was immense. You 00:11:26.230 --> 00:11:28.690 couldn't easily fix mistakes. You had to perform 00:11:28.690 --> 00:11:31.509 flawlessly as a collective unit. Bob Ferguson 00:11:31.509 --> 00:11:34.809 must have been a master traffic cop to manage 00:11:34.809 --> 00:11:37.570 that kind of energy and keep it moving so efficiently 00:11:37.570 --> 00:11:40.070 over those four days. He was a legend for a reason. 00:11:40.429 --> 00:11:42.529 But it wasn't just those four tracking days, 00:11:42.730 --> 00:11:46.269 right? The production process had layers. The 00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:51.149 historical notes mentioned some overdubs. The 00:11:51.149 --> 00:11:53.950 live band and Smith's live vocals was captured 00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:57.429 in those four days, but the lush, expansive sound 00:11:57.429 --> 00:12:00.029 of the era required sweetening. Sweetening, I 00:12:00.029 --> 00:12:02.309 like that, too. Yeah, three additional overdub 00:12:02.309 --> 00:12:04.610 sessions were added specifically to feature a 00:12:04.610 --> 00:12:06.669 vocal chorus backed by the Nashville edition. 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:08.850 And who were they? The Nashville edition was 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:11.350 a legendary vocal group that provided the rich 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:14.509 harmonic backing vocals that defined the country, 00:12:14.590 --> 00:12:17.389 politan and classic Nashville sound. You capture 00:12:17.389 --> 00:12:19.590 the raw live magic of the rhythm section and 00:12:19.590 --> 00:12:22.509 the lead vocal. first and then you meticulously 00:12:22.509 --> 00:12:25.029 layer those choral harmonies over the top to 00:12:25.029 --> 00:12:27.669 give the record its depth and polish. That classic 00:12:27.669 --> 00:12:30.570 lush Nashville sound. Exactly. And amidst all 00:12:30.570 --> 00:12:33.830 that classic Nashville polish, there is a really 00:12:33.830 --> 00:12:36.409 fascinating stylistic curveball on this album. 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:38.990 Three of the tracks aren't just written by Dallas 00:12:38.990 --> 00:12:41.929 Frazier. They're actual duets featuring him in 00:12:41.929 --> 00:12:45.669 the vocal booth with Connie. Yes, that's a brilliant 00:12:45.669 --> 00:12:47.870 addition to the record. They were recorded if 00:12:47.870 --> 00:12:50.460 it ain't strong enough. the laying on of hands 00:12:50.460 --> 00:12:54.080 and bringing it home together. And Connie Smith's 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.200 reflection on these sessions, which she gave 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.500 in an interview much later in 2012, is so telling. 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.840 What does she say? She said, it was so easy to 00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:05.850 sing with Dallas and so fun. Dallas has that 00:13:05.850 --> 00:13:07.730 rock and roll edge to his singing and when he 00:13:07.730 --> 00:13:09.950 sings he sings like that he means it with all 00:13:09.950 --> 00:13:12.289 of his heart. A rock and roll edge. Right, a 00:13:12.289 --> 00:13:14.250 rock and roll edge seems like a stark contrast 00:13:14.250 --> 00:13:16.789 to what we've been discussing regarding her polished 00:13:16.789 --> 00:13:19.509 gospel influences. It is a brilliant contrast 00:13:19.509 --> 00:13:22.009 and it's vital to the album's dynamic pacing. 00:13:22.509 --> 00:13:24.669 You have Connie Smith whose voice is characterized 00:13:24.669 --> 00:13:28.110 by a soaring almost transcendent clarity deeply 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:30.509 influenced by her gospel roots. Very clean, very 00:13:30.509 --> 00:13:33.799 pure. Exactly. Then you pair her with Frazier, 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:36.179 who approaches the microphone with a rougher, 00:13:36.539 --> 00:13:38.879 blues -inflected rhythm and blues or rock and 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:42.259 roll energy. When he sang, he pushed his vocal 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.960 cords. It was gritty and visceral. So it's that 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.639 push and pull? Yes. The friction between her 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:50.659 polished celestial tone and his raw, earthier 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:54.149 delivery creates a massive spark. If she had 00:13:54.149 --> 00:13:56.350 sung those duets with another perfectly polished 00:13:56.350 --> 00:13:58.590 country crooner, it might have sounded overly 00:13:58.590 --> 00:14:01.309 saccharine. Frazier brings the grit that grounds 