“I Won’t Mention it Again”
Ray Price
Written by Cam Mullins and Cameron Jean Yates
Billboard
#1 (3 weeks)
May 15 – May 29, 1971
There have been some great “let’s do it again” hits over the years, where a song’s groove hits so perfectly that the artist looks to replicate it the next time out.
The most meta of all of them is the Four Tops’ “It’s the Same Old Song,” which gives away that it’s a copy of their previous hit “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” with the chord changes reversed. There have been some great country ones over the years too, like Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man”/”Singing My Song” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Let Me Be There”/”If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” going back to the same well for big success.
This Ray Price hit is so similar to the preceding “For the Good Times” that I picked it up midstream yesterday and thought that’s what I was listening to. “I Won’t Mention it Again” isn’t quite a strong lyrically and it’s hard to have the same emotional impact when you’re hitting familiar beats, but Price sings the fire out of this anyway and it works as a warmed up brunch made from last night’s feast.
“I Won’t Mention it Again” gets a B+.
Every No. 1 Single of the Seventies
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Why do you have a photo of Faron Young at the top of the article ?
Very good performance by Ray. Unfortunately, his next real masterpiece “I’d Rather Be Sorry” stalled out at #2 on Billboard (it went to #1 on both Cash Box and Record World) so you likely won’t be commenting on it)
Yes, I see the how similar it is to “For The Good Times” but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Every story has been told before on some level I supposed. In this case it’s done very well. I would give this an “A-“.
Bonus Beats:
Here’s the version of “I Won’t Mention It Again” that Reba McEntire recorded for her 1995 covers LP Starting Over:
https://youtu.be/XGdZ9HKYSh8
And Here’s a version by Ruby Winters, a soul singer who had some success in the UK:
https://youtu.be/JebpT9lv7DA
Close the door, light the candles, toss the overstuffed pillows on the floor, and cover me up in the warmth and coziness of Ray Price crooning.
Price consciously and intentionally leaned into embracing a second act as a better and stronger vocalist.
Why wouldn’t you stay in this lane when you sound this beautiful!
I had no idea this hit came on the heels of “For the Good Times.”
Ray Price was such an amazing singer that he covers any lyrical shortcomings I Won’t Mention It Again has compared to For the Good Times. The raw emotion is evident. I also like Reba’s cover of this song that Sam linked above. I agree with Paul that I’d Rather Be Sorry is perhaps Ray’s best song in the countrypolitan vein besides For the Good Times.
As I mentioned on “For The Good Times,” I absolutely love this kind of classy, crooner country featuring lush strings. Price’s vocals are so charismatic, and the arrangement is once again so beautifully done that it doesn’t matter to me at all if it pretty much follows the same formula as his previous hit. It’s just simply a pure delight from start to finish.
Songs like this make me picture a lovely evening stroll with a nice crescent moon out, or enjoying the view from a balcony or rooftop in the city at night.