Amarillo by Morning (song)

Last updated
"Amarillo by Morning"
Single by Terry Stafford
from the album Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose
A-side "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose"
ReleasedNovember 1973
Recorded1973 [1]
Studio Jack Clement Recording (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Country pop [2]
Length2:28
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) Paul Fraser
Terry Stafford
Producer(s) Blake Mevis
Terry Stafford singles chronology
"Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose"
(1973)		"Amarillo by Morning"
(1973)		"Captured"
(1974)

"Amarillo by Morning" is a country music song written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, and recorded in a country pop style by Stafford as a single in 1973 to minor success. [2] The song would be popularized in a fiddle-based Western rendition by Texas neotraditionalist George Strait in 1982. [3]

Contents

Content

The song is sung from the point of view of a rodeo cowboy, driving at night from San Antonio to a county fair in Amarillo, that will begin the following morning. The man recounts the hardships his occupation has caused him, including divorce, broken bones, and poverty, but states that he does not regret his lifestyle: "I ain't rich/ But Lord, I'm free." The song has appeared in several lists of the best country songs.

Original recording

Stafford conceived the song after playing with his band at a rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, and then driving back to his home in Amarillo, Texas. Stafford conveyed the concept and title he pulled from a FedEx commercial to Paul Fraser over the phone and by the next morning Paul had written the song. [4] [5]

Stafford recorded the song on his Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose album, released in 1973. [6] [7] The single was released August 2, 1973, by Atlantic Records with the master number 26867. The single "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" had been previously released as an A-side 45 (Atlantic Master 26868; June 7, 1973), but due to the success of "Amarillo by Morning", the single was re-released October 4, 1973, as the A-side (Atlantic Master 26867-1 stereo and Atlantic Master 26867-2 mono), with "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" on the B-side. [2] The song entered the Cash Box Country Looking Ahead chart November 3, 1973, the Cash Box Country chart on December 15, 1973, peaking at No. 37, the Billboard Country chart December 1, 1973, peaking at No. 31, the Record World Country chart December 15, 1973, peaking at No. 50, and Canada RPM Country chart January 26, 1974, peaking at No. 38. [7]

George Strait version

"Amarillo by Morning"
Single by George Strait
from the album Strait from the Heart
B-side "Lover in Disguise"
ReleasedJanuary 14, 1983
RecordedApril 13, 1982
Studio Music City Music Hall (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length2:52
Label MCA 52162
Songwriter(s) Paul Fraser
Terry Stafford
Producer(s) Blake Mevis
George Strait singles chronology
"Marina del Rey"
(1982)		"Amarillo by Morning"
(1983)		"A Fire I Can't Put Out"
(1983)

George Strait recorded the song for his 1982 album Strait from the Heart (LP MCA 5320). It was released on MCA as a single, release number 52162. The publisher's release was January 14, 1983, and the full release came February 16, 1983. The single entered the Billboard Country chart February 12, 1983, peaking at No. 4. [3] It has since become one of Strait's signature songs. [12]

This cover woke up Rick Husband while he piloted the STS-96 scientific space mission, [13] and was played for the entire crew during STS-114 [14] in honor of the Amarillo-born astronaut.

Critical reception

"Amarillo by Morning" is widely considered to be one of Strait's best songs. Billboard and American Songwriter ranked the song number nine and number six, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest George Strait songs. [15] [16] In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number ten on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking. [17]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that he has "finally found his niche as a performer." He goes on to say that the "simple arrangement and understated delivery are the defining elements of just about every Strait record since." [18]

Chart performance

Chart (1983)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [19] 4
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [20] 3× Platinum3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other cover versions

The song has been covered by numerous artists, including rodeo champion Chris LeDoux in 1975 on his album Life as a Rodeo Man, Asleep at the Wheel and John Arthur Martinez on his 2004 album Lone Starry Night.

South Texas recording artist Clifton Jansky from San Antonio recorded the song in November 1979 in Ludwig Studios in Houston, Texas. He had a regional hit in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana. Three years later, he exchanged soundtracks with Kelly Schoppa in Houston. He traded his soundtrack to "Amarillo by Morning" for a duet that Kelly had recorded in Nashville with Janie Fricke and no money changed hands.[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ]

Canadian indie rock artist Fancey covered the song on his 2018 album of 1960s and 1970s country songs County Fair. [21] Brazilian singer Zé Ramalho also recorded the song, with different lyrics.

Country music singer John Rich covered the song from the television special George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert.