00:14:01.309 --> 00:14:03.870 her polish. It adds incredible texture to the 00:14:03.870 --> 00:14:06.389 record. But Frazier wasn't the only one in the 00:14:06.389 --> 00:14:09.090 room adding essential texture. This brings us 00:14:09.090 --> 00:14:11.029 to a part of the story that I find historically 00:14:11.029 --> 00:14:13.629 vital, and it revolves around those session musicians 00:14:13.629 --> 00:14:15.350 you mentioned earlier. This is one of the most 00:14:15.350 --> 00:14:17.309 important aspects of the whole album. The title 00:14:17.309 --> 00:14:19.090 track, If It Ain't Love, Let's Leave It Alone, 00:14:19.289 --> 00:14:23.149 is this incredibly vibrant upbeat song, and it 00:14:23.149 --> 00:14:26.470 is driven by a very prominent, undeniably catchy 00:14:26.470 --> 00:14:29.009 fiddle solo. It hooks you instantly. It really 00:14:29.009 --> 00:14:32.269 does. The man playing that fiddle was Johnny 00:14:32.269 --> 00:14:35.149 Gimble. And Connie Smith did something during 00:14:35.149 --> 00:14:37.789 this project that completely defied standard 00:14:37.789 --> 00:14:41.629 industry practice at the time. She actively demanded 00:14:41.629 --> 00:14:44.470 that Johnny Gimble and every other session musician 00:14:44.470 --> 00:14:47.029 who played on the record be officially credited 00:14:47.029 --> 00:14:50.509 on the album's packaging. This is a crucial moment 00:14:50.509 --> 00:14:53.789 of advocacy. To understand why this was groundbreaking, 00:14:53.889 --> 00:14:56.669 you really have to understand the historical 00:14:56.669 --> 00:14:59.509 anonymity of the studio musician back then. They 00:14:59.509 --> 00:15:02.149 were basically ghosts. Exactly. Whether it was 00:15:02.149 --> 00:15:04.269 the Funk Brothers in Detroit, the Wrecking Crew 00:15:04.269 --> 00:15:06.909 in Los Angeles, or the A -Team in Nashville, 00:15:07.629 --> 00:15:10.070 labels were notoriously hostile to printing the 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:11.970 names of the musicians playing on the records. 00:15:12.230 --> 00:15:13.750 I think a lot of listeners might be wondering 00:15:13.750 --> 00:15:16.389 why. If these guys are musical geniuses building 00:15:16.389 --> 00:15:18.649 the hits, why hide them? What's the threat? There 00:15:18.649 --> 00:15:20.590 were several reasons actually. First, there was 00:15:20.590 --> 00:15:22.789 a prevailing marketing philosophy that the star 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:25.929 was a solitary genius. Ah, creating the myth. 00:15:26.230 --> 00:15:29.009 Right. The label wanted the public to believe 00:15:29.009 --> 00:15:32.450 that Connie Smith, or any major artist, was solely 00:15:32.450 --> 00:15:34.809 responsible for the magic emanating from the 00:15:34.809 --> 00:15:38.190 vinyl. Acknowledging a small army of virtuosos 00:15:38.190 --> 00:15:40.909 shattered that illusion. It makes the star seem 00:15:40.909 --> 00:15:43.529 less magical if people know it took 12 guys in 00:15:43.529 --> 00:15:45.590 a room to make this out. Exactly. And secondly, 00:15:46.129 --> 00:15:48.990 and perhaps more importantly, there were labor 00:15:48.990 --> 00:15:51.370 and economic fears. Always comes down to money. 00:15:51.730 --> 00:15:54.610 Always. Labels feared that if session musicians 00:15:54.610 --> 00:15:57.590 became publicly recognized, they would gain individual 00:15:57.590 --> 00:16:00.250 leverage. They could unionize more aggressively, 00:16:00.870 --> 00:16:03.129 demand higher session rates based on their popularity, 00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:06.600 or even launch competing solo careers. Anonymity 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.580 kept labor costs controlled and power consolidated 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:12.200 at the label level. That makes Connie Smith's 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:14.960 demand so much more powerful. She wasn't just 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.620 asking for a favor. She was using her hard -won 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:20.139 capital to chally an exploitative system. She 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:22.440 was putting her foot down. Her own quote from 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:24.740 the documentation lays it out clearly. She said, 00:16:25.179 --> 00:16:27.039 At the time, they didn't list the musicians on 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:28.879 the records much, although they did give their 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:32.039 names on some albums. She recognized the discrepancy. 