EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1955-1959

I overlooked the two, non-consecutive additional weeks this was on the DJ charts - November 3 and 17, 1956 - thus making it 20 non-consecutive weeks. As they say, "Crazy Arms" was yuuuuuge.

 

Now for another one from "The King":
"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" by Elvis Presley
(#1 on BSR for 2 weeks - July 14-21, 1956; and on MPJB for 1 week - August 11, 1956)

78 RPM release:

45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entry - Indianapolis pressings as above misspelt co-writer Maurice Mysels' surname as "Myself."​

 

And then for this first-timer at the top . . . a streak spanning the next two decades . . .
"I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash And Tennessee Two
(#1 on MPJB for 6 non-consecutive weeks - July 21, August 4 and August 18-September 8, 1956; and on DJ for 1 week - October 27, 1956)

78 RPM release:

45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entry

 

A stone classic, and one that should only be heard in this original Sun Records version.

Totally unprecedented, not only because of its radical key shifts between verses, but also in its spare and haunting musical backup.

I recently read the book "I Was There When It Happened," which is Tennessee Two bassist's Marshall Grant's account of his decades playing with Johnny Cash. Marshall says they sounded the way they did due to Luther Perkins' limitations as a guitarist. Luther had to work really hard just to get the simplest parts down, but that actually turned a curse into a blessing, since it resulted in an absolutely unique sound on Cash's Sun records and beyond.

 

Who'd've thought, 13 years from this, that Cash's biggest hit, one that also became his biggest pop hit, would have another Perkins on lead guitar? (But there was a reason we'll get to when we get there on the coming 1960's #1's thread.)

 

Another biggie coming up . . .
"Don't Be Cruel" / "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley
(#1 on MPJB for 10 weeks - September 15-November 17, 1956; and on BSR for 5 weeks - September 29-October 27, 1956)

plus B side

78 RPM release:

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45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entries for "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog"

 

My Grandmother used to sing this in very exaggerated fashion. I'm not sure whose version she was making fun of, but it always cracked me up.

 

It was ripe for parody. Well . . . Homer and Jethro did their own mickey-take on it as "Let Me Go, Blubber," so . . .

 

I first heard the song in a very touching recording by Alison Krauss.

 

Written by Nashville R & B artist Jarrett, who recorded it for Excello. In 1957 he wrote & produced "You Can Make It If You Try" for Gene Allison, a song covered by the Stones on their first album.

 

Two great and timeless recordings, needless to say.

What I find interesting is that it's always been said that the country music establishment hated rock 'n' roll and were in a panic because of what it portended for the future of the music.

Not that this wasn't a justifiable fear, but the charts of the day show that for at least a short time, there was a certain detente between the rival camps, with lots of crossing over of songs you wouldn't think would do so.

The above single is certainly a prime example.

And parenthetically, I've always found it fascinating that The Jordanaires worked so closely with Elvis for all those years. That a pure gospel quartet would associate itself with this "devil's music" is interesting indeed. One would think that some of their reluctance was overcome due to the fact that they could see that Elvis genuinely loved gospel music — it's said that's all he wanted to sing when he wasn't officially recording.

 

I like Elvis' I Want You I Need You I Love You but was a bit surprised to see Jimmie Dale Gilmore cover that one rather than some other Elvis songs. I would love to have heard him sing Trying To Get to You.

 

I'm not the student you are but I am shocked either of those Elvis tracks topped country charts! Then why didn't the Beatles?

 

By 1964, the C&W charts had become pretty much provincial. C&W-flavored tracks with Ringo lead vocals notwithstanding.

 

Now for the last C&W topper for all of 1956 and the first at the start of '57:
"Singing The Blues" by Marty Robbins
(#1 on MPJB for 12 weeks - November 24, 1956-February 9, 1957; on BSR for 12 weeks - November 24, 1956-February 9, 1957; and on DJ for 11 non-consecutive weeks - November 24, 1956-January 26, 1957 and February 16, 1957)

78 RPM release:

45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entry

 

'Course, with this one, you can't forget the version that topped the pop charts - Guy Mitchell's:

 

For me, the Marty Robbins' version would only be something I heard much later in my life. And because it's different, it's probably the one I would prefer to hear now, though both are great. I understand they were contemporaneous hits.

 

The aftermath of all this would later lead to the recording of a future Marty #1.

 

Actually, I can easily forget it.

I think Mitchell's version is terrible. Marty's is the only one, and I'm unhappy that Mitchell's is so much better known.

In Marty's hands, with genuine country backing, it's a classic. In Mitchell's hands (not to mention that damned whistling!), it's a dud.

 

From what I'd read, one person particularly disgruntled with Mitchell's version was Marty himself. And as I said in post #68 . . .

 

And now for the first new country #1 of 1957 . . . and the first topper for this individual . . .
"Young Love" by Sonny James (The Southern Gentleman)
(#1 on MPJB for 4 non-consecutive weeks - February 16-23 and March 16-23, 1957; on BSR for 7 weeks - February 16-March 30, 1957; and on DJ for 8 non-consecutive weeks - February 2-9 and February 23-March 30, 1957)

78 RPM release:

45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entry - I.M.H.O., the less said about Tab Hunter's pop #1 cover, the better.

 

Here's one number that topped only one of the charts . . .
"There You Go" by Johnny Cash And Tennessee Two
(#1 on MPJB for 5 non-consecutive weeks - March 2-9 and March 30-April 13, 1957)

78 RPM release:

45 RPM issue:

Wikipedia entry

 

I didn't realize Cindy Walker had a hand in this tune. She co-wrote You Don't Know Me with Eddy Arnold!

 

This is a fine song that established the Sonny James formula of nearly always putting his acoustic guitar up front in the mix.

Sonny's version crossed over to the pop charts and hit #1 for one week. But Tab Hunter's greatly inferior version held the top spot for six weeks — a grave injustice.

I wonder if this is the only instance of the same song by two different artists hitting #1 on the Pop charts in exactly the same time frame — that is, not an instance where a much later remake also hits #1 (such as The Marvelettes' and The Carpenters' "Please Mr. Postman").

 

This is one of Cash's less-celebrated Sun recordings, but I've always liked it. I didn't realize it had this degree of success.