Songs of a Love Affair is the debut studio album by American country artist Jean Shepard. The album was released in May 1956 on Capitol Records and was produced by Ken Nelson. The release has been said to have been one of country music's first concept albums in history and also one of the first to be released by a female country music artist. The album's concept focused on an extramarital love affair between a husband and another lover. The album is told from the point of the view of the wife. The disc was released originally on vinyl, but later released on CD and to digital markets.
Jean Shepard first had found success at the Capitol label in two duets with Ferlin Husky: "A Dear John Letter" and "Forgive Me, John". Both singles were commercial successes in 1953. It was not until 1955 that she had first pair of solo singles make the US country top ten: "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies". In 1956, Capitol issued her debut studio album Songs of a Love Affair.[2] According to several publications, Songs of a Love Affair was among the first country music concept album.[3][4][5] Songs were handpicked by Nelson who wanted the album to be told from the point of view of a woman. Nelson told Shepard that he did not want her to appear as the victim on the project. "Oh we can't have you having a love affair in a song! You're just a sweet little country girl! We've got to keep this nice little country girl image," Nelson told her.[6]
Songs of a Love Affair consisted of 12 tracks.[1] The project was recorded in sessions held at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. Sessions were produced by Ken Nelson and were cut between August 1953 and December 1955. Many of the album's songs were written by the same writers, including Jack Rhodes, Mary McDaniel and Don Welch.[7] The album's concept was based around a failing marriage due to a extramarital love affair between a man and a woman.[2][8]
The album's title track "Passing Love Affair" was claimed to be written exclusively for Shepard and the album itself.[9] The latter described a wife who avoids thinking about an affair between her husband and another woman. The second track "Girl in Disgrace" finds the same character angry about the affair. "Over and Over" shows the character ruminating over the extramarital affair. In "The Mysteries of Life", Shepard's character explains her situation from a mature standpoint. "I'll Thank You All My Life" finds the character "discovering a new love", according to the liner notes. In the tracks "Sad Singin' and Slow Ridin'" and "Did I Turn Down a Better Deal", Shepard's character second-guesses her romantic choices.[7]
Songs of a Love Affair was first released by Capitol Records in May 1956. It was originally distributed as a vinyl LP with six tracks on each side of the disc. It was the debut studio album of Shepard's career.[7] In 1998, the album was reissued on a compact disc in conjunction with her 1962 studio project Heartaches and Tears. The reissue was released by both Capitol and the EMI labels.[10] In the 2010s decade, Songs of a Love Affair was issued digitally by Capitol Records Nashville to sites including Apple Music.[11]Songs of a Love Affair was given a four and a half star rating from AllMusic with no written review provided.[1]
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