Legacy

"Amarillo by Morning" was named "No. 12 country song of all time" by Country Music Television in 2004. [22] [23] In 2010, members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. [24] A 2003 survey of tourism-related officials by Development Counsellors International named "Amarillo by Morning" the 7th-best song about a place. [4] [25]

The song is regularly played at rodeos. [3]

The song was parodied by hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards as "Obamacare by Morning", which mocked technical problems with that year's rollout of the federal HealthCare.gov website as part of the Affordable Care Act. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Strait</span> American country music singer (born 1952)

George Harvey Strait Sr. is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Dunn</span> American singer-songwriter

Ronald Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of Brooks & Dunn. He released his self-titled debut album for Arista Nashville on June 7, 2011, reaching the Top 10 with its lead-off single, "Bleed Red". After leaving Arista Nashville in 2012, Dunn founded Little Will-E Records. On April 8, 2014, Ronnie Dunn released his second solo album, Peace, Love, and Country Music through Little Will-E Records. On November 11, 2016, he released his third album Tattooed Heart on NASH Icon label. His fourth album Re-Dunn was released on January 10, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Tucker</span> American singer and songwriter

Tanya Denise Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience; she had a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits. She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs including 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down", 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman", 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend", and 1992's "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". Tucker's 2019 album While I'm Livin' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and "Bring My Flowers Now" from that same album won Tucker a shared songwriting Grammy for Best Country Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collin Raye</span> American singer-songwriter

Floyd Elliot Wray, known professionally as Collin Raye and previously as Bubba Wray, is an American country music singer. He initially recorded as a member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made his solo debut in 1991 as Collin Raye with the album All I Can Be, which produced his first Number One hit in "Love, Me". All I Can Be was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve platinum certification in the United States for sales of one million copies each. Raye maintained several Top Ten hits throughout the rest of the decade and into 2000. 2001's Can't Back Down was his first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and he was dropped by his record label soon afterward. He did not record another studio album until 2005's Twenty Years and Change, released on an independent label.

<i>Strait from the Heart</i> 1982 studio album by George Strait

Strait from the Heart is the second studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on June 3, 1982, by MCA Records. The album includes Strait's first No. 1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory", as well as follow-up singles "Marina del Rey", "Amarillo by Morning" and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", reaching No. 6, No. 4, and No. 1 respectively on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait from the Heart is certified platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrina Elam</span> American singer-songwriter

Katrina Ruth Elam is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Universal South Records in 2004, she released her self-titled debut album that year, charting in the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks with the No. 29 "No End in Sight" and the No. 59 "I Want a Cowboy". A third single, "Love Is", peaked at No. 47 from an unreleased second album Turn Me Up. Elam left the label in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dance (song)</span> 1990 single by Garth Brooks

"The Dance" is a song written by Tony Arata and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks as the tenth and final track from his self-titled debut album, from which it was also released as the album's fourth and final single in April 1990. It is considered by many to be Brooks' signature song. In a 2015 interview with Patrick Kielty of BBC Radio 2, Brooks credits the back to back success of both "The Dance" and its follow up "Friends in Low Places" for his phenomenal success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Fowler</span> American singer-songwriter

Kevin Fowler is an American singer-songwriter. He has released five studio albums, and has charted four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the top 40 hit "Pound Sign (#?*!)". In addition, he wrote Sammy Kershaw's 2003 single "Beer, Bait & Ammo", Mark Chesnutt's 2004 single "The Lord Loves the Drinkin' Man" and Montgomery Gentry's 2009 single "Long Line of Losers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Anderson (singer)</span> American country musician (born 1954)

John David Anderson is an American country singer with a successful career that has lasted more than 40 years. Starting in 1977 with the release of his first single, "I've Got a Feelin' ", Anderson has charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including five number ones: "Wild and Blue", "Swingin'", "Black Sheep", "Straight Tequila Night", and "Money in the Bank". He has also recorded 22 studio albums on several labels. His latest album, Years, was released on April 10, 2020, on the Easy Eye Sound label and was produced by Nashville veteran producer David Ferguson and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey, Good Lookin' (song)</span> 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams

"Hey, Good Lookin'" is a 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and his version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, CMT voted the Hank Williams version No. 19 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music. Since its original 1951 recording it has been covered by a variety of artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Dillon</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1955)

Dean Dillon is an American country musician and songwriter. Between 1982 and 1993, he recorded six studio albums on various labels, and charted several singles on the Billboard country charts. Since 1993, Dillon has continued to write hit songs for other artists, most notably George Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Stafford</span> American singer-songwriter

Terry LaVerne Stafford was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 US Top 10 hit "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit "Amarillo by Morning". Stafford was also known for his Elvis Presley sound-alike voice.

