While Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty knew they would make country music gold together, their respective teams were initially more reluctant. Standing firm, the duo joined forces in 1971, releasing 10 studio albums together over the next decade. On this day in 1973, Conway & Loretta dropped perhaps their best work overall with Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. Their third collaboration also became their first-ever chart-topping album.

Videos

Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty Reached No. 1 With ‘Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man’

Recorded at Owen Bradley’s studio, Bradley’s Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty released Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man on July 9, 1973.

At this point, the duo had already nabbed a Grammy Award and a pair of No. 1 hits, “After the Fire is Gone” and “Lead Me On.” However, Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man cemented their place in history as one of country music’s finest duos.

Indeed, a July 1973 review from Cashbox magazine declared the record “a super album from possibly the greatest country duo that ever stepped into a pair of matching Tony Lama boots.”

“What makes them great is the quality of their vocals, the insight and depth of feeling they bring to each song (they mean every word they sing), and the diversity of their material,” the review read. Each song is different, and each one stands tall. No ‘sameness.’”

The Chart-Topping Title Track

Not only did Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man ascend to the top of the charts, its title track did the same. Roughly a month after their third album’s release, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty found themselves the Billboard country chart about a month later with “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.”

Written by Becki Bluefield and Jim Owen, the jaunty track tells the story of a relationship persevering through geographic barriers: When he holds me close, it feels almost / Like another hurricane just ripped the coast / If he can’t come to me, I’m a-gonna go to him / That Mississippi River, Lord, I’m gonna swim.

Marking their third No. 1 as a pair, “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” spent a total of 13 weeks on the charts.