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.460 And she acted on it. She's coming off a four 00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:37.139 -year dip in momentum. She's recording what will 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:39.379 become her biggest hit of the decade. And she 00:16:39.379 --> 00:16:42.059 walks into RCA Victor and basically says, I am 00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:44.519 not releasing this unless my band is credited. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:48.440 That takes guts. She weaponized her top 10 status 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:51.159 to advocate for the invisible workers who are 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:53.919 actually building her sound. Think about the 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.019 invisible workers in your own field and how powerful 00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:59.700 it is when a leader demands public recognition 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:02.279 for the whole team. It's huge. And when you look 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:05.079 at the personnel roster she ensured would be 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:07.160 immortalized on those lantern notes, it reads 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.980 like a holy text of Nashville musicianship. Who 00:17:09.980 --> 00:17:11.579 are we talking about here? Well, you have Johnny 00:17:11.579 --> 00:17:14.180 Gimbel on fiddle, whose Western swing background 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:16.559 with the Texas Playboys brought that infectious 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:19.039 rhythmic drive to the title track. You have Hargis 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.180 Pig Robbins on piano, a legendary blind pianist 00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:24.819 who essentially invented the country piano intro. 00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:27.559 Wow. You have Bob Moore on electric bass, who 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:29.720 was fundamental in transitioning country music 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:31.819 from the upright bass to the modern electric 00:17:31.819 --> 00:17:35.480 feel. Weldon Myrick on steel guitar. Jimmy Capps 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:37.660 and Billy Sanford on electric guitars. Jerry 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:40.740 Carrigan on drums. These are heavy hitters. Absolutely. 00:17:41.019 --> 00:17:43.339 These aren't just backing players. They are the 00:17:43.339 --> 00:17:45.859 architects of a distinctly American art form. 00:17:46.460 --> 00:17:49.519 By insisting their names be printed, Smith ensured 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.180 their contributions to music history were documented, 00:17:52.500 --> 00:17:55.339 not just rumored. It completely changes how you 00:17:55.339 --> 00:17:57.980 view her as a leader. She wasn't just a voice. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:00.880 She was managing the ecosystem around her. She 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.700 was a true artist in control. And that ecosystem 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:06.319 produced an incredibly complex piece of art. 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:09.160 I want to dig into how they actually structured 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:11.200 the album because the sequencing is fascinating. 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:14.819 In 1972, we were talking about a physical vinyl 00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:17.740 record. The album has 10 tracks split evenly. 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:20.950 Five songs on side one. Five songs on side two. 00:18:21.210 --> 00:18:24.190 The physical reality of vinyl dictated the psychological 00:18:24.190 --> 00:18:26.049 journey of the listener back then. You had to 00:18:26.049 --> 00:18:28.369 get up and flip the record. Right. You only had 00:18:28.369 --> 00:18:30.690 roughly 15 to 20 minutes of music before you 00:18:30.690 --> 00:18:32.670 had to physically interact with the turntable, 00:18:33.029 --> 00:18:35.890 lift the needle, and turn the disc over. Sequencing 00:18:35.890 --> 00:18:37.970 was an absolute art form. How do they handle 00:18:37.970 --> 00:18:41.029 it on this record? The album intentionally balanced 00:18:41.029 --> 00:18:44.609 tempos and themes. You have bouncy, upbeat country 00:18:44.609 --> 00:18:48.029 tracks juxtaposed against devastating slow burn 00:18:48.029 --> 00:18:50.890 ballads like, Living Without You is too much 00:18:50.890 --> 00:18:52.970 to live with. But there's another