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"After the album "Trust" failed to set the world on fire I decided to take a break from songwriting. Having developed the strong conviction that I could better express my current feelings through other people's songs, I started to collect material to record. As the title might suggest "Almost Blue" was not originally intended to be a "country" record, rather a collection of melancholy songs of many styles. I had already made trial recordings of "Love for Sale" and "Gloomy Sunday", while our live set sometimes included Bobby "Blue" Bland standards: "Two Steps From The Blues" and "I'll Take Care Of You". However the country ballads soon became my main passion. This wasn't exactly a new fad. I had played Hank Williams songs in the folk clubs and pubs, while, as daft as it may sound, I recall being advised to remove "The Best Of George Jones" from the stiff tour buss sound-system in case it "confused" visiting journalists (it was 1977). The song "Stranger In The House" had been removed from my first album, "My Aim Is True", for similar reasons, but when George Jones began his "My Special Friends" album in 1978, I was invited to Nashville to sing it with him. The trip was somewhat anti-climatic. Mr. Jones did, indeed, not show. However, I should stress that this was due to some extra-musical legal hassle rather than any lurid reason.
"Producer Billy Sherrill enquired of me: "Do you pick, son?" and I, rather improbably, dubbed an acoustic guitar solo onto the "Stranger in the House" track.
"CBS Nashville were also excellent hosts, introducing me to musicians and producers who had worked with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, and taking me to meet songwriters suck as Rodney Crowell, Roseanne Cash and a guy wh was visiting called Bruce Springsteen. Somehow this trip gave rise to the rumour that the vocals on "Stranger in the House" were recorded at separate sessions. In fact in the middle of our "Armed Funk" tour of America in 1979 we returned to Nashville and I was able to complete the track with George "live" in the studio.
"In a roundabout way my link with country music was strengthened by Nick Lowe's marriage to Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter and granddaughter of Mother Maybelle of the Carter Family, not to mention the stepdaughter of Johnny Cash. None of this would have been of any relevance had had Johnny not suggested a Christmas day recording session in the ground floor studio of Nick and Carlene's large terraced house in Shepherd's Bush. In fact the session finally took place on St. Stephen's day where I was among the musicians greeted in the narrow hallway outside the tiny studio by the imposing figure of Nick's father-in-law, who rumbled "Hello I'm Johnny Cash", just like on "Live At San Quentin". Cut at this session were Nick's "Without Love" (Which appeared on Cash's "Johnny 99" album) and a rare George Jones composition entitled "We Ought To Be Ashamed" which, I'm sorry to say, proved to be prophetic. While it was great fun to sing with the big man it seems our duet did not make the grade."
"I should add that some years later Johnny did cut two of my songs, "The Big Light" and "Hidden Shame", on the abums "Johnny Cash is Coming to Town" and "Boom-Chicka-Boom"."
"On our next tour in January '81 we managed to fit in a trial session with Billy Sherrill. At this date, which took place in the legendary CBS Studio B (Home of "Stand By Your Man", "Behind Closed Doors" and, for that matter, "Blonde on Blonde"), we were augmented by Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar and cut two sides: "I'll Take Care Of You" and "He's Got You" (both lost). This last song was a Hank Cochran Tune which I had learned from the Loretta Lynn recording, although our treatment of it was more as a R 'n' B ballad.
"In April '81, with Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve, Nick Lowe on Bass and John Hiatt on guitar, I took part in a cable television special based on George Jones' "My Special Friends" album. However, having flown to Los Angeles, I discovered that I had contracted mumps. I put vanity aside, as I was determined not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing with George on stae. Fortunately he had the immunity which the childhood illness gives, so despite my gargoylic appearance (and although I was quarantined from most of the other artists, who included Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette and Emmylou Harris), our duet went ahead. After the show I went to George's trailer/dressing room to say "Goodnight", but, upon mentioning some of the obscure titles that he had cut and that we were planning to record, I was treated to a private George Jones concert of a few bars of each song.
