Composed by Eddie Miller and W.S. Stevenson, “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray“ was released as a Patsy Cline single on August 12, 1957 by Decca Records. Released on the heels of Cline's first hit “Walkin' After Midnight,“ the song received positive reviews from critics and journalists. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine spoke of the song in his review of Cline's compilation, Country Great: “There may not be any huge hits that jump out at the casual listener, but discerning fans will realize that 'Three Cigarettes (In an Ashtray)' is essential listening.“ In 2000, Erlewine named the song again as an “album pick“ when reviewing another compilation of Cline's early Four Star material. In 1987, “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray“ was notably covered by Canadian singer k.d. lang for her studio album, Angel with a Lariat. Mark Deming of AllMusic described lang's version as a “weepy closer“ to her album.
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