Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Track List: 4-6
4. Sunday Best (0:00)
5. Niki Hoeky (2:46)
6. Papa Wont You Let Me Go to Town with You (5:35)
Part 1. youtu.be/fdCuiE_mHhQ
Part 2. youtu.be/mRW-swH0m1c
Part 3. youtu.be/jZVEBdyPLRA
Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkWvh9BoHZBpCRxmxshuvp2lUh8Otlz-Y
'Ode to Billie Joe' Allmusic Review by Richie Unterberger:
Gentry's debut LP, which went to number one on the pop charts, was a promising but not wholly satisfying disc, with the singer penning all but one of the songs. Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the "Ode to Billie Joe" riff. On the other hand, "Mississippi Delta" is gloriously tough, throaty swamp rock; few other women pop singers have sounded as raw. Other good cuts were "I Saw an Angel Die," an effective mating of Gentry's country-blues guitar riffs and low-key orchestration, and the jazz waltz-timed "Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You." Her vocals are poised and husky throughout the record, on which she was definitely on the right track -- one that she was quickly diverted from, into more MOR-oriented sounds.
Personnel:
Bobbie Gentry – vocals, acoustic guitar
Kelly Gordon – producer
Jimmie Haskell – arranger, conductor
George Fields – harmonica & harp
Harold Diner, Barrett O’hara – trombone
Jack Sheldon – trumpet
James Burton, Mike Deasy – guitar
Norman Serkin, Joseph Saxon, Jesse Ehrlich – cello & bass
Carl Nashan. Ralph Schaeffer, William Kurasch – violin
Dale Anderson – percussion
Earl Palmer – drums
Joe Polito – engineer
Ed Simpson – cover photo
Track List: 4-6
4. Sunday Best (0:00)
5. Niki Hoeky (2:46)
6. Papa Wont You Let Me Go to Town with You (5:35)
Part 1. youtu.be/fdCuiE_mHhQ
Part 2. youtu.be/mRW-swH0m1c
Part 3. youtu.be/jZVEBdyPLRA
Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkWvh9BoHZBpCRxmxshuvp2lUh8Otlz-Y
'Ode to Billie Joe' Allmusic Review by Richie Unterberger:
Gentry's debut LP, which went to number one on the pop charts, was a promising but not wholly satisfying disc, with the singer penning all but one of the songs. Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the "Ode to Billie Joe" riff. On the other hand, "Mississippi Delta" is gloriously tough, throaty swamp rock; few other women pop singers have sounded as raw. Other good cuts were "I Saw an Angel Die," an effective mating of Gentry's country-blues guitar riffs and low-key orchestration, and the jazz waltz-timed "Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You." Her vocals are poised and husky throughout the record, on which she was definitely on the right track -- one that she was quickly diverted from, into more MOR-oriented sounds.
Personnel:
Bobbie Gentry – vocals, acoustic guitar
Kelly Gordon – producer
Jimmie Haskell – arranger, conductor
George Fields – harmonica & harp
Harold Diner, Barrett O’hara – trombone
Jack Sheldon – trumpet
James Burton, Mike Deasy – guitar
Norman Serkin, Joseph Saxon, Jesse Ehrlich – cello & bass
Carl Nashan. Ralph Schaeffer, William Kurasch – violin
Dale Anderson – percussion
Earl Palmer – drums
Joe Polito – engineer
Ed Simpson – cover photo
