New Horizons (Connie Smith album)

New Horizons consisted of ten tracks new material recorded by Connie Smith. The album included three cover versions: "The Wayward Wind" originally by Gogi Grant, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb and "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone. Like her previous album for Monument, Pure Connie Smith, New Horizons was recorded with material that had a softer Country pop sound. Under Monument Records, Smith's musical style changed from Pure Country (which she had recorded under RCA Victor and Columbia) to Adult Contemporary and Disco. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic reviewed Smith's 1993 compilation, Greatest Hits on Monument (which included seven tracks from New Horizons) and did not receive her musical sound well, stating, "Smith still sings well throughout it, but it's not a very good showcase for her talents, nor is it very good as crossover pop -- it's too square and middle of the road, making the urban cowboy bubbling up at the time seem risky and edgy." Erlewine did find Smith's cover of "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," "relatively faithful" to the original version.[1] It was issued on a LP album, with five songs on each side of the record.[2]

New Horizons spawned four singles to the Billboard Country Chart between 1977 and 1978. The first single was Smith's cover of "I Just Want to Be Your Everything." Released in September 1977, the song became the album's biggest hit, reaching #14 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart and #23 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, becoming her final Top 20 hit. The second single, "Lovin' You Baby" reached the Billboard Country Top 40 at #34, becoming her final Top 40 single.[3] The third single, "They'll Never Be Another for Me" peaked only at #68 on the Billboard Country Chart. The album itself "stiffed," according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, meaning it did not chart the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[1]

• Chip Young, Ray Edenton, Reggie Young, Grady Martin, John Christopher, Leo Jackson, Phil Baugh, Billy Williams — guitar
• Bob Moore, Tommy Allsup — bass
• Jerry Smith, Shane Keister, Thomas B. Keels — keyboards
• Kenny Malone, Jerry Carrigan — drums
• Lloyd Green — steel guitar
• Sheldon Kurland, Byron T. Bach, George Binkley III, Marvin D. Chantry, Roy Christensen, Carl Gorodetzky, Lennie Haight, Wilfred Lehman, John A. Moore, Steven M. Smith, Gary Vanosdale, Pamela Vanosdale — strings
• Delores Edgin, Hurshel Wiginton, Joseph Babcok, Wenelleyn Suits — background vocals[4]

Singles