Country meets soul in Roberta Sherwood‘s updated version of “A Satisfied Mind” – a home run of a hit, originally, for Starday in the mid-50s during the label’s early years:
“A Satisfied Mind”
Roberta Sherwood (1970)
(streaming audio uploaded Nov. 2022)
“A Satisfied Mind” is the B-side of “That’s Why I Woke Him Up to Say Goodbye” – one of two singles King Records released from Sherwood’s 1970 Starday-King LP, This Good Life.
Produced by Hal Neely, Bergen White & Dexter Shaffer
Often described as a torch singer, Roberta Sherwood recorded a number of albums for Decca in the 1950s and ’60s. These liner notes on the rear jacket for This Good Life tell us a little more —
Roberta Sherwood is a firmly established star and one of the leading attractions in show business. Everything she sings, be it blues or ballad, has a contagious beat and exuberance.
It is actually difficult to describe her charm. She is a warm, friendly person with plenty of “down home” soul … a real pro!
Roberta uses no prima donna tactics, just stands and belts out her songs, and that quality is what wins her audiences. It is her ability to understand that makes it easy for her to get the meaning and tone of the lyrics into her voice. In addition to her success in night clubs, TV and records, Roberta has added another facet to her multiple talents … motion pictures (and with rave reviews too).
Enough said … now hear Roberta Sherwood sing in a manner that supports the fact that she is one of the supreme entertainers of all time!
The title track “This Good Life” was written by Lewie Wickham, while other tracks on the album were written by Paul Simon (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”), Dexter Shaffer (“To Wichita Falls From L.A.”), Jan Crutchfield (“I Let It Slip Away”), Mickey Newbury (“That’s Why I Woke Him Up To Say Goodbye”), Hank Cochran (“She’s Got You”), Harry Nilsson (“Rainmaker”), Don Gibson (“Legend In My Time”), and Merle Haggard (“Today I Started Loving You Again”).
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One Response
! — a pretty fascinating version of a song I’d only known in its “folk-y” Lucinda Williams incarnation. I guess there’s no limit to what you can do with a pop song…