Tainted Love (album)

Tainted Love was recorded at Woodland Studios, located in East Nashville, Tennessee. The album was produced by Jimmy Capps, who was also credited with playing electric guitar on its sessions. Capps co-produced the record with Ed Cobb and Ray Harris. Cobb was the original writer and producer of the title track, originally recorded in the 1960s by Gloria Jones. Tainted Love consisted of nine tracks.[1] The album's tenth track, "Silver Tongue and Gold Plated Lies", was later recorded and released as a single by K.T. Oslin in 1996. The song appeared on Oslin's 1996 album My Roots Are Showing....[2] Additionally, Howard's version of the song featured Bobby Osborne and Sonny Osborne, members of the bluegrass group The Osborne Brothers.[3]

The second track, "Give My Old Memory a Call", was co-written by country artist Ed Bruce. "My Friend" (the album's fourth track) was co-written by Howard herself. The song was Howard's last self-penned song to appear on one of her studio releases.[3]

Tainted Love was officially released in 1983 on AVI Records.[4] The album was issued in a vinyl record format, with five songs on the first side and four songs on the second side of the album.[3] The album spawned two singles. The title track was the first to be issued, in 1983. Its second single was "Silver Tongue and Gold Plated Lies", in 1984. Both singles did not chart on any Billboard surveys. The album also did not reach any peak positions on the same chart following its release.[5]

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Tainted Love.[1]

Musical personnel

• Norah Lee Allen – background vocals
• Joe Edwards – fiddle
• Jimmy Capps – electric guitar
• Ralph Davis – rhythm guitar
• Carol Lee Davis – background vocals
• Herman Harper – background vocals
• Jan Howard – lead vocals, background vocals
• Carol Lee Singers – background vocals
• Billy Linneman – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Dennis McCall – background vocals
• Weldon Myrick –steel guitar
• Bobby Osborne – background vocals (track 9)
• Sonny Osborne – background vocals (track 9)
• Leon Rhodes – electric bass
• Jerry Whitehurst – piano
• Jimmie Wilson – electric guitar

Technical personnel

• Andy Benefield – engineering
• Jimmy Capps – producer
• Ed Cobb – executive producer
• Ron Corlew – engineering
• Bob Harman – cover (portrait)
• Ray Harris – executive producer
• Bev Lacy – design cover