"At the last moment it seemed as if we might lose Bruce Thomas from the sessions due to illness. The unsung hero of that hour was Paul "Bassman" Riley, Pete Thomas' comerade from "Chilly Willi And the Red Hot Peppers" and enginerring breains behind Nick Lowe's Ampro Studios, who deputised throughout the rehersal of more than forty songs. Paul was still on stand-by when we arrived in nashville. However Bruce recovered just in time to play on the first session."
"John McFee, who had played on "My Aim Is True", now joined us on lead guitar and pedal steel as I believed he would better understand our intentions and blend with the Attractions' approach to country music."
In fact John had already had some practice at a one-off show at the Palomino, North Hollywood in 1979, where Elvis and the Attractions included severaly country songs in honour of the occasion.
"The task of recording the album in under two weeks was complicated by the presenceof a documentary film crew, fearlyessly directed by Peter Carr, who were to capture our adventure for the "South Bank Show". Upon arrival I as dismayed to find that as CBS had decided to re-fit Studio B, we were to be diverted to the more modern and less atmospheric studio A. This is perhaps the best place to mention misgivings about some aspects of the recording. Although Billy Sherrill had been the producer of many classic country hits, he was sometimes accused of diluting the "feeling" with swathes of strings and background singers. However I held the conviction that this treatment could, sometimes, create a desirable tension if the song is strong and the singing heartfelt.
"Anybody who has seen the "South Bank Show" will know Mr. Sherrill as an impatien man with an overwhelming interest in purchasing speedboats. I suppose this is one quite valid view. However, the Billy Sherrill who met me in his office to discuss the repertoire was curious, if somewhat bemused by my desire to re-cut tunes that he clearly regarded as "Worn-out". In typical Nashville fashion he had canvassed publishing houses for likely material and presented me with a bin liner full of cassettes. They made interesting listening if only to illustrate what Nashville though should be recorded by a "limey-punk". The highlight was undoubtedly a willie Nelson ballad which contained the immortal lines: "The flesh around your neck is pale, indented by my fingernail." On the other hand I was also sent "Heartbreak Hotel", apparently in all seriousness. Thankfully we were not short of songs to record.
""Almost Blue" was recorded between the 18th and 29th May 1981 at which twentyfive or more different titles were recorded, as well as the sessions to add Tommy Millar on fiddle and the "backgrounds" of the Nashville Edition (It had been agreed that the strings would be added after our departure). Comint after the genial (if sometimes berserk) atmosphere created by Nick Lowe, the business-like Nashville style was quite a shock. If Mr. Sherrill's enthusiasm did occasionally wane, as the film record seems to show, the pace was always picked up by engineer Ron "Snake" Reynolds.
"My only uneasy moment was during one break when I came across Billy and Snake discussing the merits of their handguns across the mixing console. This may well have been as much for our benefit as our treatment of "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do?" had been for them. After a while it was less of a collaboration and more of a contest in cultural differences and after all it cannot be ignored that cameras were rolling much of the time. Nevertheless despite all of this and the lure of the honky tonk, where, as the song says, I was occasionally "Drawn to the neon lights, tortured by the truth", the record was completed on schedule. In fact there was time to accept an invitation to spend an evening with Johnny, June, and members of the Cash and Carter clans, who graciously welcomed our be-draggled band to their lakeside house outside Nashville (They also invited Billy Sherrill, who quite naturally arrived by speedboat). There was consternation amongh the other patrons and staff of our small country music-business hotel when they heard that we were going to be guests of such people, as they had previously believd we were only in town to rid the world of alcohol by drinking it. It was all a little hard to explain. They should write a country song about it."
"Listeners who are already familiar with these tunes will please parden the following notes on where I found the songs and a few other matters."
" "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do?" was written by Hank Williams although it never sounded much like this. For some strange reason the entire performance was double-tracked in a bizarre double dare showdown."
"Sweet Dreams": "Written by Don Gibson and recorded by patsy Cline and later Loretta Lynn in whose fan club we were all given complimentary memberships while walking in Nashville one day."
""Success" was also recorded by Loretta Lynn...."
""I'm Your Toy" was written by Chris Etheridge and Gram Parsons under the rather inelegant title of "Hot Burrito No. 2". It appeared on The Flying Burrito Brothers' "Gilded Palace Of Sin" album which, along with The Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", provided my first sustained interest in country music and inspired a curiosity in the artists whose songs they covered - for example: Merle Haggard who wrote "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down"."
