Patsy Cline: On the Record

"Why Can't He Be You" is enchantment on magnetic tape. The production, arrangement, composition, lyrics and vocal performance - everything about it is perfect. The sixteenth notes on the ride cymbal; the tremolo of the amplified guitar; the bows gliding across the cellos, etc., blend to create a lovely setting for a sublime record. Hank Cochran justly understood that Patsy was master of the love song, and wanted her to testify as much with a new composition. Mission accomplished. Although the song held little appeal for country fans and enjoyed only mild success on the pop chart, the lyrics describe the timeless mysteries of romance and unrequited love, and Patsy so effectively (and achingly) delivers the lines that it was guaranteed a place on Greatest Hits and destined to become a classic. Lush and hypnotic? Indeed.

I'm not fond of "Your Kinda Love". The arrangement is loud and overbearing, and the shuffle-with-strings concept works against it, especially with that vigorous percussion. The lyrics are somewhat childish and irritable, and Patsy exaggerates her accent in spots. As much as I've tried to enjoy this performance through the years, it fails to make my list. The song doesn't "belong" to Patsy Cline as others do, and it should have gone to another artist, perhaps Skeeter Davis.

"When You Need A Laugh" has a great vocal. Patsy demonstrates remarkable breath control on this number, and although I am not fond of the lyrics, she really turns it around, making the song both charming and valid. The piano arrangement is a little much, but the dignified strings and stylish guitar work are lovely features. Patsy reaches down and really tugs at the listener's heart when she gets to the line "to be around the one I love / and need so desperately" - that tremble in her voice on the word "around" really gets me every time. The song was issued on a single in October 1963 and made it to #47 on the country chart.

"Leavin' On Your Mind" is short but effective, and no less remarkable in spite of its brevity. Wisely, Patsy understood that "less is more" and the song is heartbreaking without the need for vocal gimmickry (choking, crying, sighing) heard in renditions by other artists. The arrangement manages to sound full without any trace of overproduction, and the electric bass and guitar lend a richness of tone that gives the song a "soul" that is somewhat hip for its time and setting. Jan Howard put it best when she said that Patsy's music "just stopped right there in time", and I always think of "Leavin' On Your Mind" when I consider that quote. I'll never grow tired of hearing this performance, and since it was the final release in Patsy's lifetime, it's fittingly placed as the final performance of Greatest Hits.

Greatest Hit - Leavin' On Your Mind
Greatest Gem(s) - Why Can't He Be You, Leavin' On Your Mind

 

Was it for this release?

That would've been around 2008.

 

Date: September 10, 1962 [14:00-17:00]
Location: Columbia Studios, 804 16th Avenue South, Nashville TN.

Owen Bradley (pdr, mgr), Patsy Cline (v), Millie Kirkham, The Jordanaires (bkv), Randy Hughes (g), Ray Edenton (rg), Grady Martin (eg, dir), Pig Robbins (p), Bill Pursell (org), Bob Moore (b), Harold Bradley (ebx), Buddy Harman (d, tri), Brenton Banks, Cecil Brower, Solie Fott, Lillian Hunt, Verne Richardson, Michael Semanitzky (vn)

Back In Baby's Arms - 2:05 (Bob Montgomery) / arr: Bill Justis
(Tra Le La Le La La) Triangle - 2:13 (Marijohn Wilkin, Fred Burch) / arr: Bill Justis
That's How A Heartache Begins - 2:14 (Harlan Howard) / arr: Bill Justis

Session information courtesy of patsyclinediscography.com

On the evening of Saturday September 8, 1962, Patsy and her husband Charlie Dick hosted a house warming party at their new home in the Nashville suburb of Goodlettsville in honor of Patsy’s 30th birthday. Two days later, Patsy was back in the studio for the next round of recording. Interestingly enough, the existing session log notes in Patsy’s own handwriting suggest only the instrumentation was recorded that day. While it’s possible Patsy's notes weren’t intended to be interpreted this way, it’s also quiet likely Patsy was not vocally up to recording less than two days after her 30th birthday bash (which, by many accounts, lasted well into the hours of September 9.) This is, of course, only speculation but the evidence suggests the musicians recorded the backing tracks with Owen Bradley on September 10 - while Patsy would have come back to the studio some amount of time later to lay down her vocals (as she did for “Crazy”.) In any event, three original songs resulted from the session, each more lively and upbeat when compared to the previous songs recorded just a few days earlier.

