OdeTo Billie Joe...Bobbie Gentry

Ode to Billie Joe is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on August 21, 1967, by Capitol Records.

Gentry was officially signed to Capitol Records on June 23, 1967, and staff producer Kelly Gordon was given "Ode to Billie Joe" as his first full length production for the label. Both of Bobbie’s "demo" tracks became the album masters; the purchased recording of "Mississippi Delta" was the version issued, but "Ode to Billie Joe" had a string arrangement by Jimmie Haskell dubbed onto the original recording at Capitol. It was the day after the string session that Capitol’s A&R team decided definitively that "Ode to Billie Joe" would be the A-side.

Record World named the album as one of their Albums of the Week, saying that "Sensation Bobbie Gentry is as good in album form as she is in single form or just plain form on her Ode to Billie Joe album. She's quite a remarkable entertainer."

Reviewing for AllMusic years later, critic Richie Unterberger wrote of the album, "Her vocals are poised and husky throughout the record, on which she was definitely on the right track

     5. Niki Hoeky