Be Your Own Best Friend was Ray Stevens' sixteenth studio album as well as his fourth and final for Warner Bros. Records, released in 1978. The third track, "You've Got the Music Inside," is a re-recording of a track that was from Stevens' 1973 album Nashville.
All of the selections were published by Ray Stevens Music-BMI, with the exception of "You've Got the Music Inside," which was published by Ahab Music Company, Inc.-BMI.
The title track is the album's sole single.
Track listing[edit][]
| Side One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |||||||
| 1. | "L'Amour" | Ray Stevens, Gilbert Becaud | 3:38 | |||||||
| 2. | "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right" | Ray Stevens | 4:21 | |||||||
| 3. | "You've Got the Music Inside" | Ray Stevens | 4:13 | |||||||
| 4. | "Hidin' Place" | Ray Stevens | 2:58 | |||||||
| Side Two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |||||||
| 1. | "Be Your Own Best Friend" | Ray Stevens | 2:52 | |||||||
| 2. | "The Feeling's Not Right Again" | Ray Stevens, Chuck Martin | 3:31 | |||||||
| 3. | "Comeback" | Ray Stevens | 4:06 | |||||||
| 4. | "You're Magic" | Layng Martine, Jr. | 2:21 | |||||||
| 5. | "With a Smile" | Ray Stevens | 3:12 | |||||||
Personnel[edit][]
- Keyboards & Synthesizer: Ray Stevens
- Drums: Jerry Kroon
- Bass: Jack Williams
- Electric Guitars: Chet Atkins, Steve Gibson
- Acoustic Guitar: Mark Casstevens
- Background Vocals: Lisa Silver, Sheri Kramer, Diane Tidwell
- Percussion: Ray Stevens
- Strings: Shelly Kurland Strings
- Horns: Ray Stevens, Denis Solee
- Recording Engineer: Stuart Keathley
- Mixing: Charlie Tallent, Ray Stevens
- Arranged and Produced by: Ray Stevens
- Recorded at Ray Stevens' Studio - Nashville
- Photography: Ed Thrasher
- Design: Brad Kanawyer
- Chet Atkins courtesy of RCA Records
Charts[edit][]
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Be Your Own Best Friend" | Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 16 |
| 1978 | "Be Your Own Best Friend" | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 36 |
| 1978 | "Be Your Own Best Friend" | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 50 |