“Back in Baby’s Arms” finds Patsy as the grand marshal of true love’s parade. Optimistic, celebratory and just good ol’ fashioned fun, the performance is a standout. Patsy and the Jordanaires (augmented with Millie Kirkham) never sounded more in sync. (In fact, the addition of Millie’s voice works so well on these songs, one wonders why this is the only session of Patsy’s she appeared on.) The effectiveness of pairing Patsy with her background vocalists was never more evident than on lines like “I’m back where I belong, back in baby’s arms.” The musicians also produced a solid effort with standout performances by drummer Buddy Harman and organist Bill Pursell. (In college, I had the opportunity to study music theory from Mr. Pursell. He is a fascinating and talented man who, similar to Floyd Cramer, enjoyed his own commercial success as an instrumentalist in the early 60s.) Not released until it found itself on the B Side of Patsy’s first posthumous single, the song could have easily have found mainstream success as its own A side.

On “Triangle”, things got a bit sillier. Patsy uses a country twang to tell the story of a lover’s triangle conundrum and, thematically, could be considered an early Nashville sound version of 70s hit, “Torn Between Two Lovers.” Bouncy and all in good fun, the results are light weight and pale in comparison to the level of quality her recordings achieved during this period.

Lastly, came Harlan Howard’s “That’s How a Heartache Begins”. Featuring a playful organ, a light rumba beat and a tasteful string section, Patsy stays spot on in her vocal lane while the Jordanaires, plus Millie Kirkham, provide a lush backing. Overall, the results come off as fresh and effortless. A song not as well known as other Howard songs recorded by Patsy, this one's a nearly forgotten and underrated gem and is highly recommended.

Greatest Hit – Back in Baby’s Arms
Greatest Gem – That’s How a Heartache Begins

 

I don't want to believe these performances are overdubs but the fact remains that it was common practice for popular vocalists to do this as early as 1948 (and possibly further back into the direct-to-disk era). There is an overabundance of tape hiss on these numbers (also heard on "Crazy" and "Who Can I Count On") and that is not coincidence, as evidenced by the session logs.

 

This is the session where I noticed Patsy seems to have a head-cold (the sound is as if her nose is a bit blocked). I suppose this could be the result of the heavy partying but if, as suggested, she overdubbed the vocals at a later date then wouldn't they wait until her voice sounded normal again?

It's most noticeable on the second two songs but is also noticeable on "Back In Baby's Arms". Perhaps this is because her voice became more noticeably affected as the session went along (whether live or overdubbed)?

Wonderful session nonetheless, even if "Triangle" was too embarrassing for me to play in company in my youth - I like it a lot more now I'm older and wiser, especially the cheesy organ sound.

What are the handwritten notes relating to this session?

 

I definitely hear the congestion in her vocals, especially in "That's How A Heartache Begins". The "N" consonant in the word "begins" is nasal. "Triangle" is still too embarrassing for me. I can't review it. Give it to Chet for Skeeter, not Patsy.

Patsy has <<track>> written down for all three performances in place of where she usually writes "with chorus and instrumental accompaniment" in the logs. As a side note, I doubt it was common practice for the vocalist to fill in the session logs. I suspect that Patsy was grateful and wanted to help out. I imagine she felt a lot of pride for her recording sessions, and for all the players who came together to make things happen.

 

The 4 CD MCA box set is all I have so I can't compare it to anything else but I think it's marvelous.

 

I have to admit that my "wiser" comment could easily be replaced with "less discerning"...

I would love to see those studio documents - are they available?

I have long wondered if there was any question over whether Patsy's voice was OK for the session - the idea that these vocals were overdubbed just adds further to the mystery of why Patsy recorded these with congested pipes. Obviously, the vocals are still top notch but it seems a little odd not to reschedule - it would maybe make more sense if the sessions were live.

Is the implication that Patsy recorded vocal overdubs on September 10th, i.e. a couple of days after her 30th birthday party? Or is the original tracking session in stone for the 10th?

 

My guess is the tracks were recorded September 10th and Patsy's vocals are from a later, unspecified date (same as "Crazy"). The date is technically valid either way. Patsy did not fill out a personnel log for this session as usual (there's only performance logs for the songs themselves). There are copies of the Bradley paperwork at the Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville, and there's a copy of the personnel log for the previous session at my website.

