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Written and first recorded by John Stewart (1987).
Hit version by Rosanne Cash (C&W #1 1988).
From the wiki: “‘Runaway Train’ is a song written by John Stewart and was first released by Stewart on the album Punch the Big Guy. Rosanne Cash released her released in July 1988 as the fourth single from the album King’s Record Shop. It would become her ninth #1 hit on the Country chart as a solo artist.”
First recorded by Billy Joe Royal (1967).
Also recorded by Dobie Gray (US #119 1969), Joe South, writer (1969), The Three Degrees (1970), .
Hit versions by Lynn Anderson (US #3/C&W #1/UK #3 1970), Sandi Shaw (UK #57 1971).
https://youtu.be/scMVzd-wj7c
From the wiki: “‘Rose Garden’ was written by Joe South (‘Down in the Boondocks’) and first recorded by Billy Joe Royal (‘Down in the Boondocks’, ‘Hush‘) in 1967 for the album Billy Joe Royal Featuring Hush.
“Several cover versions were recorded soon thereafter (sometimes titled ‘(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden’), including productions by the writer, Joe South, Dobie Gray and The Three Degrees, before Lynn Anderson took ‘Rose Garden’ to the top of the US Country Singles chart. Anderson had wanted to record the song but her producer (and husband) Glenn Sutton felt it was a ‘man’s song’, in part because of the line ‘I could promise you things like big diamond rings’.
First recorded (as “Crooked Little House”) by Jimmie Rodgers (1960).
Hit version by The Serendipity Singers (US #6/MOR #2 1962).
From the wiki: “‘Don’t Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)’ was written by rockabilly singer-songwriter Ersel Hickey, with the lyrics based on the English nursery rhyme ‘There Was A Crooked Man’, with a Calypso-flavored arrangement. It was first recorded in 1960 by country singer Jimmie Rodgers (‘Honeycomb’, ‘Kisses Sweeter Than Wine’) with no apparent chart impact. (This Rodgers is not to be confused with country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers).
“In 1962, ‘Crooked Little Man’ was covered by The Serendipity Singers as their debut recording, and it charted Top-10 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts that year.”
First recorded (as “Feudin’ Banjos”) by Arthur Smith & Don Reno (1955).
Hit version by Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell (US #2/MOR #1/CAN #2 1973).
From the wiki: “‘Dueling Banjos’ is an instrumental composition by Arthur ‘Guitar Boogie’ Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called ‘Feudin’ Banjos’. The composition’s first wide scale airing was on a 1963 television episode of The Andy Griffith Show called ‘Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee’, in which it is played by visiting musical family The Darlings (played by The Dillards, a Bluegrass group).
“The song was made internationally famous by the 1972 film Deliverance, which also led to a successful lawsuit by the song’s composer, as it was used in the film without his permission. The film version, arranged and recorded by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell, was subsequently issued as a single, peaking at #2 for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.”
Written and first recorded by Kris Kristofferson (US #26/MOR #4/CAN #21 1971).
Other hit versions by Roger Miller (C&W #28 1971), Tompall & the Glaser Brothers (C&W #2 1981).
From the wiki: “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” is a song written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson for his 1971 album The Silver Tongued Devil and I. Released as a promotional single, Kristofferson’s recording did not chart as a country single, but did crossover to the Hot 100 (#28) and Adult Contemporary (#4) charts.
“The song was also released in 1971 by Roger Miller, who included it on his album The Best of Roger Miller and using ‘Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)’ as a promotional single in July 1971, charting in the Country Top-30.
First released by Wynonna (Feb 1996).
Hit version by Eric Clapton (US #5/MOR #1/R&B #54/CAN #1/UK #18/AUS #8/NZ #3 July 1996 |JPN #7).
