Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang! is a studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released on August 3, 1959, by Decca Records and was the debut studio album of her career. The 12-track collection aimed at an adult audience consisted of standards by Sophie Tucker, Bing Crosby and others. It was given mixed reviews by publications like Billboard and The Age.
Background, recording and content Brenda Lee became a professional recording artist by age 11 after signing a contract with Decca Records in 1956. A series of singles were issued and her 1957 release, "One Step at a Time", made the US charts. She then began being produced by Owen Bradley in 1958 and he oversaw most of her recording sessions through 1968. In her autobiography, Lee explained that Bradley wanted her to cut an album of standards for her debut disc in belief that it would introduce her to an adult market (Lee was recording rock and roll material up to this point). The project consisted of 12 tracks that featured The Anita Kerr Singers in the background. Among its tunes was Sophie Tucker's "Some of These Days", Bing Crosby's "Pennies from Heaven" and Bessie Smith's "St. Louis Blues".
Release and critical reception
Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang! was released by Decca Records on August 3, 1959 and was issued as a vinyl LP (either in mono or stereo formats). The project was given mixed reviews after its release. Billboard gave it three stars, believing it had "good sales potential" and called it "a bright new set for Miss Lee". Australian newspaper, The Age, remarked that, "Miss Lee gives the old tunes a vocal thrashing which not all will enjoy" but did not explain this reasoning further. AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars but did not write a written review.
Track listing
Release history + Release history and formats for Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang! Region Date Format Label Ref. Various August 1959 1960–1968 Circa 2020 MCA Nashville
References