Customer Reviews

Best of Sammi Smith

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I read today that Sammi Smith had died. She was 61. I'll never forget the first time I heard "Help Me Make It Through the Night." It was on a jukebox at a bar-b-que restaurant in Fayetteville, Arkansas. What a marvelous sound! What a marvelous voice! I was hooked from that moment. I bought all her records, including "The Toast of '45" and "Today I Started Loving You Again," both of which spawned minor hits. But she never had another hit like "Help Me Make It." She won a grammy for that one and seemed firmly set on the road to fame. But all too soon she was gone from the charts. She resurfaced in 1991, with "Here Comes That Rainbow Again," and she still sounded great. Then there was the "best of" compilation on Sarabande, followed by--silence. The obituary I read on the Internet claims she was part Apache, from Oklahoma. She was always a rebel. A note on one of the albums links her to Willie Nelson and dubs her the "Country Janis"--Joplin, that is. I never got to see her in performance, but I met her once, at another restaurant in Fayetteville, and she autographed my napkin. I think her voice might have been too nakedly sexy for country, and her Brenda Lee beehive and Dusty Springfield panda-eyed makeup probably cost her points with the rock 'n' roll set. But she could sing anything, and she left her permanent stamp on a handful of songs, sixteen of which are collected here. Little did anyone know at the time, but it was also Sammi's swan song. She'll be missed.

You might think that beginning a career by selling two million copies of her first single would bring lasting fame and superstardom, but Sammi Smith remains, to most people, a one-hit wonder. Of course, that's not really true, because she had several hits on the country charts, but even there they did not make enough impact to build her career. Part of the reason may be that she was signed to Mega, a small independent label, but even when she switched to a major label, her success was limited.

This collection contains the best of her Mega recordings, including (of course) Help me make it through the night. A top ten pop hit and number one country hit in America, the song was eventually a hit for reggae singer John Holt in the UK. I doubt if Sammi's version was ever released outside the USA - Mega could hardly cope with the domestic requirements.

Of the other tracks, the biggest country hit (number nine) was Today I started loving you again. Merle Haggard wrote this song - it would have probably been a big hit for him, except that his version was tucked away on a B-side. The song has often been covered, but Merle really likes Sammi's version.

Other great songs here (some hits, some just album tracks) include He's everywhere, Then you walk in, I've got to have you, The toast of '45, The rainbow in Daddy's eyes and Long black veil. Indeed, the whole album is very enjoyable.

Sammi's strength is her heartfelt singing, although she can do more upbeat songs too - this set includes her version of City of New Orleans that was a minor country hit for her. Sammi's version is among the best of many I've heard, although Willie Nelson's is the best of the lot - he has made that song his own,

If Sammi had been on a major label when she recorded Help me make it through the night, things might have been a lot different. As it is, anybody who enjoys heartfelt country music of the seventies should give Sammi a listen.

Sammi Smith hit it big with HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. Sadly, although many recognize the song, they couldn't tell you who sang it. And that is their loss! Sammi Smith's earthy, emotion filled voice rivals Tammy Wynette and the haunting musical presentations here will be with you always. Sammi Smith seldom did "simple songs". As the material here reveals, the songs that she brought to life were complex, powerful and emotion packed. Starting off with the despair of HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT, Smith sings of the inability to let go of love (HE'S EVERYWHERE and THEN YOU WALK IN0, the slow burning desire (I'VE GOT TO HAVE YOU) and even dips Wynette-like with a kid-classic (FOR THE KIDS). When you listen to Smith sing about a lost childhood in RAINBOW IN DADDY'S EYES as well as lost love in THE TOAST OF 45, you will feel each beat of the music in your soul. Her cover of Merle Haggard's TODAY I STARTED LOVING YOU AGAIN was touted as the best re! cording of the song. This could easily be said for her version of LONG BLACK VEIL as well. It's just too bad that Sammi Smith never became a superstar. We would be a lot better off with we had a lot more of her material to mesmerize us. Sammi, as the song says, I MISS YOU THE MOST WHEN YOU'RE RIGHT HERE on my stereo!

I danced with Sammi in Del's Place, Phoenix, Arizona in 1975. While Del's band played the song, she sang "Help Me Make It Through The Night" as we waltzed. It was the most unforgettable song I've ever heard. To this day it's a song I'll forever treasure.

Sammi Smith had one of the most soulful voices in country music. Thankfully her legacy is preserved in this disc covering her 1970s career. A must- have for lovers of fine country singing. Once you've listened once, you'll play it again and again.

Sammi is one of the very few who could put her heart and soul into a song. If you like music that hits you in the heart & soul Then this is a must have.Great great music. (we still love you Sammi) I have been lucky enough to corrispond with Sammi Smith. I just spoke with her the other day. She had just had dinner with Willie Nelson the night before. What a great lady.

This is one of the best CD's ever. Where is Sammie now? I have all her records and until recently a signed letter from Sammie to my little girl (at the time). Sammie, I hope you're not living a mile away from us and we never got to meet you (Bill Haley was).

I have enjoyed this Lady's voice for many years and only wish she would put all her albums on CD. I have two CDs "the Best of" and another"Here comes that Rainbow again"-If any one knows of any other CDs, please add to the list here. Her voice is so much ahead of the young millionaires today, its a shame she can not share it with us once more.

I danced with Sammi in Del's Place, Phoenix, Arizona in 1975. While Del's band played the song, she sang "Help Me Make It Through The Night" as we waltzed. It was the most unforgettable song I've ever heard. To this day it's a song I'll forever treasure.

Among all the country songs my mother played around the house when I was growing up, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Sammi Smith still plays often in the "jukebox in my mind", so to speak. When this song was popular in 1970, my dad was a Navy submariner who went out to sea on patrols 6 months out of the year, leaving my mom to hold down the fort caring for me and my younger sister, keeping house, paying bills, on top of holding down a full-time job herself as a buyer for Sears--not to mention living a continent away from our other relatives on the West Coast! Sure, she held up all these added responsibilities well and with love, creativity, and humor, but you better believe Mom felt alone at nights with just us 2 little grade-school girls for company. So she took up learning to play the guitar and would mangle chords to such classics as "Green Green Grass of Home" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads". But oftentimes, my mom practiced her guitar playing diligently with Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through The Night". Over and over and over. Although it drove my little 8-yr-old mind crazy having to endure my mom's tortured rendition of "Help Me Make It...", in retrospect, this song was how my mom was feeling so it's little wonder she loved this song so much. And now as an older and wiser music lover, this song really ain't that bad!