‘Old Loves Never Die’
MCA Records MCA-5241 (1981) / this album was re-issued as MCA-27066
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ was released on MCA Records in October 1981.
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ discography information is presented on the Gene Watson Fan Site for educational purposes only and no infringement of copyright is intended.
About Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’…
Overview
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ holds the distinction of including Gene Watson’s only single to reach No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
On Saturday 3 October 1981, ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), made its debut on the Billboard country music singles chart where it remained for nineteen weeks.
Gene Watson enjoyed a happy start to the new year when the single, ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, enjoyed the honour of spending one week at No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in January 1982 (Saturday 9 January 1982 – Saturday 16 January 1982).
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ yielded a further hit single on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1982; ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (written by Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall) reached No.8′.
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ album was produced by Russ Reeder and Gene Watson for G-J Productions.
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ was recorded at Sound Emporium Studio in Nashville (Recording and Mixing Engineer: Jim Williamson) and reached No.57 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1981.
‘Old Loves Never Die’
MCA Records MCA5241 (1981)
1 ‘Old Loves Never Die’
Writers: Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb
Publishers: Millstone Music / Baray Music, Inc. (ASCAP/BMI)
Bobby Austin (Friday 5 May 1933 – Sunday 6 January 2002) recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘Old Love Never Dies’ (Capitol Records, 1968).
In 1983, Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) signed with record producer Snuff Garrett’s Viva Records, which was jointly owned by Clint Eastwood.
Snuff Garrett (Tuesday 5 July 1938 – Wednesday 16 December 2015), a native Texan, had been producing hits since the late 1950’s with rock ‘n’ roll artists, including Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis & The Playboys and Cher.
Snuff Garrett (Tuesday 5 July 1938 – Wednesday 16 December 2015) also produced recordings by Frank Sinatra (Sunday 12 December 1915 – Thursday 14 May 1998), Peggy Lee (Wednesday 26 May 1920 – Monday 21 January 2002) and Sarah Vaughan (Thursday 27 March 1924 – Tuesday 3 April 1990), as well as creating the highly successful ’50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett’ album series for Liberty Records.
Snuff Garrett (Tuesday 5 July 1938 – Wednesday 16 December 2015) produced a fine album by Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013), along with several outstanding singles, some of which appeared in the Clint Eastwood films ‘Honkytonk Man’ and ‘Any Which Way You Can’.
Unfortunately, illness sidelined Snuff Garrett (Tuesday 5 July 1938 – Wednesday 16 December 2015) for a period of time and, as a result, a number of Ray Price‘s recordings from this period, in 1983, remained un-released until 2014.
In 1983, Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) & The Cherokee Cowboys recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb; the track was subsequently included on ‘A New Place To Begin’ (Varese-Sarabande Records, 2014).
Ed Bruce (Friday 29 December 1939 – Friday 8 January 2021) recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘Homecoming’ (RCA Victor Records, 1984).
Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016) recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘Down in Texas Today’ (Step One Records, 1984); this album was re-issued by Heart of Texas Records in 2006.
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘Just Enough Love’ (Step One Records, 1987).
Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016) recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘All I Need Is Time’ (Step One Records, 1987).
Odd Jarle Hanssen recorded ‘Old Loves Never Die’, which was written by Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Warren D. Robb, and included the track on ‘Deja-Vu’ (RTA Records, 1997).
2 ‘The Girl I Used To Run Around On’
Writer: Joe Allen
Publishers: Tree Publishing Company Inc. (BMI)
3 ‘Roads & Other Reasons’
Writer: Buzz Rabin (Friday 25 October 1940 – Sunday 13 October 2024)
Publishers: Window Music Publishing Company Inc. (BMI)
Buzz Rabin (Friday 25 October 1940 – Sunday 13 October 2024) recorded ‘Roads & Other Reasons’ (written by Buzz Rabin) and included the track on ‘Cross Country Cowboy’ (Elektra Records, 1974).
4 ‘Til Melinda Comes Around’
Writer: Glenn Ray (1938 – Thursday 11 June 2020)
Publishers: Gator Music (SESAC)
5 ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’
Writers: Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall
Publishers: Booth & Watson Music (BMI)
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (written by Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall) and included the track on ‘The Good Ole Days‘ (Step One Records, 1996).
Jimmy Buckley recorded ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (written by Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall) and included the track on ‘Jimmy Buckley: Live In Concert’ (DPTV Media, 2007).
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (written by Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall), and included the track on ‘Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012).
6 ‘Nothing About Her Reminds Me of You’
Writer: Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004)
Publishers: Cross Keys Publishing Company Inc. (ASCAP)
7 ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’
Writers: Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001)
Publishers: Acuff Rose Publications Inc. (BMI)
The Osborne Brothers – Sonny Osborne (Friday 29 October 1937 – Sunday 24 October 2021) and Bobby Osborne (Monday 7 December 1931 – Tuesday 27 June 2023) – recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘Hillbilly Fever’ (CMH Records, 1991).
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘A Way to Survive‘ (Step One Records, 1997).
Odd Jarle Hanssen recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘Deja-Vu’ (RTA Records, 1997).
Lost & Found recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘It’s About Time’ (Rebel Records, 2002).
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier) (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012).
8 ‘Lonely Me’
Writer: Larry Booth
Publishers: Booth and Watson Music (BMI)
9 ‘The Sun Never Comes Up’
Writers: Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) and Joe Allen
Publishers: New Ground Music / Joe Allen Music (ASCAP/BMI)
10 ‘Missing You Just Started Hitting Home’
Writers: Warren D. Robb and Shirl Milete
Publishers: Baray Music Inc. (BMI)
• Read a Country Music People review of Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die‘
The review, which was written by Alan Cackett, was published in the December 1981 issue of the United Kingdom monthly publication Country Music People.
‘Old Loves Never Die’
MCA Records MCA5241 (1981)
Personnel involved in the recording of Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ (MCA Records, 1981) included the following:
Harold Bradley (Saturday 2 January 1926 – Thursday 31 January 2019) (guitar, mandolin)
Joe Allen (bass)
Sonny Garrish (steel guitar)
Lisa Silver (fiddle)
Buddy Spicher (fiddle, viola)
Buddy Harman (Sunday 23 December 1928 – Thursday 21 August 2008) (drums)
Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (Tuesday 18 January 1938 – Sunday 30 January 2022) (acoustic piano, electric piano)
Dale Sellers and Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) (guitar)
Sound Seventy Singers (Al Henson, Ronnie Drake, Beckie Foster and Joy Gardner) (background vocals)