"Amarillo Sky" is a song written by Big Kenny and John Rich, along with Rodney Clawson and Bart Pursley. It was originally recorded by Rich for his album Rescue Me in 2001. McBride & the Ride also recorded a version and released it as a single in 2002 from their album of the same name. Country music artist Jason Aldean later covered the song for his 2005 self-titled debut album, and his version was released as its third single in June 2006. It earned Aldean two nominations at the 2006 Academy of Country Music Awards for Video of the Year and Song of the Year, as well as video with the best direction at the CMT Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Seashores of Old Mexico</span> 2006 single by George Strait

"The Seashores of Old Mexico" is a country music song written by Merle Haggard. It was recorded by Hank Snow in 1971, Freddy Weller in 1972, Haggard himself in 1974, and in 1987 Haggard and Willie Nelson recut the song as a duet. Snow's version was a Top Ten hit in Canada, peaking at #6 on the RPM Top Country Tracks charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Watson</span> American singer (born 1977)

James Aaron Watson is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1999, Watson has recorded several independent albums in his career. His 2015 album The Underdog reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums that year, and in 2017, Watson had his first major radio airplay hit with "Outta Style", which reached top 10 on Country Airplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Check Yes or No</span> 1995 single by George Strait

"Check Yes or No" is a song written by Danny Wells and Dana Hunt Black, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in September 1995 as the lead single from his box set Strait Out of the Box. It peaked at number-one on both the U.S. Billboard country chart and the Canadian RPM country chart. It was also included as a bonus track on the UK released version of the Blue Clear Sky album in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chair (song)</span> 1985 single by George Strait

"The Chair" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in August 1985 as the first single from Strait’s album Something Special. The song reached number one on the country music charts in both the United States and Canada in 1985. The song was named by CMT as one of the Top 100 country songs of all time, posting at number 24 on that list. Something that sets "The Chair" apart for most other songs of any style - it has no refrain or chorus. Only the basic melody repeats throughout the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose</span> 1973 single by Tony Orlando and Dawn

“Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose” is a 1973 song by the American pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. Written by Irwin Levine (lyrics) and L. Russell Brown (music), it was included on the group's 1973 album, Dawn's New Ragtime Follies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cody Johnson</span> American country singer (born 1987)

Cody Daniel Johnson is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has self-released six albums, including Gotta Be Me, which debuted at number two on Billboard's Country Albums chart, before releasing his first major-label album, Ain't Nothin' to It, in January 2019. He released his second major-label album, Human: The Double Album, in October 2021. Johnson's style is classified as contemporary country and neo-traditionalist country, drawing influences from artists like George Strait and Willie Nelson. His song "'Til You Can't" won two awards at the Country Music Association Awards in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's What Cowboys Do</span> 2021 song by Garth Brooks

"That's What Cowboys Do" is a song by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released on June 29, 2021, as the fifth single from Brooks' fourteenth studio album Fun. Brooks co-wrote the song with John Martin and Mitch Rossell.

References

  1. ↑ "Atlantic Records Discography: 1973".
  2. 1 2 3 Cash Box - November 17, 1973
  3. 1 2 3 "Stories". dickshuey.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Albright, Max. "Amarillo, A Place to Sing About". Amarillo Globe-News . September 17, 2003
  5. ↑ Moser, Margaret. "The Top Texas 40: Ranking the Lone Star State in song" - Austin Chronicle - November 28, 2003
  6. ↑ Stafford, Terry, and the Nashville Edition. Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose. New York, New York: Atlantic Records. 1973. SD 7282. OCLC   26762481
  7. 1 2 "Terry Stafford Suspicion! Home Page". Keepkey.yochanan.net. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  8. ↑ "George Strait, Troubadour". Country Universe. December 3, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ Dauphin, Chuck (27 June 2017). "George Strait's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  10. ↑ Weiner, Natalie (May 18, 2022). "Best George Strait Songs: 20 Country Anthems". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Gold, Adam (29 August 2013). "George Strait to Record Five New Albums". Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ Dawson, Elisabeth. "George Strait: 10 Prime Hits". CMT . Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2021. You can smell the truck stop coffee when you hear this lonely anthem that became one of Strait's signature songs after it was released in 1983.
  13. ↑ In Memory of Rick Husband (1957-2003), February 2012, retrieved 2022-10-16
  14. ↑ "NASA - STS-114 MCC Status Report #18". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  15. ↑ Dauphin, Chuck (June 27, 2017). "George Strait's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  16. ↑ Walthall, Catherine (December 28, 2021). "The Top 10 George Strait Songs". American Songwriter . Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  17. ↑ "The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . May 24, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Retro Single Review: George Strait, "Amarillo By Morning" – Country Universe". Countryuniverse.net. 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  19. ↑ "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "American single certifications – George Strait – Amarillo by Morning". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Fancey "Amarillo by Morning" | Exclaim!".
  22. ↑ Flippo, Chet, and Country Music Television Network. CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard. 2004. ISBN   0-634-06352-9
  23. ↑ "CMT.com : Shows : The Greatest : 100 Greatest Songs - Show 1 (Songs 100-76) [TV-PG] : Countdown". Archived from the original on 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  24. ↑ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  25. ↑ "'New York' tops place songs". Usatoday.com. 2003-09-15. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  26. ↑ "Paisley, Underwood skewer ACA with 'Obamacare By Morning' spoof". KING. November 7, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.