Anderson experienced several changes in his recording career. His longtime duet partner, Jan Howard, left his record label and road show. According to Howard, it was difficult to keep up with the busy touring schedule. She was replaced by Mary Lou Turner. In 1976, the Turner-Anderson pairing had a number one hit with the song, "Sometimes". Anderson's longtime label was renamed to MCA Records during the same time frame. Changes at the label continued when his longtime producer (Owen Bradley) was replaced by Buddy Killen. Anderson's first assignment with Killen was the 1977 studio release, Scorpio. With Killen, Anderson's musical sound shifted from Nashville Sound ballads towards uptempo Countrypolitan tunes. The new sound was reflected in his latest albums and singles. In 1977, Anderson had two major hits with the uptempo "Head to Toe" and "Still the One". The following year, Anderson had a major hit with the disco-flavored "I Can't Wait Any Longer". The song peaked at number four on the Billboard country singles chart and reached number 80 on the Hot 100. Its corresponding studio effort, Love...& Other Sad Stories, reached number 37 on the Billboard country albums list. Although successful at first, Anderson's late-1970s music received negative criticism from many writers. Author Kurt Wolff criticized his new image, commenting that his music "flirted dangerously with disco beats". Eugene Chadbourne of Allmusic only gave his Love...& Other Sad Stories album 1.5 out of 5 stars. "This is an album that begins with what sounds like a pervert and ends with an effect described as frightening. Too bad most of it is so boring to listen to", Chadbourne concluded. Anderson's sales success began to decline following the release of "I Can't Wait Any Longer". His follow-up album, Ladies Choice (1979), only reached number 44 on the country albums chart. The album's only major hit was the top 20 single "This Is a Love Song". After the release of his final MCA album in 1980, he was dropped from the label. In the mid 1980s, Anderson shifted his professional interests. He began a brief television career in California. However, he continued recording music sporadically during the decade. On the independent Southern Tracks label, he released Southern Fried in 1983. The album was co-produced by Anderson and musician Mike Johnson. The album also spawned four singles that became minor hits on the country songs chart, including the title track. In 1986,