Despite performing regularly with her mother in the mid-60s, Gentry’s sole ambition originally was to write songs to sell to other artists, telling the Washington Post that she only sang on the recording of "Ode to Billie Joe" that she took to Capitol because it was cheaper than hiring someone to sing it.

Gentry also brought "Mississippi Delta" to Capitol on the same demo tape and it was this recording, rather than "Ode to Billie Joe", that initially got her signed.

Gentry was officially signed to Capitol Records on June 23, 1967, and staff producer Kelly Gordon was given "Ode to Billie Joe" as his first full length production for the label.

It was the day after the string session that Capitol’s A&R team decided definitively that "Ode to Billie Joe" would be the A-side.

Following the single's success, the rest of the album was quickly assembled from a selection of demos Gentry had already recorded guitar and vocal tracks for, with overdubs being completed in a matter of days at Capitol.

The result was a unique combination of blues, folk and jazz elements, that furthered Gentry’s recollections of her home, and felt more like a concept album than a hastily assembled collection of songs.

"Lazy Willie", "Bugs", and "Chickasaw County Child" were recorded on May 24, and would be overdubbed at Capitol Studios on July 27.

Following the success of "Ode to Billie Joe", Gentry recorded acoustic demos of "I Saw an Angel Die", "Papa, Won't You Let Me Go to Town with You", "Sunday Best", "Hurry, Tuesday Child", and "Niki Hoeky" on July 26.

And Miss Gentry's uptempo jazz waltz, "Papa, Won't You Take Me to Town with You", could step out as a single.

"[11] Reviewing for AllMusic, critic Richie Unterberger wrote of the album, "Her vocals are poised and husky throughout the record, on which she was definitely on the right track — one that she was quickly diverted from, into more MOR-oriented sounds.