“Five Minutes”
Lorrie Morgan
Written by Beth Nielsen Chapman
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
April 14, 1990
A second generation country star scores her first No. 1 hit of the nineties.
The Road to No. 1
As the daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer George Morgan, Lorrie Morgan grew up within the music industry. She made her Opry debut at age thirteen, but it took many years of paying her dues before she made a major impact on the country charts. She released several standalone singles in the late seventies and throughout the eighties, but she was primarily known during this period as a regular performer on Nashville Now and as the youngest Opry member, having been inducted in 1984 just weeks shy of her 25th birthday.
Morgan made one final set of demo tapes in the late eighties, with the resolution that she would give up on her dream if these didn’t secure her a record deal. Luckily, RCA saw her potential and signed her to RCA Records, which was already the home of her husband, Keith Whitley. Her career took off quickly after that, as her debut album, Leave the Light On, produced a top twenty hit in leadoff “Trainwreck of Emotion,” then broke through to the top ten with “Dear Me” and the top five with “Out of Your Shoes.”
The No. 1
As the fourth single, RCA chose “Five Minutes,” a Beth Nielsen Chapman composition which was first recorded by Pam Tillis for Warner Bros., who didn’t release it until Tillis broke through on Arista Records in the early nineties.
“Five Minutes” feels like a Lorrie Morgan prototype in retrospect, as she tries on a more nervy nineties woman approach to singing and starts leaving behind the torch queen stylings that made Leave the Light On sound a bit dated upon its release. It doesn’t have the edge or grit of later kiss-off songs like “Watch Me” and “We Both Walk,” but you can hear her working her way up to that confidence on this track more than any other from her debut album.
The Road From No. 1
Leave the Light On went gold shortly after “Five Minutes” went No. 1, and produced another hit with “He Talks to Me.” Morgan won a CMA Award in 1990 for her posthumously released collaboration with Keith Whitley, “‘Til a Tear Becomes a Rose.” Her next project, Something in Red, would bring her back to the top of the charts, so we’ll be seeing her again soon.
”Five Minutes” gets a B+.
Every No. 1 Single of the Nineties
Another favourite of mine! That first line is the clincher for me! “Good As I Was To You” is my go to Lorrie Song that deserved to go number one though!
Good song, good performance. Easy B+
One of my all time favorites from Lorrie! I remember this one getting a lot of recurrent play in early 1991 at the beginning of my tape recording days when I was little, and I’ve always enjoyed it ever since. The 90’s woman attitude is definitely there, but there’s still a bit of an 80’s feel in the production and arrangement, which for me, is part of its charm.
I also really love “Out Of Your Shoes” and “He Talks To Me” from this album, both of which were getting a lot of airplay in early ’91, as well. Her early music, in general, just really takes me back and brings back some great memories. :) Definitely one of my top favorite female artists from the decade.
Love this song. A-
Good song
I loved “Dear Me” and “Out of Your Shoes.” I was so happy that this song went to the top of the charts.
Some of the wonder of this era was that seemingly every artist I rooted for found chart success. Such a great time to be a country fan.
I 100% agree that “Good as I Was to You” is an absolutely wonderful Morgan performance.
I’d forgotten how much I like this song!