 

In my experience with discography (not just Patsy, but with other artists signed to other labels) it seems that when there is a need for a vocal overdub at a later time, the A&R guys don't want the backing track to gather dust for too long. The rationale for this session is still a mystery, since two of its performances were not issued in Patsy's lifetime (were they intended for an album, or for a single?) and so there doesn't appear to be a rush to get 'em in the can, at least from our perspective. Bradley may have left it up to Patsy and perhaps she was determined to get 'em sung when she had recovered well enough. We'll probably never know for sure...

 

Interesting to see that Similar hand to Patsy's but not identical - I wonder if it's possibly not hers? Of course, maybe filling out a session log caused her to tame down the floweriness a little - then again it does seem a little odd that she would be involved in this type of secretarial work. Has it been confirmed as Patsy's handwriting by anyone?

 

I don't believe a handwriting expert has ever been tasked with verifying the logs are in Patsy's hand, no. It's not always the same person completing this task, at least for Patsy's sessions. There are several dates with different penmanship, and a few are typewritten.

It seems an odd task for Patsy, but it does make sense in a way. What else would she be doing while the musicians unpacked and tuned their instruments and discussed chord progressions?

 

I wondered if maybe Charlie or a family member had recognised it, perhaps. It seems the mists of time are against us on this little mystery.

One thing to add, "Crazy" has the ghost vocal from the live tracking session giving away the vocal overdub, not to mention that this vocal overdub was specifically talked about by those involved over the years. As I understand it that is not the case for the 10th September tracks - no audio clues or corroborating reports.

The lack of a ghost vocal on these three songs would imply that Patsy didn't sing guide vocals during the tracking session if she did overdub the vocals later. Is there another example in her recorded catalogue of a backing track being recorded without her singing along with the musicians?

 

The reason "Crazy" has a ghost vocal is because Patsy was present at that session and the production intended to get the song finished that evening. Patsy went home early, and the musicians recorded a backing track for later use. Apparently Bradley was not satisfied with the backing track and decided to use the instrumentation from an earlier take when Patsy was still trying to get a master, and simply erased the original vocal track to make way for Patsy's overdub (or, so the story goes. Who knows for sure). Messy, but effective. Floyd Cramer is credited with playing both piano and electric organ on "Crazy", so there was probably additional overdubbing at some point.

The "ghosting" one hears is mic bleed into the instrumental tracks on the session tape.

If the September 10, 1962 performances were truly made from backing tracks, this would be the only known example for Patsy's sessions. However, there are several examples of this practice in the recorded works of Don Gibson, Margaret Whiting and Nat King Cole, and many other artists I'm sure. In Whiting's case, there are even direct-to-disk examples during the pre-tape era ("Far Away Places" and "A Tree In The Meadow" use foreign backing tracks with vocal overdubs because they were issued during the recording ban of 1948). Ironically, "A Tree In The Meadow" was Margaret Whiting's largest hit, same as "Crazy" was for Patsy.

Just like tape overdubs contain a little extra hiss, disk overdubs have a little more surface noise.

 

Maybe Chet could have given Owen "The End of the World" for Patsy in exchange for "Triange". Lol.

It's not a bad record, per se, just sounds more out of place than anything else. (It would have fit right in during the "I Love You Honey" session.)

Had I been alive and purchased the 45 back in 1963, I can only imagine my reaction to playing "Triangle" for the first time after spinning such a gorgeous and mature song as "Leavin' on Your Mind". Hey....variety is the spice of life I guess!

What'll I do about you....

 

I just remembered something.

There is a letter Patsy wrote to a friend in November 1962 (the letter is on display at the Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville) in which she says something like "It's a great life. I'll get home tomorrow and pack six suitcases, do a recording session tomorrow night at 7pm and then leave on Wednesday for Las Vegas." I always found it odd Patsy referenced a recording session in November 1962. I had assumed she likely meant she would be recording an armed forces radio transcription...however, none have since surfaced from Nov. 62.

Perhaps Patsy was indeed referring to the vocal overdub session in question.

 

Nah, "End of the World" belongs to Skeeter and she made a monster hit out of it.

 

Clever! I'm familiar with that letter but I never considered the date. Can you determine the exact date next time you're there? That must be it, or maybe there was another session planned that was cancelled due to her Vegas preparations. And, she was sick in Vegas, no? Maybe the congestion already started before she departed Nashville...

