Diamonds and Chills - Misplaced Pages

Diamonds and Chills is a studio album by American country music artist Margo Smith. It was released in September 1980 via Warner Bros. Records and was produced by David Barnes. It was Smith's eighth studio album released in her music career and her last to be released on the Warner Bros. label. The project spawned two singles, which charted on the country singles survey in 1980: "My Guy" and the title track. Diamonds and Chills was reviewed favorably by critics.

Background and content

After several major hits in the 1970s, Margo Smith transitioned towards a "sexier" marketing persona, according to writer Sandra Brennan. In 1979, she had two major hits, including the top ten song "Still a Woman" which helped signify this transition. Smith attempted to carry her new image into 1980 with the recording of a new studio record, Diamonds and Chills. The album was recorded at the Woodland Sound Studios, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions were held in March 1980 and was produced by David Barnes. Diamonds and Chills contained ten tracks. Unlike previous records, the project did not include any songs composed by Smith herself. The album featured a cover of Mary Wells' "My Guy," Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts," Parker McGee's "I Just Can't Say No to You" and Chris Thompson's "If You Remember Me".

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Billboard	Favorable

Diamonds and Chills was released in September 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. It marked the eighth studio recording of Smith's music career and her sixth for the Warner label. The album was originally distributed as a vinyl LP containing five tracks on either side of the record. The album was also offered as a cassette with an identical track listing. Diamonds and Chills received a positive response from Billboard magazine, who named the record among its "top album picks" in September 1980. Reviewers praised the album's balance of country and pop musical styles. They also praised the album as a whole: "Smith shifts from her former traditional country inflections into a lighter sultry updated style that is comfortably engaging." In later years, the record received three out of five stars from AllMusic.

The album also spawned two singles that were released in 1980. The album's cover of "My Guy" was released as the project's first single in June 1980. The song reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart later that year. The album's title track ("You Give Me Diamonds, He Gives Me Chills") was issued as the record's second single in September 1980. The song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard country chart.

Track listing

Vinyl and cassette versions

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"He Gives Me Diamonds, You Give Me Chills"	Don Goodman Mary Ann Kennedy	2:54
2.	"Every Little Bit Hurts"	Ed Cobb	3:00
3.	"As Far as My Heart Can See"	Larry Keith Johnny Slate	2:20
4.	"Let Me Be Her Tonight"	Goodman Kennedy Pam Rose	2:55
5.	"Any Way That You Want Me"	Chip Taylor	3:11

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"My Guy"	William Robinson	2:48
2.	"If You Remember Me"	Marvin Hamlisch Carole Bayer Sager	2:57
3.	"Ain't No Need to Rush the Feeling"	Eric Saxon	3:28
4.	"I Just Can't Say No to You"	Steve Gibson Parker McGee	3:02
5.	"Love Me Goodbye"	Goodman Kennedy Rose	3:30

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Diamonds and Chills.

Musical personnel

Lea Jane Berinati – Background vocals
Steve Brantley – Background vocals
Tom Brannon – Background vocals
Jerry Carrigan – Drums
Mark Casstevens – Acoustic guitar
Johnny Christopher – Acoustic guitar
Jackie Cusic – Background vocals
Bruce Dees – Background vocals
Shane Keister – Keyboards
John Komrada – Flugelhorn
Sheri Kramer – Background vocals
The Shelly Kurland Strings – String section
Barry McDonald – Flugelhorn
Donna Sheridan Levine – Background vocals
Lisa Silver – Background vocals
Margo Smith – Lead vocals
Diane Tidwell – Background vocals
Paul Uhrig – Bass
Reggie Young – Electric guitar

Technical personnel

David Barnes – Producer
Bobbe Joy – Makeup
Danny M. Hilley – Engineer
Rick McCollister – Mastering
Patty Michels – Fashion stylist
Farrell Morris – Percussion
Tim Ritchie – Art direction, design
Mitsu Sato of Platoon – Hair stylist
Hank Williams – Mastering
Dick Zimmerman – Photography

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	September 1980	Vinyl cassette	Warner Bros. Records

References

^ "Diamonds and Chills: Margo Smith". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
Brennan, Sandra. "Margo Smith: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
^ "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 37. September 13, 1980. p. 68. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
^ Smith, Margo (September 1980). "Diamonds and Chills (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Warner Bros. Records. BSK 3464.
^ Smith, Margo (September 1980). "Diamonds and Chills (Cassette Liner Notes and Album Information)". Warner Bros. Records. MP 3464.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
Smith, Margo (June 1980). ""My Guy" / "If You Remember Me" (7" vinyl single sleeve insert)". Warner Bros. Records. WBS49250.
Smith, Margo (September 1980). ""He Gives Me Diamonds, You Give Me Chills" / "Every Little Bit Hurts" (7" vinyl single sleeve insert)". Warner Bros. Records. WBS49569.

v t e Margo Smith
Discography
Studio albums	I'm a Lady (1971) Margo Smith (1975) Song Bird (1976) Happiness (1977) Don't Break the Heart That Loves You (1978) A Woman (1979) Just Margo (1979) Diamonds and Chills (1980) Ridin' High (1981) The Best of the Tennessee Yodeler (1985) Margo Smith (1986) The Best Yet (1987) Just the Beginning (1991) Wishes (1992) Nothing to Lose (2005)
Songs	"There I Said It" "Save Your Kisses for Me" "Take My Breath Away" "Love's Explosion" "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" "It Only Hurts for a Little While" "Little Things Mean a Lot" "Still a Woman" "If I Give My Heart to You" "The Shuffle Song" "My Guy" "My Heart Cries for You" "Wedding Bells"
See also	Rex Allen, Jr. Norro Wilson

Categories: