Emotions (Brenda Lee song)
"Emotions" is a song written by Ramsey Kearney and Mel Tillis which became a Top Ten hit for Brenda Lee in 1961.
"Emotions" | ||||
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Single by Brenda Lee | ||||
from the album Emotions | ||||
B-side | "I'm Learning About Love" | |||
Released | December 1960 | |||
Recorded | August 16, 1960 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:47 | |||
Label | Decca Records 31195 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ramsey Kearney, Mel Tillis | |||
Producer(s) | Owen Bradley | |||
Brenda Lee singles chronology | ||||
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The original version of "Emotions" was a solo composition by Ramsey Kearney: in 1957 Kearney recorded a demo of the song with which he approached the Nashville music publishers where Mel Tillis was a staff writer. Tillis would recall: "I really liked the song and I told him...'You know, I think that I can get the song recorded by Carl Smith.'" Carl Smith did indeed record the song with the track serving as B-side to his #2 C&W hit "Why, Why".[1]
In the summer of 1960 Tillis amended the lyrics to Kearney's original lyric for "Emotions" and successfully pitched the song for Brenda Lee to record.[1] Lee recorded "Emotions" in an August 16, 1960 session at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, TN: the session - produced and arranged by Owen Bradley and featuring Floyd Cramer on piano - also produced Lee's #1 hit "I Want to Be Wanted" which was the precedent single to "Emotions". With the B-side "I'm Learning About Love" - recorded with the same personnel at an August 19, 1960 session at Bradley Film & Recording Studio - "Emotions" was issued as a single in December 1960 and rose to a #7 peak in February 1961. "I'm Learning About Love" also became a Top 40 hit for Lee peaking at #33.
A major hit in Australia (#20) and Flemish Belgium (#6), "Emotions" also afforded Lee a lower chart item in France (#56), Germany (#47), and the UK (#45).
An Emotions album by Brenda Lee - featuring both the title cut and "I'm Learning About Love" - was issued April 3, 1961.
Other versions
- 1957 Carl Smith as the B-side to his #2 C&W "Why, Why" (original solo composition by Ramsey Kearney)
- 1984 Sami Jo Cole: single released in January and then withdrawn
- 1987 Juice Newton on her album Emotion
- 2002 Pam Tillis on her album It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis
References
- Cooper, Daniel. "You Could Be Rich: one man's adventure in the song-poem trade". NashvilleScene.com. Retrieved June 26, 2014.