 

Exactly- the congestion may have already started as Patsy was sick upon arrival into Vegas.

Fortunately, I also just remembered, the letter I referenced was written to Patsy's Canadian friend Anne Armstrong and was featured in the 1992 documentary "Remembering, Patsy Cline". I just pulled up my copy of the documentary and confirmed the letter was dated Wednesday November 14. In the letter, Patsy also mentions the bad weather she had just experienced in Boston due to which she was re-routed to New York in order to get home. The letter was written on the way back to Nashville. In looking at the 1962 calendar, the date of the overdub session would have been Thursday November 15 @ 7pm. Additionally, when Patsy says "then on Wednesday, I leave for Las Vegas" she is referring to Wednesday November 21.

 

Ta-da. Good work!

 

Festival Records had an unusual habit of reversing sides for the US singles they issued in Australia and New Zealand. Whether intentional or otherwise, this quirk is responsible for the chart success of "Back In Baby's Arms". For a short while (during a period of several months in mid 1963) Australia had a country chart, and this tune shot all the way up to the #2 spot, making it Patsy's highest-charting B side ever/anywhere, and also her greatest hit in Oceania. The song is upbeat, catchy and unlike anything Patsy had done before. The use of pizzicato strings gives the arrangement a whimsical, optimistic quality, and the Jordanaires provide excellent support. Percussive and ornate, the song certainly has a lot happening, although Patsy gives it the straight ahead, less-is-more approach that it needs for that arrangement to compliment a vocalist. This was an excellent choice to serve as a flip to "Sweet Dreams", since the two could not be more dissimilar and it gives the listener a good sampling of Patsy's ability and versatility with sentiment. On one side we've got burning memories, and on the other we've got hope for the future. Light and dark, yin and yang.

"That's How A Heartache Begins" features a weird arrangement. The tremolo guitar and electric bass really thicken things up and give the song an "edge" despite lyrics that don't really go anywhere, and a sound that feels overproduced. Although it could be argued that "Back In Baby's Arms" has more going on, it "clicks" into place in a way "That's How A Heartache Begins" does not. The song never seems to find its groove, and before the listener is able to consider why, it's already fading out into oblivion. Issued as the front side of a single in April 1964, it failed to make any noise on the charts. Despite its lack of success, Decca gave the song title to an LP album issued in November of that same year.

"Tra Le La Le La Triangle"? Nope.

Credit for the chart arrangements is given to Bill Justis, and the concertmaster of the Nashville Symphony at that time - Michael Semanitzky - is heard playing at this session.

Greatest Hit - Back In Baby's Arms
Greatest Gem - Back In Baby's Arms

 

Date: February 4, 1963 [19:00-22:00]
Location: Columbia Studios, 804 16th Avenue South, Nashville TN.

Owen Bradley (pdr, mgr), Patsy Cline (v), The Jordanaires (bkv), Randy Hughes (g), Ray Edenton (rg), Grady Martin (eg, dir), Floyd Cramer (p), Bob Moore (b), Harold Bradley (ebx), Buddy Harman (d), Byron Bach, Brenton Banks, George Binkley III, Cecil Brower, Howard Carpenter, Solie Fott, Lillian Hunt, Martin Katahn, Verne Richardson, Gary Williams (vn)

Faded Love - 3:47 (Bob Wills, John Wills) / arr: Bill McElhiney
Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - 2:50 (Jimmie Hodges) / arr: Bill McElhiney
Love Letters In The Sand - 2:23 (J. Fred Coots, Charles Kenny, Nick Kenny) / arr: Bill McElhiney

55 years ago, during a brutally cold February 1963 in Nashville, Patsy Cline returned to the studio to record songs for what Owen Bradley was calling the “Faded Love” album. Over the course of four consecutive nights, Patsy and an augmented A team (featuring ten string players) would record twelve songs – many of which are considered to be among Patsy’s most masterful studio work. The sessions would also become the last she ever did.

On the first night, Patsy started with “Faded Love”. Beautifully arranged by Bill McElhiney, the recording sets the tone for the album, as all songs would be arranged by McElhiney (also a talented session player in his own right.) The violins quietly begin the song before swelling as the other musicians enter. To say Patsy’s performance is dramatic is an understatement. While the nuanced subtleties of earlier hits like, “I Fall to Pieces” are replaced by dramatic sobbing and expressive dynamics, Patsy pours her heart out during the performance. During the final audible breath taken before the last “luh –uh-ove”, it’s as if Patsy’s in the room with the listener. One of the most remembered and discussed performances of the Cline.

