Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billie Joe / 180 gram vinyl LP

Born and raised in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, Gentry remains one of the most interesting and underappreciated artists to emerge out of Nashville during the late ‘60s. She was one of the first female country artists to write and produce much of her own material, forging an idiosyncratic, pop-inspired sound that, in tandem with her glamorous, bombshell image, anticipated the rise of latter-day superstars like Shania Twain and Faith Hill. Bobbie Gentry became an overnight sensation with her massive 1967 hit single, the hauntingly enigmatic “Ode to Billie Joe,” which was an immediate smash hit.

 In July 1967, with no special promotion, the song unexpectedly climbed up the charts past The Doors, Aretha Franklin and The Beatles, ultimately knocking “All You Need Is Love” out of the Number One spot. By August, the mysterious tale of Billie Joe McAllister jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge was ubiquitous, the inescapable sound of the darkening days of the so-called “Summer of Love”. When the song exploded up the charts in July, Capitol decided to record the rest of what would become Gentry’s full debut album, and to get it in stores by August 21st. The foundations of most of the songs were on Gentry’s demo tape, with just some “sweetening sessions” scheduled at Capitol. When Capitol ordered 500,000 advance copies, Ode to Billie Joe became the most anticipated record in Capitol’s history, crushing the previous record of 100,000 copies ordered of 1964’s Meet the Beatles. The single was a number-one hit in the US and a big international seller.