From the wiki: “’Change the World’ was written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Six months prior to the release of Eric Clapton’s hit version, the song was released by country superstar Wynonna Judd for her album Revelations, released in February 1996. Wynonna, however, did not release her version as a promotional single (‘To Be Loved By You’ was instead released) despite the popularity of Clapton’s subsequent recording when his recording was released to radio in July 1996.
Written and first recorded by Buck Owens (B-side 1964).
Hit version by Ray Charles (US #6/R&B #5/UK #50 1966).
From the wiki: “‘Crying Time’ is a song from 1964 written by Buck Owens. Owens recorded the original version of his song and released it as the B-side to ‘I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail’ in 1964. A cover version of ‘Crying Time’ was then recorded in 1965 by Ray Charles, featuring backing vocals by the Jack Halloran Singers and The Raelettes, and released on his 1966 album Crying Time. His version proved to be a hit strong Top 40 and R&B hit. Charles’ version of ‘Crying Time’ won two Grammy Awards in 1967, in the categories Best R&B Recording and Best R&B Solo Performance.
“Charles and Barbra Streisand together performed the song as a duet on her 1973 album Barbra Streisand … And Other Musical Instruments and on the TV special titled the same.”
First performed by Dick Thomas (1942).
Hit versions by The Merry Macs (US #4 1942), Kay Kyser (US #1 1942), Gene Autry (US #17 1942).
From the wiki: “‘Jingle Jangle Jingle’ (aka ‘I Got Spurs (That Jingle Jangle Jingle)’)was written by Frank Loesser (‘Baby It’s Cold Outside‘, ‘Inch Worm’, ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?‘) and Joseph J. Lilley, and published in 1942. It was first introduced in the motion picture The Forest Rangers, starring Fred MacMurray and Paulette Goddard, and was sung by movie cowboy Dick Thomas (‘Sioux City Sue’, 1945).
“The Merry Macs released the first commercial recording of ‘Jingle Jangle Jingle’ in 1942. First formed to play proms in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Merry Macs were made up of the three McMichael brothers – tenors Judd and Joe, and baritone Ted – and vocalist Mary Lou Cook. The Merry Macs were discovered by organist-bandleader Eddie Dunstedter from radio station WCCO. Other popular 1942 versions of ‘Jingle Jangle Jingle’ were recorded by Kay Kyser with Harry Babbitt, and, most remembered but not most popularly, by movie cowboy Gene Autry before his induction into the US Army.”
Co-written and first recorded by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (1946).
Also recorded by The Maddox Brothers & Rose (1950).
Hit versions by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (C&W #8 1950), Leon McAuliffe (C&W #22 1962 |C&W #22 1971), Patsy Cline (US #97/C&W #7 1963).
From the wiki: “‘Faded Love’ is a Western swing song written by Bob Wills; his father, John Wills; and his brother, Billy Jack Wills. The tune is considered to be an exemplar of the Western swing fiddle component of American fiddle. The song was first recorded as an instrumental in April, 1946 by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys for the Tiffany record label; a 1950 re-recording for MGM Records, with lyrics by Billy Jack, became a major hit for the group, reaching #8 on the Country charts in 1950, becoming one of the Playboys’ signature songs.
First recorded by Marilyn Sellars (US #37/C&W #19 1974).
Other hit versions by Gloria Sherry (IRE #1 1978), Lena Martell (UK #1 1979), Cristy Lane (C&W #1/CAN #10/NZ #5 1981).
From the wiki: “‘One Day at a Time’ was written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson (although Kristofferson was a bit embarrassed with this co-credit; recalls he merely shared the same room while Marijohn wrote it, perhaps helping out with a lyric line one or two). It has been recorded by over 200 artists and has reached #1 in several countries.
“The song was first recorded by Country singer Marilyn Sellars in 1974 and released as a single to modest success. Irish singer Gloria Sherry, performing professionally as ‘Gloria’, recorded ‘One Day at a Time’, releasing it as a single in August 1977. Her recording remained on the Irish charts for the rest of the year, throughout 1978 and well into 1979 – peaking at #1 (over a year after it had first entered the chart) and spent a total of 90 weeks in the Irish Top 30 – the longest run by any song in Irish chart history. Meanwhile, Lena Martell’s 1979 recording topped the UK singles chart.