balance happening 00:18:52.970 --> 00:18:55.470 too, right? Yes. The most significant thematic 00:18:55.470 --> 00:18:58.529 tightrope Smith walked on this album was balancing 00:18:58.529 --> 00:19:01.369 her secular commercial obligations with her profound 00:19:01.369 --> 00:19:03.670 religious convictions. Right, because this goes 00:19:03.670 --> 00:19:08.039 back to her 1968 pivot. She refused to compartmentalize 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:10.740 her faith. She didn't want to make a purely secular 00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:13.579 album for RCA and then a separate gospel album 00:19:13.579 --> 00:19:16.440 for a niche market. She insisted on integrating 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:18.619 gospel directly into her mainstream releases. 00:19:19.099 --> 00:19:22.039 Which again was a risk. A massive risk. And she 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.609 utilized Dallas Frazier's writing. to do it. 00:19:25.049 --> 00:19:27.130 The album features the duet, the laying on of 00:19:27.130 --> 00:19:30.150 hands, which explicitly relies on a gospel narrative. 00:19:30.529 --> 00:19:32.369 How do you place a track like that next to standard 00:19:32.369 --> 00:19:34.670 country fare without giving the listener whiplash? 00:19:34.809 --> 00:19:37.730 It requires immense vocal and thematic conviction. 00:19:38.170 --> 00:19:40.309 Country music has always had a complicated relationship 00:19:40.309 --> 00:19:42.250 with the Saturday night sin and the Sunday morning 00:19:42.250 --> 00:19:45.569 redemption. It's a classic trope. It is. Placing 00:19:45.569 --> 00:19:48.130 a deeply religious track like the laying on of 00:19:48.130 --> 00:19:51.269 hands in the same sequence as a heart -wrenching 00:19:51.269 --> 00:19:53.589 secular ballad about romantic devastation like 00:19:53.589 --> 00:19:56.470 Don't Tell Him That I'm Still Crying is a bold 00:19:56.470 --> 00:19:59.190 statement. It reflects the totality of Smith's 00:19:59.190 --> 00:20:01.210 life. She's giving you the whole picture. Exactly. 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:04.569 She was a massive commercial country star who 00:20:04.569 --> 00:20:06.970 dealt with human heartbreak, but she was also 00:20:06.970 --> 00:20:10.250 anchored by her faith. By sequencing them together, 00:20:10.369 --> 00:20:12.849 she refuses to let the industry bifurcate her 00:20:12.849 --> 00:20:15.650 identity. The album becomes a holistic journey. 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:18.930 You experience the very human, secular pain on 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:21.549 one track and you find the spiritual resolution 00:20:21.549 --> 00:20:23.849 on the next. And driving that entire journey 00:20:23.849 --> 00:20:26.579 is the title track. If it ain't love... Let's 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:28.779 leave it alone. It's perfectly positioned at 00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:31.380 the number three spot on side one. Which is often 00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:33.640 the anchor position for a lead single on vinyl. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.200 Makes total sense. Its upbeat tempo, driven by 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.039 Gimble's fiddle, propelled it to become one of 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:40.319 Smith's personal favorite recordings of her entire 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:42.319 career. You can hear the joy in the recording. 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:45.200 So let's recap the timeline here. They track 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.579 this complex, nuanced album in four days in April. 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:51.359 They sequence the secular and the sacred beautifully. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:53.779 They print the liner notes acknowledging the 00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:55.980 session giants, and then they unleash it on the 00:20:55.980 --> 00:20:59.140 world. Let's talk about their reception. The 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:02.880 album hits the shelves in July 1972. The industry 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:05.599 response was immediate and robust. Billboard 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:08.559 magazine, which was the absolute Bible of the 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:11.140 music trade at the time, gave the album a glowing 00:21:11.140 --> 00:21:13.819 review. What did they single out? They specifically 00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:16.359 