Color Me Country (Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022) Linda Martell

• 1 Bad Case of the Blues (Remastered 2022) 02:31
• 2 San Francisco is a Lonely Town (Remastered 2022) 03:04
• 3 The Wedding Cake (Remastered 2022) 02:32
• 4 Tender Leaves of Love (Remastered 2022) 02:49
• 5 I Almost Called Your Name (Remastered 2022) 02:09
• 6 Color Him Father (Remastered 2022) 02:41
• 7 There Never Was a Time (Remastered 2022) 02:52
• 8 You're Crying Boy, Crying (Remastered 2022) 02:22
• 9 Old Letter Song (Remastered 2022) 02:38
• 10 Then I'll Be Over You (Remastered 2022) 01:54
• 11 Before the Next Teardrop Falls (Remastered 2022) 02:07
• Total Runtime 27:39

Info for Color Me Country (Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022)

Newly remastered! Linda Martell was the first African-American woman to make the country charts and to appear at the Grand Ole Opry, and helped lay the groundwork for future artists of color in the genre. Despite multiple TV appearances, a dozen appearances at the Opry, and some big hits - including "Color Him Father", "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Bad Case of the Blues" - her 1970 debut album, Color Me Country, would also be her last.

"I am so happy that so many people seem to love my singing. I love country music, I always have and I never thought in a million years that this would ever be. It has been a long road and I hope that you all continue to enjoy the album. I truly appreciate all of your support." (Linda Martell)

In August of 1969, Linda Martell (born Thelma Bynem) made history when she became the first African-American woman to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. However, she didn’t begin her career singing country music. Instead, she made her recording debut as a member of the group The Anglos in 1962 with R&B songs “A Little Tear (Was Falling From My Eyes)” and “The Things I Do For You.” The group also recorded for Vee-Jay records and Vee-Jay’s subsidiary Tollie Records. When the group disbanded, Martell continued solo as an R&B artist until a single performance thrust her into the world of country music.

After Martell was asked to sing a country song at the Charleston Air Force Base, she was discovered by Nashville agent Duke Rayner, who then worked to secure demos and eventually a deal with Plantation Records. In 1969, she released her first single, the top-25 hit “Color Him Father,” and in 1970 made appearances on Hee Haw and The Bill Anderson Show. That same year she released her second single, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” which also landed in the Country & Western Top 40, followed by her one and only album Color Me Country on Plantation Records. This album has finally been re-released in its entirety by Real Gone Music, with liner notes by Bill Dahl.

Color Me Country is a body of work that makes it clear that Linda Martell was a talent that needed to be heard. This collection includes her first single, “Color Him Father,” a dynamic cover of The Winstons’ original song about accepting your stepfather. Martell’s immense vocal ability is undeniable on tracks like “San Francisco Is a Lonely Town,” and “Then I’ll Be Over You.” And on tracks like “Bad Case of the Blues,” “The Wedding Cake,” and “There Never Was a Time,” she is masterfully rooted in the country& western vocal and musical styling.

Linda Martell

Digitally remastered

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