First recorded by Jerry Reed (C&W #53 1967).
Hit versions by Elvis Presley (US #43/C&W #1/UK #19 1968), Elvis Presley (re-recording US #28/C&W #1 1981).
From the wiki: “‘Guitar Man’ is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed and first recorded by him the same year. Soon after Reed’s single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song with Reed playing the guitar part.
“According to Peter Guralnick, in volume two of his biography of Presley, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, the singer had been trying unsuccessfully to record the tune but wasn’t happy with the groove. Presley said something to the effect of: ‘Get me that redneck picker who’s on the original [recording],’ and his staff brought Reed into the studio – who nailed it on the first take.
Based on “Gran Prairie” by Happy Fats & His Rayne-Bo Ramblers (1940).
Hit versions by Hank Williams (US #20/C&W #1 1952), Jo Stafford (US #3 1952), Fats Domino (US #30 1961), Blue Ridge Rangers (#16 1973), The Carpenters (UK #12 1974).
From the wiki: “The melody of ‘Jambalaya’ is based on the Cajun song ‘Gran Prairie’, first recorded in 1940 by Happy Fats & His Rayne-Bo Ramblers. While ‘Gran Prairie’ is a song about a lost love, the lyrics written by Hank Williams for ‘Jambalaya’ are about life, parties and stereotypical Cajun foods. Released in July 1952, crediting Williams as the sole author (there is some dispute, whether the lyrics were co-written with Moon Mullican), it reached #1 on the US Country music chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks.
“Jo Stafford’s cover peaked at #3 on the Pop music charts, further popularizing the song. Other popular recordings were later charted by Fats Domino, and Blue Ridge Rangers (John Fogerty). The Carpenters released their 1974 recording of ‘Jambalaya’ as an overseas single, with chart success in the UK, Japan, Mexico, Holland and Germany.”
First recorded by England Dan & John Ford Coley (1978).
Hit version by Anne Murray (US #12/C&W #1/CAN #15 1979).
From the wiki: “‘Broken Hearted Me’ was written by Randy Goodrum (‘You Needed Me’, ‘It’s Sad to Belong’), and was first recorded in 1978 by England Dan & John Ford Coley for their album Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive. It was later covered by Anne Murray. ‘Broken Hearted Me’ was Murray’s fourth #1 single on the US Country chart, and her seventh overall appearance on the Billboard Hot 100.”
First recorded by The Osborne Brothers and Marc Wiseman (1972).
Hit album version by Eagles (1974).
From the wiki: “Even though Eagles were attempting by 1974 to move beyond the Country-Rock label with which they had been tagged, the group were still happy to record this Bluegrass-y tune penned by singer-songwriter Paul Craft and first recorded in 1972 by The Osborne Brothers and Marc Wiseman (‘Dueling Banjos’). Bernie Leadon was one of the top banjo players in the country and his playing is featured throughout the song, along with Glenn Frey’s slide guitar and Randy Meisner’s lead vocals.”
Co-written and first recorded by Steve Goodman (1971).
Hit versions by David Allan Coe (C&W #8/CAN #4 1975), Doug Supernaw (C&W #60 1994).
From the wiki: “‘You Never Even Called Me by My Name’ was written by Steve Goodman and John Prine. (Prine requested that he be uncredited on the song, as he thought it was a ‘goofy, novelty song’ and didn’t want to ‘offend the country music community.’)
“Goodman released the song on his eponymous 1971 debut album Steve Goodman to little acclaim. It was more famously covered by country music singer David Allan Coe on his 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme. It was the third single release of Coe’s career and became his first Top Ten hit.”
