Only When I Laugh (Brenda Lee album)
Only When I Laugh is a studio album by Brenda Lee, released in November 1981 on MCA Records. It is her thirtieth studio album and includes ten tracks, with the title song as the lead single and as part of the 1981 film of the same name. The album was produced by Ron Chancey.
Brenda Lee was a top pop star in the 1960s with hits like “I’m Sorry” and “I Want to Be Wanted.” In the 1970s she moved toward country music, scoring top ten hits such as “Nobody Wins” and “Sunday Sunrise,” then briefly recorded for Elektra before returning to MCA, where she had renewed success in the early 1980s. The title track, “Only When I Laugh,” was a key single for this album.
The ten tracks include “A Good Love Don’t Come Easy,” a song by a Kentucky Fried Chicken songwriting contest winner, and “Shine On,” which George Jones would later turn into a top ten country hit. Lee later said she regretted not releasing “Shine On” as a single.
Only When I Laugh was released on vinyl and cassette and received positive reviews. Billboard called it a well-crafted package that showcased Lee’s rich, bluesy vocals, and Cash Box praised her enduring vocal charm. Two singles were released: “Only When I Laugh” (October 1981), which reached #32 on the US Hot Country Songs chart, and “From Levis to Calvin Klein Jeans” (January 1982), which peaked at #33 in the US and Canada. All credits are taken from the album liner notes.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:22 (CET).