The Versatile Brenda Lee

The Versatile Brenda Lee is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. It was released on May 17, 1965, by Decca Records and was her twelfth studio album. The album was a collection of 12 tracks and was named for the album's mixed range of material. Of its songs was Lee's single "Truly, Truly True", which became a charting US single in 1965. The album was met with mixed reviews following its release.

Background, recording and content
Brenda Lee had risen to stardom in her teens recording a variety of material. Beginning in the early 1960s, Lee recorded pop music had her greatest commercial success with songs like "I'm Sorry", "I Want to Be Wanted" and "Break It to Me Gently". These songs and several others rose to the top ten in the US and the UK through 1963. Many of her singles reached progressively lower positions as the 1960s progressed, but she continued having top 20 and top 40 singles. One of Lee's chart records from this period was "Truly, Truly True". It was included on The Versatile Brenda Lee.

The album project was taken from sessions held between October 1964 and February 1965 at the Columbia Studio, located in Nashville, Tennessee. All recording sessions were produced by Owen Bradley. The album contained a total of 12 tracks. The album was named for its mix of material, most of which were covers. "Few singers have the gift of versatility and the voice to make the well-known standards of the past sound rich and fresh," read the liner notes. Among its songs was "Don't Blame Me" and "Willow Weep for Me".

Release, reception and singles
The Versatile Brenda Lee was released on May 17, 1965, by Decca Records. The label distributed the album as a vinyl LP, offered in both mono and stereo formats. Six songs appeared on each side of the record. It was Lee's twelfth studio album in her career. The project was given mixed reviews by critics. It was reviewed favorably by Billboard magazine who noted the album proves how Lee "can win a teen audience with current pop material and equally appeal to the adult market". Meanwhile, Hi-Fi Stereo Review gave the album a less favorable response. "She certainly is versatile, as the album title suggests; she can perform badly in more styles than anybody I can think of." AllMusic rated the album two out of five stars without a written review provided. The album's only single was "Truly, Truly True", which was first issued by Decca in March 1965. That year, the single rose to the number 54 position on the US Hot 100 and number nine on the US adult contemporary chart.

Personnel
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Versatile Brenda Lee.


 * Owen Bradley – Producer
 * Hal Buksbaum – Photography
 * Louella O. Parsons – Liner Notes