Co-written and first recorded by Bruce Welch (1974).
Hit version by Olivia Newton-John (US #3/MOR #1/C&W #5/CAN #1/AUS #35/NZ #7 1975).
From the wiki: “‘Please Mr. Please’ was written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill, both members of British pop singer Cliff Richard’s backing band, The Shadows (‘Apache’). Welch originally recorded the song himself in 1974 with no chart success in either the UK or US.
“In 1975, the song appeared on Newton-John’s album, Have You Never Been Mellow, and was released as the album’s second single. Newton-John’s cover of ‘Please Mr. Please’ reached the Top 10 on three major Billboard charts that year, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 in August 1975, her fifth consecutive Top Ten hit.”
Written and first recorded by Hank Williams (C&W #1 1951).
Other hit versions by Dinah Washington (R&B #3 1951), Tony Bennett (US #1 1951).
From the wiki: “Hank Williams wrote ‘Cold Cold Heart’ after visiting his wife, Audrey, in the hospital where she was recovering from an illegal abortion. The flowers he brought her were thrown back in his face. ‘You sorry son of a bitch,’ she is claimed to have said. ‘It was you that caused me to suffer this.’ Hank went home and said his wife had a ‘cold, cold heart.’ Audrey shut him out of her life, and filed for divorce on January 10, 1952. The melody to ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ was taken from ‘You’ll Still Be In My Heart’ (1945), by T. Texas Tyler (who also wrote ‘My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It’). The copyright case was settled out-of-court, after Hank’s passing, in 1955. Dinah Washington and Tony Bennett both recorded adaptations of ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ in 1951, helping Country music out of its rural isolation with additional success on both the R&B and Pop charts.”
First recorded by Wanda Jackson (B-side 1956).
Hit versions by The Springfields (US #20/C&W #16 1962), Linda Ronstadt (1969 |re-recorded US #68/C&W #20 1974).
From the wiki: “‘Silver Threads and Golden Needles’ was written by Jack Rhodes and Dick Reynolds. The song was first recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956, and was released as the B-side to the single ‘Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad’ which did not chart.
“The Springfields (featuring a pre-solo Dusty Springfield) released ‘Silver Threads’ as their third UK single but it flopped in their home country. But, released as their first US single in 1962, it became a Stateside hit; their only appearance in the US Top 40 and the first single of U.K.-origin to crack the U.S. Top-20.
“Linda Ronstadt recorded and released two versions of the song: the first, on her 1969 solo debut album Hand Sown … Home Grown; the second, a country-pop crossover version for her 1973 Don’t Cry Now album. The latter resulted in a country Top-20 hit while also charting on the Billboard Hot 100.”
First recorded by Lucky Starr (AUS #1 1962).
Other hit versions by Hank Snow (C&W #1 1962), John Hore (NZ #1 1966).
Also recorded by Johnny Cash & Tom Petty (1996), Medeski Martin and Wood, (as “Let’s Go Everywhere” 2008), Me Dow Songur (as “I Go Everywhere” 2012).
From the wiki: “‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ is a song which was written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and made popular by Lucky Starr in 1962 whose recording topped the Australian singles chart in 1966. The song (as originally written) listed Australian towns.
“Mack’s music publisher offered the song to Canadian-born country musician Hank Snow in 1962. Snow thought the song had potential for the Canadian and American markets, but only if the toponyms were adapted to North America. At his publisher’s urging, Mack consequently re-wrote the song using a North American atlas supplied to him by the publisher.
Written and first recorded by Townes Van Zandt (1972).
Also recorded by Emmylou Harris (1977), Hoyt Axton (1977).
Hit version by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard (MOR #21/C&W #1/CAN #1 1983).
