“The More I Learn (The Less I Understand About Love)” by Ronna Reeves

Good evening, Dialophiles!

Tonight, the Dial broadcasts a minor country chart hit from a singer who deserved a much greater presence on our radio airwaves. Let’s all lend our ears to Miss Ronna Reeves as she echoes a sentiment that I believe all of us have said or thought at one point in our lives, “The More I Learn (The Less I Understand About Love)”.

"You think you know him... then you don't. He says he'll be there... but then he won't"

Pulled as the lead single from Ronna’s 1992 “The More I Learn” LP, which features ex-Eagle Bernie Leadon on guitar and country favorite Sammy Kershaw on the duet “There’s Love on the Line”, along with covers of John Anderson (“Honky Tonk Hearts”), and the modern country standard “I’ll Be Faithful to You”, originally recorded in ’84 by the legendary Don Williams.

Detailing one woman’s observations surrounding love and relationships, the song simply and succinctly sums up how there are no “set in stone” rules to love, you just have to figure it out as you go, regardless of how confused you may become.

I came to learn of this song in an unusual way. At the time of the release of “The More I Learn”, I was working in Square Circle, a mall record store. Our “new release” display wall was directly opposite the registers, so if you were ringing in customers, you could look over their shoulders and see the latest brand new Aerosmith or Mariah Carey releases on that display on the other side of the store. For a time, Ronna’s album (in convenient cassette and CD formats) was featured on that new release wall. After a week or so of noticing her lovely visage every time I rang in customers, I had to snag the cassette (even though country music was not really my bag), just to see if the voice matched the face.

“It goes back and forth… up and down… got my head spinnin’, all around…”

I found Ronna to possess a vocal quality that is both classic and classy, playful and sweet, and well worth the purchase price. The title track in particular, continues to pop into my head from time to time, as it reminds me of something Dolly Parton or Barbara Mandrell might have sung in their late 70s to early 80s pop crossover heydays, or maybe even Tammy Wynette or Brenda Lee, if we go farther back along the country music timeline. For years, I was convinced that this had to have been a cover tune, but as of yet, I’ve found nothing concrete to support this theory.

Ronna’s classic country sound never really caught on with the country or pop audiences of the ‘90s, which is a darn shame, and undeserved for such a great singer. “The More I Learn” was the closest thing to a hit she recorded, peaking at US #49 on the country singles charts in 1992. She posted four more singles on that chart, but every last one of them ended up landing between positions 70 and 75, and became footnotes in music history. Ronna retired from recording after her fifth album, 1998’s pop/rock leaning “Day 14”.

Interestingly enough, Ronna made a grab for Top 40 acceptance (or at least the adult contemporary audience), when she duetted with former Chicago lead vocalist Peter Cetera in a cover of Abba’s 1975 pop classic “S.O.S.”, taken from Peter’s 1995 LP “One Clear Voice”. I heard this on the radio a few times back then, but it doesn’t appear to have charted anywhere.

“My heart’s been cared for, my heart’s been used… it only makes me more confused…”

I’m really surprised this composition hasn’t been recorded by anybody else since 1992. Even though Ronna’s recording didn’t make waves, who’s to say that Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, or Jennifer Nettles wouldn’t have had a successful version, or maybe even let a pop singer that occasionally skirts country take a crack at it, like Kelly Clarkson, or Sheryl Crow. Perhaps somebody should put a bug in the ear of songwriters Karen Staley and Steven Dean that this classic cut should be shopped around again.

But until that happens, we invite all of our Dialophile friends to enjoy Ronna’s observations on the back-and-forth of love, and to rediscover this bouncy and fun forgotten track.

“Just when I’m sure I’ve gotten wise… that’s when I realize… the more I learn, the less I understand about love.”