Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe – Capitol/Pure Pleasure Records 180-gram audiophile vinyl PPAN-ST-2830 *****:
(Bobbie Gentry – acoustic guitar, vocals; Jimmie Haskell – arrangements)
Bobbie Gentry took popular music by storm. There had been occasional crossover successes by country singers (Patsy Cline, Patti Page), but nothing that permeated the cultural fabric. Defined by a poor childhood in Mississippi, her grandmother would trade a cow for a piano, and the tale would unfold. Gentry would teach herself to play guitar, bass, banjo and vibes. Additionally, she possessed a unique voice that was evocative and sultry. As a teenager, her family moved to Northern California, but Gentry remained fiercely connected to her Delta roots. She would remain in California, attending UCLA and The Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, before ascending to a career in music.
A career began modestly with a couple of duet recordings with rockabilly singer Jody Reynolds. She would perform in clubs around Las Vegas (even appearing in a revue), working on her singing and composition.
In 1967, Capitol Records signed Gentry, eventually releasing the single, “Ode To Billie Joe”, and later the album of the same title. The song, an incredible complex narrative about life’s struggles in Mississippi, exploded onto the popular culture. Framed by husky expressive vocals, the album would replace the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the top of the American charts, producing Grammys and instant celebrity. The mysteries of the title cut’s storyline, which detail a suicide, strange happenings on the Tallahatchie Bridge, and stoical complexities of family life, fueled the hoopla. The arrangement pitted string instruments against the emotional sexy vocals with simple guitar parts. With three nimble seventh chords and colloquial language, “Ode To Billie Joe” became iconic.
The album consisted of ten tracks, including nine original compositions. “Mississippi Delta” was an infectious swamp rocker (reminiscent of Tony Joe White), with psychedelic coloration and a beguiling rhythm and blues intonation. A jazzy “Poppa Won’t You Let Me Go To Town?” employs a breezy waltz time, harmonica and horn accompaniment, all entwined with the raspy lithe singing. “Hurry Tuesday Child” invokes the introspective balladry of Moon River. The material works best in the context of everyday Southern milieu, as rendered on “Chickasaw County Child” (including western-flavored fiddle and voice percussion), and the humorous “Bugs” (detailing the comprehensive insect population of the Delta with rhythmic precision). At times, the arrangements are repetitive, but are never superfluous to the inherent artistry of this performer. Gentry defined the music with talent and vision, not vice versa.
Unfortunately, the success of Ode To Billie Joe would not be repeated. Despite eleven charted singles, duets with Glen Campbell and movie star beauty, stardom would be elusive. In the present musical environment, Bobbie Gentry would be considered the epitome of a modern female singer/songwriter. Little did she know that she was the template.
TrackList: Mississippi Delta; I Saw An Angel Die; Chickasaw County Child; Sunday Best; Nicki Hoeky; Papa Woncha Let Me Go To Town?; Bugs; Hurry Tuesday Child; Lazy Willie; Ode To Billie Joe.
— Robbie Gerson
