"'Fore She Was Mama" | ||||
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Single by Clay Walker | ||||
from the album Fall | ||||
Released | October 16, 2006 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:43 | |||
Label | Asylum-Curb | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Keith Stegall | |||
Clay Walker singles chronology | ||||
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"'Fore She Was Mama" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released on October 16, 2006, as the first single from his album Fall . It peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2007. It was also his first chart entry since "Jesus Was a Country Boy" in 2004.
In an interview with the Associated Press , Walker revealed, "It's great when a song can be humorous without being hokey, and the writers made a good country song without it being a novelty. Anytime we do it, it gets a huge reaction. I think a lot of moms are looking in the rearview mirror saying, 'I hope the kids aren't looking at my face right now, because I'm blushing." [1]
The singer tells a first-person account of when he was ten years old and found a "box of forget-me-nots" in his parents' closet. The box was filled with pictures of his mother partaking in various 1960s activities, including hanging out with hippies, riding motorcycles, and smoking marijuana, the latter of which was censored by some radio stations. When his mother finds out that her box has been spotted, she burns it, but that does not stop her children from reminding her about her past.
In a review of Walker's album "Fall", The Associated Press described "'Fore She Was Mama" as having "Just the right balance of humor and drama. [2] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe described the song as "Funny as hell" [3] Shelly Fabian of About.com gave the song a favorable rating by writing "Clay does ballads so well, but he also can rock out the mid-tempo songs, like this one. It's got a really catchy chorus that will stick in your head." [4]
The website New Country Star called it "A fun and funny little song" and also wrote "The lyrics aren't your usual CW style, but the voice is incredibly classic Clay." [5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic in his review of "Fall" called "'Fore She Was Mama" "wry" and "funny". [6] The editors at USA Today said the song is "slightly creepy, but it also feels true to life. Walker is at his best at moments like that." [7]
A music video was created for the song, it was directed by Roman White. [8]
This song debuted at #56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated September 23, 2006. [9] "'Fore She Was Mama" is Walker's twenty-sixth Top 40 single on the chart. The song peaked at #21 on the chart week of February 24, 2007. [10]
Chart (2006–2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [11] | 21 |
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [12] | 16 |
Lila Elaine McCann is an American country music singer who made her debut at age 16 with the single "Down Came a Blackbird." Reaching a peak of No. 28 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, the song was the first release from her 1997 album Lila, which became the highest-selling album for a debut country music act in 1997 and was certified platinum in the United States.
Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You", which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records Nashville, and Curb Records.
Robert Ellis Orrall is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Signed to RCA Records in 1980, Orrall debuted that year with the album "Fixation". His first Top 40 single was "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene Carter. By 1990, Orrall had found success as a songwriter, having penned Number One singles for Shenandoah and Clay Walker. He returned to RCA in 1991 and charted the singles "Boom! It Was Over" (#19) and "A Little Bit of Her Love" (#31), from his first country music album, Flying Colors. Orrall then joined frequent songwriting partner Curtis Wright in the CMA-nominated duo Orrall & Wright, recording one more album and charting two singles. They split up in 1994, however, and Orrall returned to his solo career, writing singles for Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and Lindsay Lohan, as well as producing records for Swift, Be Your Own Pet, and Love and Theft. He also performs and records as an indie rock musician in the band Monkey Bowl.
Fall is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker, released on April 17, 2007, by Asylum-Curb Records. Its first single was "'Fore She Was Mama", which reached #21 on the Hot Country Songs charts in mid-2007. Following this song was the title track, which reached #5 on the same chart and became Walker's first Top Five country hit since "The Chain of Love" in 2000. "Fall" was also covered by Kimberley Locke, whose own version was a single as well. The third and final single from this album, "She Likes It in the Morning", peaked at #43. Also included is a cover of Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", recorded here as a duet with Fender. This cover is also Walker's first duet.
"Fall", written by Clay Mills, Sonny LeMaire, and Shane Minor, is a song that has been recorded by both country singer Clay Walker and pop singer Kimberley Locke, both of whom are signed to Curb Records. Both versions were released within weeks of each other, in mid-2007. While Walker's version was released to country radio, Locke's went to adult contemporary radio format. Walker's reached number five on the U.S. country singles charts and Locke's achieved number one on the U.S. dance charts. Go West frontman Peter Cox recorded a version of "Fall" on his 2010 album, The S1 Sessions.
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Clay Walker is an American country music artist. His discography comprises eleven studio albums and a greatest hits album, as well as 36 singles. Walker's first four studio albums—Clay Walker, If I Could Make a Living, Hypnotize the Moon and Rumor Has It—are all certified platinum by the RIAA, and his greatest hits album and Live, Laugh, Love are each certified gold by the RIAA. Clay Walker is also certified platinum by the CRIA, while If I Could Make a Living and Hypnotize the Moon are certified gold.
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"Like We Never Said Goodbye" is a song written by Cory Batten and Tiffany Goss and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2012 as the third second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is also the 32nd single of Walker's career.
[Category:Song recordings produced by Keith Stegall