What's Your Mama's Name

What's Your Mama's Name is the second studio album by American country music singer Tanya Tucker. It was released on May 21, 1973, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Billy Sherrill and includes Tucker's first two number one country singles, "What's Your Mama's Name" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down". It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1995 for sales of more than 500,000 copies.

What's Your Mama's Name
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 21, 1973
RecordedJanuary 5 – March 22, 1973
StudioColumbia (Nashville, Tennessee)
GenreCountry
Length29:11
LabelColumbia
ProducerBilly Sherrill
Tanya Tucker chronology
Delta Dawn
(1972)
What's Your Mama's Name
(1973)
Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)
(1974)
Singles from What's Your Mama's Name
  1. "What's Your Mama's Name"
    Released: March 5, 1973
  2. "Blood Red and Goin' Down"
    Released: August 13, 1973

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]

The review published in the June 2, 1973 issue of Cashbox said, "Blood Red and Goin' Down" opens this album's B-side on a powerful note. Hot mouth harp sizzles under Tanya's dramatic delivery and then the LP takes off, rockin' and sockin' through a list of tunes that draw on rock, blues, gospel and always—back to unmistakable country. Billy Sherrill production is the icing on this cake and, of course, the Jordanaires and the Nashville Edition add oomph. Hours and hours of listening pleasure here."[2]

Commercial performance

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The album peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot Country LP's chart.

The album's first single, "What's Your Mama's Name", was released in March 1973[3] and peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single also peaked at No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. The second single, "Blood Red and Goin' Down", was released in August 1973[4] and peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What's Your Mama's Name"
2:55
2."Horseshoe Bend"2:35
3."The Chokin' Kind"Harlan Howard2:35
4."California Cotton Fields"
  • Frazier
  • Montgomery
2:12
5."The Teddy Bear Song"
  • Nick Nixon
  • Don Earl
3:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Blood Red and Goin' Down"Curly Putman3:00
2."Song Man"2:40
3."The Missing Piece of Puzzle"
  • Mark Sherrill
  • Leon Sherrill
2:23
4."Rainy Girl"
2:29
5."Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)"Hillman Hall2:22
6."Teach Me the Words to Your Song"
3:00

Personnel

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  • Tanya Tucker – lead vocals
  • Lou Bradley – engineer
  • The Jordanaires – background vocals
  • Bill McElhiney – string arrangements
  • Cam Mullins – string arrangements
  • The Nashville Edition – background vocals
  • Billy Sherrill – producer

Charts

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Album

Chart (1973) Peak
chart
positions
US Hot Country LP's (Billboard)[5] 4

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions
US
Country

[6]
US
[7]
CAN
Country

[8]
"What's Your Mama's Name" 1973 1 86 1
"Blood Red and Goin' Down" 1 74 1

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ What's Your Mama's Name at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Country LP Reviews" (PDF). American Radio History. Cashbox. June 2, 1973. p. 40. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "Radio Action & Pick Singles" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. March 10, 1973. p. 53. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "C&W Singles Reviews" (PDF). American Radio History. Cashbox. August 18, 1973. p. 43. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "Tanya Tucker Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  6. ^ "Tanya Tucker Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Tanya Tucker Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  8. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "American album certifications – Tanya Tucker – What's Your Mama's Name". Recording Industry Association of America.