I Will Survive (Billie Jo Spears album)

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I Will Survive
Disco[2]
  • pop[2]
    • LabelUnited Artists
    ProducerLarry Butler
    Billie Jo Spears chronology
    Love Ain’t Gonna Wait For Us
    (1978)     		I Will Survive
    (1979)     		The Billie Jo Spears Singles Album
    (1979)
    Singles from I Will Survive
    1. "I Will Survive"
      Released: March 1979
    2. "Livin' Our Love Together"
      Released: July 1979
    3. "Rainy Days and Stormy Nights"
      Released: October 1979

    I Will Survive is a

    studio album by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was released in May 1979 via United Artists Records and contained ten tracks. It was the fifteenth studio album of her career. The album project was contained new recordings, along with several cover tunes. Among these covers was Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". Spears's version was released as the album's lead single
    , reaching the top 50 of the UK pop chart, the top 30 of the American country chart and the top ten of the Canadian country chart. It was followed by two more singles that year. The album was given positive reviews by critics.

    Background

    Billie Jo Spears found her greatest commercial success recording for United Artists Records in the 1970s. She topped the charts with 1975's "Blanket on the Ground" and the top ten with 1976's "What I've Got in Mind" (among others). A series of further singles reached the top 20 through the early eighties. Among her singles was a cover of Gloria Gaynor's Disco song "I Will Survive".[3] The single would inspire the name and production of Spears's next United Artists album.[4] The single and album was produced by Larry Butler. Sessions were held in February 1979 at the Jack Clement Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[5]

    Recording and content

    According to Larry Butler, the project was stemmed from the musical style of the title track. The songs chosen to complete the album were mostly uptempo tracks. Butler explained his disappointment in her last few recordings and decided this time not to "hold anything back".[4] The album was a collection of ten songs in total.[1] Along with the title track, Spears also covered Arthur Alexander's R&B single "Everyday I Have to Cry" and Hot's "Angel in Your Arms".[4][1] Remaining songs on the album project were new recordings, such as "It Should Have Been Easy", "You", "Livin' Our Love Together", "Happily Ever After" (co-written by Larry Butler) and "Rainy Days and Stormy Nights".[5]

    Release and critical reception

    I Will Survive was released by United Artists Records in May 1979. It was the fifteenth studio album of Spears's career. The label distributed it as both a

    Cash Box magazine shortly after its released. Reviewers called it "the best record every cut" by Spears. They also noted its country, disco and pop influences. Additionally, the magazine wrote, "She still sings country, but producer Larry Butler has added just enough pop and disco flavor to the arrangements to make the LP appetizing to country and pop listeners."[2] In later years, Greg Adams of AllMusic gave the album four out five stars. "I Will Survive didn't quite make the country album Top 40 but is a typically fine effort from one of the most distinctive and consistently enjoyable country singers of the 1970s," he explained.[1]

    Singles

    A total of three singles were spawned from I Will Survive. The lead single was the title track, which was first issued by United Artists in March 1979.

    UK Singles Chart, it reached number 47.[9] "Livin' Our Love Together" was spawned as the album's second single in July 1979.[10] It reached number 23 on the Billboard country chart and number 38 on the RPM country chart.[7][8] The third and final single was "Rainy Days and Stormy Nights", which United Artists released in October 1979.[11] It also reached the number 21 position on the Billboard country chart, while climbing to number 18 on the RPM country chart.[7][8]

    Track listing

    Side one[5]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."I Will Survive"
    		3:16
    2."Angel in Your Arms"
    • T. Brasfield
    • C. Ivey
    • T. Woodford
    		3:25
    3."Everyday I Have to Cry"A. Alexander2:40
    4."It Should Have Been Easy"B. McDill2:49
    5."I'm Good at What I Do"J. McCracken2:40
    Side two[5]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Livin' Our Love Together"B. Peters2:45
    2."I Think I'll Go Home"J. Allen3:16
    3."You"
    		3:15
    4."Happily Ever After"
    		2:54
    5."Rainy Days and Stormy Nights"C. Craig2:35

    Personnel

    All credits are adapted from the liner notes of I Will Survive.[5]

    Musical personnel

    Technical personnel

    • Larry Butler – Producer
    • Billy Sherrill – Engineer
    • Glenn Meadows – Mastering
    • Vegas Burks – Album Art Direction
    • Hoot Gibson – Photography
    • Tex Lank – Album Design

    Release history

    Region Date Format Label Ref.
    Australia May 1979 Vinyl LP United Artists Records [12]
    Japan [13]
    Netherlands [14]
    Portugal [15]
    North America
    • Vinyl LP
    • cassette
    		 [5]
    United Kingdom Vinyl LP [16]

    References

    1. ^ a b c d Adams, Greg. "I Will Survive: Billie Jo Spears: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
    2. ^
      Cash Box
      . May 5, 1979. p. 35. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
    3. ^ Huey, Steve. "Billie Jo Spears Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
    4. ^
      Cash Box
      : 34. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
    5. ^ a b c d e f g Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (Disc Information)". United Artists Records. UA-LA964-H (LP); UA-CA964-H (Cassette).
    6. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (March 1979). ""I Will Survive"/"Rainy Days and Stormy Nights" (Disc Information)". United Artists Records. UA-X1292-Y.
    7. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. various.
    8. ^ a b c "Search results for "Billie Jo Spears"". RPM. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
    9. ^ "Billi Jo Spears: Official full chart history: Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
    10. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (July 1979). ""Livin' Our Love Together"/"You" (Single Information)". United Artists Records. UA-X1309-Y.
    11. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (October 1979). ""Rainy Days and Stormy Nights"/"Everyday I Have to Cry" (Single Information)". United Artists Records. UA-X1326-Y.
    12. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (Australia)". United Artists Records. UAC-5023 (LP).
    13. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (Japan)". United Artists Records. GP-742 (LP).
    14. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (Netherlands)". United Artists Records. 5C-062-82668 (LP).
    15. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (Portugal)". United Artists Records. 8E-074-82668 (LP).
    16. ^ Spears, Billie Jo (May 1979). "I Will Survive (United Kingdom)". United Artists Records. UAG-30249 (LP).
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