From the wiki: “”Pancho and Lefty” is a song written by country singer and songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Often considered his “most enduring and well-known song,” Van Zandt first recorded it for his 1972 album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. Emmylou Harris then covered the song for her 1977 album, Luxury Liner. Also in 1977, Hoyt Axton recorded it on his album Snowblind Friend. The song became a #1 Country hit in 1983 when Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson adopted it as the title track of their duet album Pancho & Lefty. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western Songs of All Time.
First recorded (as “I’ve Got The Love-sick Blues”) by Elsie Clark (1922).
Also recorded by Jack Shea (1922), Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers (1928), Rex Griffin (1939).
Hit versions by Hank Williams (US #24/C&W #1 1949), Frank Ifield (US #44/UK #1 1962).
From the wiki: “First published as ‘I’ve Got The Love-sick Blues’ and introduced by Vaudeville singer Anna Chandler in the musical Oh, Ernest, ‘Lovesick Blues’ was first recorded by Elsie Clark in a March 1922 for OKeh Records, then was covered by Jack Shea for Vocalion Records later the same year. In 1928, ‘Lovesick Blues’ was covered by Emmet Miller (accompanied by his ‘Georgia Crackers’, including Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, and Leo McConville) and, in 1939, by country singer Rex Griffin.
“The recordings by Miller and Griffin would inspire Hank Williams to perform the song during his first appearances on The Louisiana Hayride in 1948. Receiving an enthusiastic reception by the audience, Williams decided to record his own version despite an initial push-back from his band and his producer, Fred Rose.
First recorded by Tanya Tucker (C&W #50 1981).
Other hit version by The Pointer Sisters (US #13 1982).
From the wiki: “‘Should I Do It’ was written by Nashville songwriter Layng Martine and was first recorded by Tanya Tucker in 1981. The Pointer Sisters covered the song with greater chart success in 1982, releasing it, after ”Slow Hand’, as their second single from Black and White (1981).”
Written and first recorded (as “Get the Mop”) by Henry “Red” Allen (1944).
Hit versions by Johnnie Lee Wills & His Boys (US #9/C&W #2 1949), Doc Sausage & His Mad Lads (R&B #4 1950), The Ames Brothers (US #1 1950).
From the wiki: “‘Rag Mop’ is a 12-bar blues, adapted by Tulsa Western Swing bandleader Johnnie Lee Wills (Bob Wills’ younger brother) and steel guitarist Deacon Anderson from an earlier song, ‘Get the Mop’, composed by Jazz trumpeter and band leader Henry ‘Red’ Allen. (Wills and Anderson would later be successfully sued for plagiarism by Allen’s publisher.)
“Considered a novelty song, the lyrics to ‘Rag Mop’ consisted almost entirely of spelling out the song title; because of that, it is sometimes referred to as ‘Ragg Mopp’. Wills and his band first covered ‘Rag Mop’ for Bullet Records in 1949, but the most popular version of the song was recorded by The Ames Brothers and released by Coral Records in 1950. Doc Sausage & His Mad Lads also covered the song in 1950, peaking on the R&B chart at #4.
First recorded (as “Mama Socked It to the Harper Valley PTA”) by Margie Singleton (1968).
Also recorded by Billie Jo Spears (1968).
Hit version by Jeannie C. Riley (US #1/C&W #1/CAN #1 1968).
From the wiki: “‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ was written by Tom T. Hall who reportedly first offered the song to Skeeter Davis (‘End of the World’, 1962), who declined. The story goes that Hall, after driving past a school called Harpeth Valley Elementary School in Bellevue, Tennessee, noted the name and commenced writing ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ about a fictional confrontation between a young widow, Stella Johnson, and the local PTA who objected to her manner of dress, social drinking, and general friendliness with town’s men folk.
“On Songfacts.com, however, Hall recalls the song being based on a true event: ‘I was just hanging around downtown when I was about nine years old and heard the story and got to know this lady. I was fascinated by her grit. To see this very insignificant, socially disenfranchised lady – a single mother – who was willing to march down to the local aristocracy and read them the riot act so to speak, was fascinating.’