Kenny Rogers has been all over the place lately, promoting his new disc You Can’t Make Old Friends, which will be released on Warner Brothers on October 8. During his Hall of Fame career, Rogers has released many songs that have earned “classic” distinction, such as “Lucille,” “Lady,” and “The Gambler.” However, that’s only half the story. Having been making solo records since 1976’s Love Lifted Me, he’s also released many songs that the average listener might not have heard of. As we celebrate the release of Kenny’s new music – let’s look back at ten hidden gems that you need to know about.....
“Buried Treasures” - from Love Or Something Like It (1978)
---If you want to label Kenny Rogers as a singer of sweet love songs, well, he’ll proudly admit to it. But – especially early on – there was a dark side in his Larry Butler-produced records. “Laura,” his firat major Country hit for United Artists, ended with him taking the life of a cheating lover, and this song was very much in that vein. One of the best cuts never to be released as a single.
“Mamma’s Waiting” - from Love Or Something Like It (1978)
----Originally recorded during his First Edition days, this song is one of the greatest productions of his career. Steeped in simplicity, the story of a man who goes home one last time before execution – if only in his dreams – is chilling, haunting, and tragic. I would love to hear a re-recording of this one. Anybody who argues about Rogers’ Country cred, I will gladly play them this one.
”King Of Oak Street” - from The Gambler (1978)
---- A gripping ballad about a man who has strayed away from the love of his life – and the olive branch she extends to him at the song’s end. Ironically, this was also recorded by Rogers during his First Edition days.
“Making Music For Money” - from The Gambler (1978)
--- As evidenced by this list, 1978 was a great year for Kenny Rogers. Writers were giving him the best of their material, and Alex Harvey was no different. The writer of many of Rogers’ greatest story songs – including this one and the one before it, this uptempo number about appreciating music for the sake of the art was a definite highlight of what critics hailed as one of his best albums,
“Goin’ Back To Alabama” from Share Your Love (1981)
---Produced and written by frequent collaborator Lionel Richie, this soaring ballad gave Rogers a chance to hit some of his strongest notes as a vocalist. The lyrics – about picking yourself up when things have fallen the wrong way – are ones that anyone can idenitfy with, and the track was made special by an uncredited vocal appearance by Michael Jackson.
“The Stranger” from What About Me? (1984)
---Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton have recorded together several times, but the collwaborated their talents in a different way in 1984 with this story song about a man who returns home to see the family he deserted – a few years too late.
“I Can’t Believe Your Eyes” from The Heart Of The Matter (1985)
--- Rogers teamed up with George Martin in the mid 1980s for his third RCA album, and it proved to be one of his most musically varied. With songs ranging from the uber-traditional “Tomb Of The Unknown Love” to the rock “I Don’t Want Have To Worry,” there was a little something for everyone – including this reggae-influenced gem.
“We Fell In Love Anyway” from I Prefer The Moonlight (1987)
---Rogers’ fifth and final RCA album proved to be one of his most underrated projects. Although it was overshadowed by some of the neo-traditional sounds on the radio by acts like Randy Travis and George Strait, he did hit with the title cut, as well as “The Factory.” That being said, the treasure of this album was a beautiful love song that was understated yet lovely. Juice Newton added some soaring harmonies on this one.
“If I Were A Painting” from Love Is Strange (1990)
---Though his commercial numbers had stalled somewhat by the early 1990s, this track proved that he could still wring the emotion out of a ballad. In this case, the lyrics belonged to Don Sampson and Skip Ewing – who was then one of the hottest writers in town. He knocked this performance – about a man whose broken relationship has in effect, broken him – was one of his most tender.
“The Last Ten Years (Superman)” from Water And Bridges (2006)
---Technically a single, the sad part of the story is that few are probably familiar with this one. An excellent lyric about the ironies of the passage of time, it should have been heard by a lot more people than it was. Check it out on YouTube!
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