A Sweeter Love (I'll Never Know)

Brenda Lee went from being one of the top-selling pop music artists of the 1960s to a top-selling country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s. She had continued chart success in the country genre into the 1980s,^[2] which included "A Sweeter Love (I'll Never Know)".^[3] According to Lee, she had become increasingly disappointed by the lack of success with previous singles and decided to switch producers. She was given permission by MCA label-head, Jim Foglesong, to work with Jerry Crutchfield in 1983. The second Crutchfield production was "A Sweeter Love".^[4] The song told the story a romance that was destined to never materialize and was penned by Crutcfield himself.^[5]

"A Sweeter Love (I'll Never Know)" was released by MCA Records in July 1984 as a seven-inch vinyl record with the B-side, "A Woman's Mind".^[6] The song was reviewed positively by Billboard magazine who placed it among its "Top Single Picks" in July 1984, finding that Lee performed it in "a bittersweet, contemplative tone".^[5] Cash Box named it one of its "Feature Picks" the same month.^[1] It debuted on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on August 11, 1984 and spent 16 weeks there, peaking at the number 22 position on October 6. It would be one of Lee's final country top 40 entries in her career.^[7]

7" vinyl single^[6]

• "A Sweeter Love (I'll Never Know)" – 2:52
• "A Woman's Mind" – 3:19