Kris Kristofferson was at his commercial peak as a recording artist at
the time that Full Moon, his first duo album with Rita Coolidge, was released
in September 1973. His single "Why Me" had topped the country
charts two months earlier, and his album Jesus Was a Capricorn was about
to do the same thing. And, only weeks before Full Moon's release, the
couple had gotten married. All of that made for a terrific send-off for
the record, which benefited the careers of both participants. Not surprisingly,
it was an album of love songs. Despite Kristofferson's greater celebrity,
the LP was made with Coolidge's strengths in mind. David Anderle, its
producer, was her producer, and it was released on her record label, A&M.
The songs were set in her key, with Kristofferson crooning along in an
unusually high register. The tempos were mostly slow, emphasizing the
dreamy quality of Coolidge's voice. And the songs were mostly covers,
though there were two joint compositions by the couple, one old Kristofferson
song ("From the Bottle to the Bottom," a Top 20 country hit
for Billy Walker in 1969), and one new Kristofferson tune, the Caribbean-flavored
"A Song I'd Like to Sing," which was released as the first single
and became a Top 40 pop hit while also reaching the country and easy listening
charts. With that, the album became a number one country hit. "From
the Bottle to the Bottom" won the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Country
Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The album's second single, a cover
of Tom Jans' "Loving Arms," also made the pop, country, and
easy listening charts, and because it was released in the 1974 eligibility
period for the Grammy Awards, it earned the couple a second nomination
in the same category the following year.
(by William Ruhlmann, All
Music Guide)
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