" "Brown To Blue" and "Good Year For The Roses" were both recorded by George Jones, but were not very well known tunes. As evidence of this I offer the fact that the only other version of "Brown To Blue" was by former Lovin' Spoonful member Zal Yanovsky, who cut it on his "Alive And Well And Living In Argentina" album."
"Good Year for the Roses" reached number six in the British charts which was followed by a top ten placing for the album.
" "Sittin' and Thinkin'" was written by Charlie Rich and originally recorded for Sun Records. The engineer on that session was Billy Sherrill who also produced Rich's Epic Records remake in the 70's.
" "Colour of the Blues" was a song recorded by George Jones for both the Starday and Musicor Labels."
"The recording of "Too Far Gone" certainly commanded Mr. Sherrill's attention but then again it was his song. I heard it first by Tammy Wynette, but, in keeping with the original idea behind "Almost Blue" , I knew it also by Bobby "Blue" Bland."
"Honey Hush" started out as an R'n'B tune. it was written by Big Joe Turner, howver our version owes more to the Johnny Burnett Trio record.
"How Much I Lied" comes from "G.P.", Gram Parsons' first solo record for Warner Brothers. Together with it's follow up "Grievous Angel" this record had the greatest influence on "Almost Blue"."
Lyrics Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? Why don't you love me like you used to do? How come you treat me like a worn out shoe? My hair is still curly and my eyes are still blue Why don't you love me like you used to do? Ain't had no lovin' like a-huggin' and a-kissin' in a long, long while We don't get nearer, further, closer than a country mile Why don't you be the sort you used to be? How come you find so many faults with me? I'm the same old trouble that you've always been through Why don't you love me like you used to do? Ain't had no lovin' like a-huggin' and a-kissin' in a long, long while We don't get nearer, further, closer than a country mile Why don't you spark me like you used to do? Say sweet nothings like you used to coo Somebody's changed, so let me give you a clue Why don't you love me like you used to do?
Sweet Dreams Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through I should hate you girl the whole night through Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you You don't love me it's plain I should have known you'd never share my name Why can't I forget you girl, start loving someone new? Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you Why can't I forget my past, start loving someone new? Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through I should hate you girl the whole night through Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you
Success We used to go out walkin' hand in hand You told me all the big things you had planned It wasn't long till all your dreams came true Success put me in second place with you You have no time to love me anymore Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door I spend all my evenings all alone Success has made a failure of our home If we could spend an evening now & then Perhaps we'd find true happiness again You never hold me like you used to do It's funny what success has done for you You have no time to love me anymore Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door I spend all my evenings all alone Success has made a failure of our home
I'm Your Toy You may be sweet and nice That won't keep you warm at night 'Cause I'm the one who taught you how To do the things you're doing now He may feel all your charms He may hold you in his arms But I'm the one who let you in I was right beside you then Once upon a time You let me feel you deep inside And nobody knew, nobody saw Do you remember the way you cried? I'm your toy, I'm your old boy But I don't want no one but you to love me Oh I wouldn't lie You know I'm not that kind of guy Once upon a time You let me feel you deep inside And nobody knew, nobody saw Do you remember the way you cried? I'm your toy, I'm your old boy But I don't want no one but you to love me Oh I wouldn't lie You know I'm not that kind of guy
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down I've always had a bottle I could turn to And lately I've been turnin' every day But the wine don't take effect the way it used to And I'm hurtin' in old familiar ways Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down Each night I leave the bar room when it's over Not feeling any pain at closing time But tonight your memory found me much too sober I can't drink enough to keep you off my mind Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down
Brown To Blue We stood there in the courthouse room so close but far apart You brought along the lawyer and I brought a broken heart The judge pronounced the words the way you wanted him to do You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor My love, they took away my right to love you anymore My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue The judge forgot to tell me how I'd live my life alone What I would do without you after loving you so long He didn't seem to care that I'm still in love with you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor My love, they took away my right to love you anymore My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue
Good Year For The Roses I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick on the cigarettes there in the ashtray Lyin' cold the way you left 'em, but at least your lips caressed them while you packed Or the lip-print on a half-filled cup of coffee that you poured and didn't drink But at least you thought you wanted it, that's so much more than I can say for me What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowin' Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses After three full years of marriage, it's the first time that you haven't made the bed I guess the reason we're not talkin', there's so little left to say we haven't said While a million thoughts go racin' through my mind, I find I haven't said a word >From the bedroom the familiar sound of a baby's cryin' goes unheard What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowin' Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses
Sittin' And Thinkin' I got loaded last night on a bottle of gin And I had a fight with my best girlfriend When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend So please baby wait for me until they let me out again I know the same thing has happened before And each time it happens, I hate it more & more When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend So please baby wait for me until they let me out again I spent a whole lotta time sittin' & thinkin' Sittin' & just thinkin' 'bout you If I didn't spend so much time sittin' & drinkin' We'd still have the love I thought we knew I won't promise the same thing won't happen again But I can promise, it'll be a long, long time till then 'Cause when I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend So please baby wait for me until they let me out again
Colour Of The Blues Up above me are the skies Like the twinkle in your eyes Blue must be the colour of the blues In the mail, the letters came But you can't pay for love the same Blue must be the colour of the blues The bluebird singin' in the trees Seems to sympathize with me 'Cause he's not singin' like he used to do Pretty waters in the sea Feel as cold as you left me Blue must be the colour of the blues Blue days come and blue days go The way I feel, nobody knows Life is finally empty without you There's a blue note in each song That I sing since you've been gone Blue must be the colour of the blues
Too Far Gone I can tell somewhere there's someone you love more than me Someone you love more than me And it hurts to say it that you have a right to be free I know that's the way it should be Oh but I'm too far gone Too far gone I know I've loved you too much for too long And I'm too far gone If ever your new love should hurt you or make you feel blue Hurt you or make you feel blue Just remember your old love will still be around loving you I'll be around loving you Oh 'cause I'm too far gone Too far gone I know I've loved you too much for too long And I'm too far gone
Honey Hush Come into this house and stop that yakity yak 'Cause your sugar-daddy don't want no talkin' back You keep on babblin', talkin' 'bout this and that I got news for ya baby, you ain't nothin' but an alley cat Turn off the waterworks baby, they don't move me no more I'm leavin' this town, ain't comin' back no more Honey hush Come into this house and stop that yakity yak You're makin' me nervous and I'm holdin' a baseball bat Hi-ho, hi-ho silver Hi-ho, hi-ho silver away
How Much I Lied Darling, there is one thing I must tell you, you must know It's so hard to say the words I feel This fancy that I'm on's been going on too long It's time to stop pretending things are real 'Cause I've been living deep in sin, I've been living blind And I just don't know what's right or wrong To take a chance on losing you is such a silly thing to do A chance I might wake up and find you gone Blue, so blue, my love is burning blue Any private flame could be a lie Blue, so blue, my love still burns for you But I know I'll only make you cry A thief can only steal from you He cannot break your heart He can never touch the precious things inside Someone like you should surely be Miles and miles away from me Then you'd never care how much I lied So try to understand the pain It takes so long when I explain Please don't you forget how much I lied How much I lied
He's Got You I got the picture that you gave to me And it's signed with love, just like it used to be The only thing different, the only thing new I got the picture, he's got you I got the records that we used to share And they still sound the same, as when you were here The only thing different, the only thing new I got the records, he's got you I got your memory, or has it got me? I really don't know, but I know it won't let me be I got your class ring that proves you care And it still looks the same as when you gave it dear The only thing different, the only thing new I got these little things, he's got you I got your memory, or has it got me? I really don't know, but I know it won't let me be I got the picture that you gave to me And it's signed with love, just like it used to be The only thing different, the only thing new I got these little things, he's got you