“Someday You’ll Want me to Want You” was written by Jimmie Hodges and was first published in 1944, with hit versions by Elton Britt in 1946 and Vaughn Monroe in 1949. A long list of other singers, including Brenda Lee and Della Reese, had covered the song prior to Patsy but it’s Patsy who owns the song. In classic Cline fashion, Patsy begins the song understated before pushing it into high gear and blowing the roof off the Quonset Hut. The song would be posthumously released as a single. (Interesting to note, it is this song with which a then 18 year old Mandy Barnett would sing that helped her land the role of Patsy in the long-running musical, "Always, Patsy Cline.")

On “Love Letters in the Sand” Owen and Patsy adhere to the tried and true Nashville sound formula, although the results are not quite as successful as “Faded Love” and “Someday”. Even still, Patsy applies a sincerity and tenderness to the lyrics and certainly makes the most out of the song.

During this session, Patsy had invited friends including Jan Howard and Dottie West who later recalled how breathtaking it felt to attend and how excited Patsy was at the results.

Greatest Hit – Faded Love
Greatest Gem – Someday You’ll Want me to Want You

 

"Faded Love" is probably the most epic of Patsy Cline recordings in terms of scope, style and length (perhaps rivalled only by "The Wayward Wind"). Clocking in at 3:43, "Faded Love" is Patsy's longest recording. Legend has it that Bob Wills wore out his copy of the Decca single and remarked "Patsy made my little song very pretty" or something to that effect. It certainly is a beautiful record, featuring Django-like guitar work by Ray Edenton and metal brushes on the snare for a jazzy sound. Perhaps inspired by its lovely arrangement, Patsy doesn't hold anything back on this number. She wails, she cries, she laments and reminisces over lost love.

There are moments when her performance is spectacular, especially during the lines when she sounds particularly world-weary:
"as I think of the past and all the pleasures we had / as I watched the mating of the dove ..."

But the highlight for me comes with her delivery at the next line:
"it was in the springtime that you said goodbye / I remember our faded love".

The quiver in her voice at that moment is really quite exquisite, and then all hell breaks loose for the final verse of the song. Patsy shows her cards and really forces the listener to understand the lyrical subject's bleeding heart, and with mixed results. This is certainly one of Patsy's finest recordings, although I find it difficult (or perhaps uncomfortable) to sit through because of that final verse. Less is always more, and Patsy's ruthless emotional intensity as the record nears its end has the condition of eroding any element of suspense or nostalgia from the performance. If one had never heard Patsy Cline before and started with this recording, one might believe this was her "swan song" and that it couldn't possibly get any better. Boy, would they be wrong. "Faded Love" was issued as a posthumous single on August 5, 1963. It peaked at #7 Billboard Country and #96 Billboard Pop. Its wonderful flip side will be discussed at the next session.

"Someday You'll Want Me To Want You" is a lovely composition and it's clear Patsy really enjoyed singing it. She gives a vocal performance that is at times very soulful and engaging. Alas, I find the arrangement too dramatic and it sounds as though Patsy is straining to be heard over the din of the violins and chorus. The string arrangement is perhaps inspired by the work of Gordon Jenkins, although it backfires. I prefer the TV appearance of this number, presented as a vocal duet with Bobby Lord. It features a small ensemble and really allows us to appreciate Patsy's soulful phrasing of the lyrics. The studio recording was issued as the B-side of a single in February 1964, and it bubbled under the Billboard Pop chart, stalling at #123. It did not chart country. The A-side of that single, "Your Kinda Love", did not chart at all.

Not much to write about "Love Letters In The Sand" except that it sounds like a song that was intended to be album filler, determined to become lost in the middle of a playing side. Instead, it was prominently featured as the opening performance of the 1964 album That's How A Heartache Begins. It's pleasant, sure, and Patsy gives a nice reading to a song associated with Pat Boone, although it doesn't reach me. Perhaps the arrangement is once again to blame.

Greatest Hit - Faded Love
Greatest Gem - Faded Love

 

Remembering Patsy Cline today.