Color Him Father

"Color Him Father" has been notably covered multiple times by performers of various musical styles. Lorene Mann released "Color Him Father" on her 1969 RCA album A Mann Called Lorene. O C Smith released it on his 1969 Columbia album O.C. Smith at Home. Bobby Womack recorded the song for his 1994 album Resurrection. Keb' Mo' included it on his 2001 album Big Wide Grin.

"Color Him Father"
Single by Linda Martell
from the album Color Me Country
B-side	"I Almost Called Your Name"
Released	July 1969 (1969-07)
Studio	Singleton Sound Studios
Genre	Country country pop[10]
Length	2:20
Label	Plantation
Songwriter	Richard Lewis Spencer
Producer	Shelby Singleton
Linda Martell singles chronology
"Lonely Hours" (1964) "Color Him Father" (1969) "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (1969)

In late 1969, "Color Him Father" was notably covered for the country market by Linda Martell. Martell was among country music's first black artists and the first black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.^[11][12] In May 1969 she signed with Shelby Singleton's Plantation label in Nashville, Tennessee. It was soon after her signing that Martell made her first recording sessions in summer 1969. The Winstons' version of "Color Him Father" was brought to Martell's attention through Singleton.^[11]

The session was produced entirely by Singleton at "Singleton Sound Studios," located in Nashville. Additional tracks were cut at the same session that would later appear on her 1970 album.^[13] The song was cut twice in the studio. In the first take, Singleton found that Martell did not put enough of her own individuality on the record. "I don’t want to hear the Winstons. I want to hear you," he told her.^[11]

"Color Him Father" was released several days after its recording.^[11] The single of the track was released via the Plantation label in July 1969. It was the debut single of Martell's country music career.^[14] The song spent a total of ten weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at number 22 in September 1969.^[15] The single became Martell's highest-peaking track on the Country Songs chart. Her next single release would be her last to reach the country top 40.^[14] "Color Him Father" was later released on Martell's 1970 studio album, Color Me Country.^[10]

Martell's version of "Color Him Father" has since received positive reviews since its original release. In his review of Color Me Country, Mark Deming of Allmusic praised her "rich, smooth voice" on the track, also commenting that it " fares well in a subtle C&W arrangement fortified with pedal steel."^[10] Oxford American also praised the song. Reviewer Alice Randall explained how the word "color" in the lyric held a special meaning in Martell's interpretation of the song: "Linda Martell effectively directs, not pleads, not suggests, directs us to understand that stepfather's fundamental identity is as father, not his skin color."^[16]

In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked Martell's rendition at #86 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.^[17]

7" vinyl single^[18]

• "Color Him Father" – 2:20
• "I Almost Called Your Name" – 2:06