Cry, Cry, Cry Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down They say you only live to see the lights of town I wasted my time when I would try, try, try 'Cause when the lights have lost their glow, you'll cry, cry, cry Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone And you'll wake up some cold day and find you're alone You'll come to me but I'm gonna tell you bye, bye, bye When I turn around and walk away, you'll cry, cry, cry You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone When everyone's forgotten and you're on your own You're gonna cry, cry, cry I lie awake at night and wait till you come in You stay a little while and then you're gone again Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie For every lie you tell, you're gonna cry, cry, cry When your fickle little love gets old, no one will care for you You'll come back to me for a little love that's true I'll tell you no and you're gonna ask me why, why, why When I remind you of all of this, you'll cry, cry, cry You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll want me there It'll hurt when you think of the fool you've been You're gonna cry, cry, cry
There Won't Be Anymore Don't wait for the telephone if you want a call from me There won't be anymore, there won't be anymore And don't wait for the mailman if you want a letter from me There won't be anymore, there won't be anymore All the love we had until you turn back And it broke my lovin' heart in two When you're heart is breakin' and you want some lovin' from me There won't be anymore, it won't be like before It won't be like before, there just won't be anymore All the love we had until you turn back And it broke my lovin' heart in two When you're heart is breakin' and you want some lovin' from me There won't be anymore, it won't be like before It won't be like before, there just won't be anymore
Psycho Can Mary fry some fish, mama I'm as hungry as can be Oh lord, how I wish, mama You could stop the baby cryin' 'Cause my head is killing me I saw my ex again last night mama She was at the dance at Miller's store She was with that Jackie White mama I killed them both And they're buried under Jacob's sycamore You think I'm psycho don't you mama I didn't mean to break your cup You think I'm psycho don't you mama You better let 'em lock me up Oh, don't hand me Johnny's pup mama As I might squeeze him too tight I'm havin' crazy dreams again mama So let me tell you 'bout last night I woke up in Johnny's room mama Standing right there by his bed With my hands around his throat mama Wishing both of us were dead You think I'm psycho don't you mama I just killed Johnny's pup You think I'm psycho don't you mama You'd better let 'em lock me up Oh you recall that little girl mama I believe her name was Betty Clark Oh don't tell me that she's dead mama 'Cause I just saw her in the park We were sitting on a bench mama Thinking of a game to play Seems I was holding a wrench mama Then my mind just walked away You think I'm psycho don't you mama I didn't mean to break your cup You think I'm psycho don't you mama Mama why don't you get up?
Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven You tell me you married an angel She's made heaven out of your home You say there couldn't be rainbows in heaven 'Cause she's brought you happiness that you've never known You may hate me for what I've to tell you But you'll thank me for setting you right While you work to keep angels in heaven Your angel steps out of heaven each night Her heaven's not the same as you're living in It's any place where there's music and a free drink from him So call her your angel, I won't say you're not right But your angel steps out of heaven each night
Darling,You Know I Wouldn't Lie Here I am late again for the last time And like I promised, I just told her goodbye Please believe me 'cause this time, it's really over And darling, you know I wouldn't lie Didn't I come and tell you about her How temptation lured she and I Now I know it was only fascination And darling, you know I wouldn't lie I had to let her down easy as slow as I could After all, she's got feelings too But it took a little longer than I thought it would But this time, she knows we're really through She wanted to hold me forever And this lipstick shows her final try And these tears on my shoulder are proof that she failed And darling, you know I wouldn't lie
My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You I might say that I don't care Hold my head up in the air Even tell my friends I'm glad that you don't call But when the day is through That's when my heartaches start anew And that's when I miss you most of all And my arms keep reaching for you And my eyes keep searching for you And my lips keep calling for you And my shoes keep walking back to you No matter how much I pretend I wish I had you back again 'Cause nothin' means half as much as you My world just seemed to die The day you said goodbye And I can't forget no matter what I do And my arms keep reaching for you And my eyes keep searching for you And my lips keep calling for you And my shoes keep walking back to you
Tears Before Bedtime I know the name on the tip of your tongue And I know that accusing look Everybody knows I've been so wrong That's the problem and here's the hook Tears before bedtime There'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore I don't want to have another fight I don't want to talk I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right For the tears that you boo hoo hoo hoo There can be no defence You say you'll forgive and forget But it's only a pretence Either you can leave the past behind Or give me something to disconnect my mind I sleep with my fists clenched tight When I don't lie awake all night I guess time gave up the ghost too late And the balance of our love Very soon turns to hate Darling your suspiciousness Tortures me at night But I can't excuse the cruel words That I use whenever we fight (chorus)