Lady is the twenty-first studio album by American pop vocalist Jack Jones, released in March 1967 by Kapp Records. The project included a mixture of original and cover songs. The album reached high positions on the US album charts and received a positive reception.
Background and content Jack Jones was a popular easy listening and pop singer in the 1960s, recording with Kapp Records and gaining several hits. In early 1967 he scored another Billboard Easy Listening chart topper titled "Lady". An album titled after it followed while the single was still on the charts.
The recordings for Lady were taken from sessions held in the winter of 1966 and 1967 in New York City. The songs were arranged and conducted by Marty Paich and Ralph Carmichael. The album consisted of 12 tracks, evenly split on both sides. The project included songs in an easy listening style like "A Beautiful Friendship", and vocal tracks like a cover of Barbra Streisand's "Free Again" from Je m'appelle Barbra. Other selections included "Nice 'N' Easy", which was a hit for Frank Sinatra earlier in the decade, and a Richard Rodgers standard from 1935 titled "It's Easy to Remember".
Release and reception
Lady was originally released in early March 1967 on the Kapp label. It was the twenty-first, the first of the year, studio collection released in Jones' career. The album was distributed as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on side one and six on side two of the record. Decades later, the album was re-released on Geffen Records to digital and streaming sites.
The album received a positive critical reception upon its release. Billboard magazine believed that Jones "is at his very best in this highly potent program of beautiful songs". The publication said that "an easy listening arrangement of 'A Beautiful Friendship' is contrasted by a moving 'Free Again,' adding a perfect balance to the selections," and they praised Jones' "reading" of "If You Go Away" as well. Cashbox reviewed the album the same week and noted that "Currently climbing the Top 100 with his 'Lady' single, Jones here offers an LP of the same name that could do equally well on the charts. In addition to the title track, the set includes 'A Beautiful Friendship,' 'If You Never Come To Me,' 'Theme From ‘The Sand Pebbles’, and 'Brother, Where Are You.' They said to "Keep close tabs on this one."
Record World stated that Jones sings "some mighty pretty songs on this album named after his current click, 'Lady.'" They believed that "The guy has established himself without question and so the crowds will line up". The Times Record described the album as "another plate of endearing quality", adding that "Free Again" and "Once Upon a Time" are "perfectly done for a change-of-pace".
Chart performance The album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated March 25, 1967, peaking at No. 23 during a twenty-five-week run on the chart. It debuted on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 Albums chart in the issue also dated March 18, 1967, peaking at No. 28 during a fourteen-week run on the chart. The album debuted on Record World magazine's 100 Top LP's chart in the issue dated March 25, 1967, peaking at No. 20. Lady stayed on the chart through the spring and summer and dropped out before the fall, with a total twenty-week run on it.
Track listings Vinyl version
Digital version
Personnel All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Lady.
Producer: unspecified Arrangers/conductors: Marty Paich; Ralph Carmichael Engineer: Bob Doherty
Charts +Chart performance for Lady Chart (1967) Peak position US Billboard Top LP's23 US Cashbox Top 100 Albums28 US Record World 100 Top LP's20
Release history Region Date Format Label Ref. North America and UK March 1967 Kapp Records WorldwideCirca 2020 Geffen Records
References