Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind

Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind was recorded in six separate recording sessions within the span of two years. The first had taken place September 18, 1964 and the final session was finished on May 10, 1966. All sessions were recorded at the Columbia Recording Studio, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Renowned country music producer, Owen Bradley, produced the album and would produce all of Howard's studio albums with Decca in the years to come.[2] The album's personnel was made up of Nashville's A-Team of musicians, which included Harold Bradley, Floyd Cramer, and Grady Martin.[2] The album consisted of twelve tracks, five of which were composed by Jan Howard's husband and Nashville songwriter, Harlan Howard. His compositions included, "Evil on Your Mind", "What Makes a Man Wander", and "You Don't Find a Good Man Everyday". Also featured on the album was Gale Garnett's "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" and Dolly Parton's "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", a top-ten hit for Bill Phillips earlier in 1966.[1]

Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind was officially released in June 1966 on Decca Records. That year, the record peaked at number ten on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart, becoming her very first album to peak within any Billboard record chart.[3]

Overall, the album would spawn four singles, three of which were released before the album itself was issued in 1966. The lead single, "What Makes a Man Wander" was released in the Fall of 1964, and reached a peak position of twenty five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1965. The next two singles, "I've Got Feelings Too" and "You Don't Find a Good Man Everyday", did not chart. The final single, "Evil on Your Mind", reached number five on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1966, aiding the release of the album. "Evil on Your Mind" became Howard's highest charting solo single of her career and one of two top ten hits she would endure as a solo artist.[4]

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your Mind.[2]

Musical and technical personnel

• Harold Bradley – guitar
• Owen Bradley – producer
• Floyd Cramer – piano
• Pete Drake – steel guitar
• Ray Edenton – guitar
• Buddy Harman – drums
• Jan Howard – lead vocals
• The Jordanaires – background vocals
• Grady Martin – guitar
• Bob Moore – bass
• Hargus Pig Robbins – piano
• Pete Wade – guitar