called the collaborative pairing of Frazier and 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:18.859 Smith dynamite. Dynamite. That's a great word 00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:21.759 for it. It is a vital endorsement. It proved 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:23.720 that the gamble of a single songwriter album 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:26.220 paid off. The critics recognized the synergy 00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:28.960 right away. Furthermore, the reviewers highlighted 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:31.819 my ecstasy alongside the title track, indicating 00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:34.259 that the depth of the album was resonating, not 00:21:34.259 --> 00:21:36.559 just the lead single. And the commercial charts 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:39.240 backed up the critical praise entirely. The album 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:41.759 peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Top Country 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:44.359 Albums chart, spending a solid 11 weeks on the 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:47.339 tally. A very healthy chart run. And let's pause 00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:49.319 and recognize a mind -bending statistic from 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:52.980 the source documentation here. This 1972 release, 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:56.799 peaking at number 14, was her 21st studio album. 00:21:56.859 --> 00:22:00.059 It's hard to even process that number. Her 21st. 00:22:00.059 --> 00:22:03.819 She signed with RCA in 1964. That means between 00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:08.559 1964 and 1972, a span of just eight years, she 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:12.079 released 21 full -length studio albums. How is 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.730 that level of output even sustainable? It is 00:22:14.730 --> 00:22:17.289 almost incomprehensible by modern standards. 00:22:17.490 --> 00:22:19.329 Today, an artist might release an album every 00:22:19.329 --> 00:22:21.329 three or four years and do a world tour. Yeah, 00:22:21.390 --> 00:22:23.549 21 albums would take a modern artist their entire 00:22:23.549 --> 00:22:26.230 life. Exactly. But the Nashville system in the 00:22:26.230 --> 00:22:29.349 1960s and early 70s was an industrial machine. 00:22:29.670 --> 00:22:31.829 Artists were expected to release two, sometimes 00:22:31.829 --> 00:22:34.230 three albums a calendar year to keep the pipeline 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:36.809 fed, all while maintaining punishing touring 00:22:36.809 --> 00:22:38.910 schedules and fulfilling television commitments. 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:41.049 Just a grueling pace. The fact that she could 00:22:41.049 --> 00:22:43.430 maintain her vocal quality and artistic integrity 00:22:43.309 --> 00:22:45.990 while operating at that velocity is a true testament 00:22:45.990 --> 00:22:48.910 to her foundational talent. And the single itself, 00:22:49.230 --> 00:22:52.410 If It Ain't Love, was an absolute smash, hitting 00:22:52.410 --> 00:22:54.430 number seven on the U .S. charts. That became 00:22:54.430 --> 00:22:57.809 her 17th top 10 hit. And it even crossed international 00:22:57.809 --> 00:23:00.569 borders to hit number 14 on the Canadian RPM 00:23:00.569 --> 00:23:03.369 country chart. It was an undeniable hit. But 00:23:03.369 --> 00:23:05.410 what I find most inspiring about this entire 00:23:05.410 --> 00:23:08.410 story isn't just the 1972 comeback. It's what 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:10.819 happened over the next half century. When you 00:23:10.819 --> 00:23:13.579 look at the discography timeline in our sources, 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.019 1972 wasn't a swan song at all. Far from it. 00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:20.119 Her discography is a study in staggering longevity. 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:22.920 It spans all the way from her eponymous debut, 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:26.220 Connie Smith, in 1965 to modern releases. Just 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:28.339 incredible. The documentation highlights an album 00:23:28.339 --> 00:23:30.519 called The Cry of the Heart released in 2021 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.259 and incredibly a project titled Love, Prison, 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.119 Wisdom and Heartaches released in 2024. 2024. 00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:39.700 Yes. If we view the success of the 1972 Dallas 00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:41.940 Frasier album as the crucible where she proved 00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:43.599 she could blend her faith, her friendships and 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:45.720 her commercial viability, it explains how she 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:49.119 survived the decades. Her post 1968 pivot didn't 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:51.819 hamstring her career. It insulated it. That is 00:23:51.819 --> 00:23:54.039 the ultimate takeaway here. If she had bowed 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:56.789 to the pressure in 1968 and just kept churning 00:23:56.789 --> 00:24:00.349 out the exact same secular heartbreak hits she 00:24:00.349 --> 00:24:03.750 made in 1964, trying to chase a trend the audience 00:24:03.750 --> 00:24:05.670 eventually would have seen through it, or she 00:24:05.670 --> 00:24:07.690 simply would have burned out. Authenticity is 00:24:07.690 --> 00:24:10.009 what lasts. Exactly. By insisting on bringing 00:24:10.009 --> 00:24:13.210 her absolute, authentic self to the studio, her 00:24:13.210 --> 00:24:15.930 deep faith, her reverence for Dallas Frazier's 00:24:15.930 --> 00:24:18.670 songwriting, her staunch advocacy for the session 00:24:18.670 --> 00:24:21.670 musicians, she didn't just chase a hit, she built 00:24:21.670 --> 00:24:24.309 a foundation. And that foundation was strong 00:24:24.309 --> 00:24:27.529 enough to support a 60 -year career. It proves 00:24:27.529 --> 00:24:30.410 that true career longevity requires more than 00:24:30.410 --> 00:24:33.190 just talent. It requires a willingness to evolve 00:24:33.190 --> 00:24:35.589 publicly. And a willingness to bring others up 00:24:35.589 --> 00:24:38.000 with you. That's a great point. When Connie Smith 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.279 championed Dallas Frasier and when she fought 00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:42.700 for Johnny Gimble and Hargis Robbins to be recognized, 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:45.339 she wasn't just making a record, she was cultivating 00:24:45.339 --> 00:24:48.339 a creative community. And the art that community 00:24:48.339 --> 00:24:51.400 produced, that incredibly dynamic blend of Frasier's 00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:54.440 raw energy and Smith's transcendent vocal purity 00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:57.180 has proven timeless. It really has. It's why 00:24:57.180 --> 00:24:59.619 Sony Music Entertainment digitally reissued the 00:24:59.619 --> 00:25:02.380 album decades later, ensuring that entirely new 00:25:02.380 --> 00:25:04.700 generations of fans and musicians could study 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:07.660 it. It is a master class in staying true to your 00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:10.859 compass. A massive star altering her sound for 00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:13.940 profound personal reasons, relying on the singular 00:25:13.940 --> 00:25:16.140 vision of a trusted friend to craft a comeback, 00:25:16.920 --> 00:25:19.799 laying it down live in four days, and using her 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.200 power to pull the invisible geniuses of the Nashville 00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:24.960 sound out of the shadows. It's an incredible 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:26.960 chapter of music history. It's a story that never 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.680 really gets old. It doesn't. And as we close 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:32.109 out this deep dive, I want to leave you... the 00:25:32.109 --> 00:25:34.450 listener, with something to consider next time 00:25:34.450 --> 00:25:36.589 you put on your headphones. What's that? Think 00:25:36.589 --> 00:25:38.670 about the music, the books, or the films that 00:25:38.670 --> 00:25:41.390 resonate with you the most. How much of the magic 00:25:41.390 --> 00:25:44.210 in that art is actually the result of an invisible, 00:25:44.490 --> 00:25:47.829 quiet, creative trust behind the scenes? A Dallas 00:25:47.829 --> 00:25:50.990 Frazier writing for a Connie Smith. And how often 00:25:50.990 --> 00:25:53.269 do we fail to seek out the liner notes to learn 00:25:53.269 --> 00:25:55.329 the names of the session players and the architects 00:25:55.329 --> 00:25:58.009 who actually build the things that move us? It 00:25:58.009 --> 00:25:59.789 might just change the way you hear your favorite 00:25:59.789 --> 00:26:00.109 song.