Mr. Record Man
"Mr. Record Man" | |
---|---|
Single by Willie Nelson | |
A-side | "The Part Where I Cry" |
Released | November 1961 |
Recorded | September 11–12, 1961at Radio Recorders |
Genre | Country |
Length | 2:14 |
Label | Liberty |
Songwriter(s) | Willie Nelson |
"Mr. Record Man" is a song written by country music singer-songwriter
Nelson recorded the song during his second session for the label in Radio Recorders. The song was included as the B-side of the promotional single for ...And Then I Wrote. "Mr. Record Man" received successful Jukebox and airplay in Texas.
Background
In 1957, Nelson lived in Fort Worth, Texas. He quit the music business for a year, becoming a salesman.[1] During this time, he was inspired to write "Mr. Record Man", while he was driving on the highway with the radio turned on. He penned the song about a man, who after listening to a song on his car radio, feels compelled to buy the record, relating the words of the song to his own lost love and sadness.[2]
After his son Billy was born in 1958, struggling with financial issues, he moved to
During his time in Houston, Nelson sold his original "
Recordings
Leveraged by his prominence as a songwriter, he was signed as a recording artist by Liberty Records in 1961.[6] For his second session with the label, producer Joe Allison took Nelson to Radio Recorders, on September 11–12, 1961.[6]
Nelson's backing included: Billy Strange, Roy Nichols and Johnny Western on guitars; pianist Jim Pierce; bassists Red Wootten and Ray Pohlman; and drummer Roy Harte.[7] During the recording, the backup singers could not follow Nelson's lead singing for his off-beat phrasing.[8] To solve the issue, Allison placed baffles between Nelson and the backup so they could not see each other.[7]
Recorded as a 4/4 Ray Price Shuffle, "Mr. Record Man" was selected as the B-side for the first Willie Nelson single for Liberty Records, and the single to ...And Then I Wrote. The song from his first session, "The Part Where I Cry" was selected as the A-side.[7] On its release in November 1961, Billboard considered the single to have a "moderate sales potential".[9] The single sold 4,000 copies. While "Mr. Record Man" received radio and jukebox play in Texas, it failed to chart.[7]
It was re-recorded in 1965 for Nelson's
Footnotes
- ^ Myers, Judy 1969, p. 4.
- ^ Horstman, Dorothy & Horstman, Fritzi 2010, p. 148.
- ^ Nelson, Willie, Bud Shrake & Edwin Shrake 2000, pp. 116, 117.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 102.
- ^ Erlewine, Michael 1997, p. 324.
- ^ a b Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 126.
- ^ a b c d Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 127.
- ^ Thomson, Graeme 2012, p. 73.
- ^ Billboard staff 1961, p. 36.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 159.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 182.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 325.
References
- Billboard staff (1961). "Reviews of New Singles". Billboard. Vol. 73, no. 43. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Erlewine, Michael (1997). All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music. Miller Freeman. ISBN 978-0-87930-475-1.
- Horstman, Dorothy; Horstman, Fritzi (2010). America's Best Loved Country Songs: An Encyclopedia of More Than 3,000 Classics Through the 1980s. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-4994-1.
- Myers, Judy (1969). "Willie Nelson: His Own Story, in his own words". Country Song Roundup. Charlton Publications Incorporated.
- Nelson, Willie; Bud Shrake; Edwin Shrake (2000). Willie: An Autobiography. Cooper Square Press.
- Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Hachette Digital. ISBN 978-0-316-01778-7.
- Thomson, Graeme (2012). Willie Nelson: The Outlaw. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-3341-3.