"Tell Me a Lie" is a song composed by Mickey Buckins and Barbara Wyrick. Originally recorded by

Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit in the United States and internationally. She charte ...

for her 1974 ''

What a Man My Man Is "What a Man My Man Is" is the name of a No. 1 U.S. country music hit by Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, " ...

'' album, it was released later that same year as a single by Sami Jo Cole, who took it to number 21 on both of the major U.S. pop charts. It also charted in Canada (#17). Cole's version was also an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number 14 in the U.S. and number 27 in Canada. Janie Fricke covered the song in 1983 and topped the U.S. country singles charts with it.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Later versions

In 1981,

Bettye LaVette Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, January 29, 1946) is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, when her album ''I've Got My Own Hell to Raise'' was released to ...

recorded an R&B version of the song on

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

. It was released as the title track of her album the following year.

Janie Fricke cover

In 1983, Janie Fricke picked up the song "Tell Me a Lie" as to be released as her next single in 1983. Originally included on Fricke's 1982 album '' It Ain't Easy'', it was released in September 1983 as the first single from her album ''Love Lies''. During this time, Fricke racked up a good number of hits, like "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" and "I Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry". Shortly thereafter, Fricke's record producer at the time

Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gle ...

, had suggested that Fricke would record the song. Listening to Sherrill, Fricke recorded the song in 1983. By this time though, Fricke had produced a number 1 hit in 1983 called "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy". Fricke soon released "Tell Me a Lie" as a single on the country charts that year. By 1983, "Tell Me a Lie" was Janie Fricke's fourth number one hit on the Country charts. The song and its album that it was featured on titled ''It Ain't Easy'' became very successful and became one of Fricke's signature songs. Since the song's release, it has been included in numerous multi-artist compilation albums. Despite the song's pop production, as well as its success on the country charts, it did not reach the pop singles chart. In 2004, Fricke released a bluegrass album, entitled ''The Bluegrass Sessions'', which featured remakes of Fricke's biggest hits. The album featured "Tell Me a Lie".

Chart performance

External links

Sami Jo Cole Website

References

{{Janie Fricke singles 1983 singles 1974 songs Lynn Anderson songs Janie Fricke songs Songs written by Barbara Wyrick Song recordings produced by Bob Montgomery (songwriter) Columbia Records singles