Durham Town (The Leavin')

Last updated
"Durham Town (The Leavin')"
Durham Town (The Leavin') - Roger Whittaker.jpg
Single by Roger Whittaker
from the album This is...Roger Whittaker
B-side "Storm"
ReleasedOctober 1969
Genre Vocal pop
Contemporary folk
Length3:08
Label Columbia (UK)
RCA Victor (US)
Songwriter(s) Roger Whittaker
Producer(s) Denis Preston
Roger Whittaker singles chronology
"Mistral"
(1969)
"Durham Town (The Leavin')"
(1969)
"I Don't Believe in If Anymore"
(1970)

"Durham Town (The Leavin')" is a song, written and sung by Roger Whittaker, released as a single in 1969. It spent 18 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 12. [1] [2] In 1976, the song reached No. 8 on Canada's RPM "Pop Music Playlist", [3] while reaching No. 23 on Billboard 's Easy Listening chart. [4] The song was also recorded in French translation under the title "Mon pays bleu".

Contents

Background

Whittaker's original intent, to set the song in Newcastle, was abandoned in favour of nearby Durham because Whittaker agreed with his producer that "Durham" sounded better. While focusing the song on Newcastle, Whittaker had set its second verse "on the banks of the river Tyne", and as Whittaker had little to no familiarity with his chosen locale for the song, he retained the verse with its Tyneside setting for the song's finalized version set in Durham. While the Tyne flows eastwards through Newcastle, it is the Wear, 20 miles (32 km) to the south, which flows through Durham. [5]

Releases

Under its original title "The Leaver", the song first appeared on Whittaker's 1969 album release This is...Roger Whittaker, recorded with producer Denis Preston at Preston's studio in Lansdowne House. The track—renamed "Durham Town (The Leavin')"—was issued as a single in October 1969. Whittaker later recalled: "I just didn't have any faith in that song at all. Far from promoting the single in Britain, I went off to Finland for a cabaret season and television appearances." [6]

Whittaker returned to Britain in November to find the song ascending the UK Singles Chart towards a No. 12 peak in January 1970. On the Irish Singles Chart it was afforded a chart peak of No. 17. [7] In Australia, the single—titled "The Leavin' (Durham Town)"—attracted enough regional success to chart nationally at No. 80.[ citation needed ]

In 1970, the song was included on the North American RCA Victor release of Whittaker's album New World in the Morning , [8] [9] whose title cut was coupled with "Durham Town" to form Whittaker's first US single. Whittaker recorded a French rendering of the song, entitled "Mon Pays Bleu (Durham Town)", which was issued for the French and Canadian markets.

The wake of the success Whittaker enjoyed with "The Last Farewell" in the summer of 1975 resulted in the reissue of "Durham Town" in the US and Canada, where the track became an Easy Listening hit. The song was also included on the album The Last Farewell & Other Hits, issued by RCA Victor in 1975.

Cover versions

The song has also been recorded by Anne and Laura Brand on the 1970 album The Pride O' The North, by Val Doonican as "Leaving (Durham Town)" on the 1971 album Just A Sittin' And A Rockin' , and by Finnish singer Robin as "Jäähyväiset" (1970).

In 2016, the French version ("Mon pays bleu") was recorded and released as a single by the Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier.

Chart performance

Chart (1969-1970)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart12
Irish Singles Chart17
Chart (1976)Peak
position
Canada - RPM Pop Music Playlist8
US - Billboard Easy Listening23

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Whittaker</span> Kenyan-British singer-songwriter (1936–2023)

Roger Henry Brough Whittaker was a Kenyan-born British singer-songwriter and musician. His music is an eclectic mix of folk music and popular songs, the latter variously in a crooning or in a schlager style. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability as well as his guitar skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a Heartache</span> 1977 single by Bonnie Tyler

"'It's a Heartache'" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. Written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, and co-produced with David Mackay, the single was released in November 1977 by RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and numerous European countries, and reached No. 3 in the US and No. 4 in the UK. Worldwide, "It's a Heartache" sold around six million copies.

<i>Metamorphosis</i> (Iron Butterfly album) Iron Butterfly album

Metamorphosis is the fourth studio album by Iron Butterfly, released on August 13, 1970. It reached number 16 on the US charts and number 31 in Canada. Mike Pinera and Larry "El Rhino" Reinhardt became members of Iron Butterfly in the early part of 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Night</span> 1970 single by Deep Purple

"Black Night" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple, released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Anniversary version of their 1970 studio album, Deep Purple in Rock. It became a hit in August 1970 following the succes of that album, peaking at No. 1 on UK New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts, while reaching No. 2 on the Official UK Singles charts, and remains Deep Purple's highest charting UK single. It also topped the charts in Switzerland, and is one of only two singles from the band to chart in Ireland, peaking at No. 4, thus making it the group's only Irish Top 10 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love the One You're With</span> 1970 single by Stephen Stills

"Love the One You're With" is a song by American folk rock musician Stephen Stills. It was released as the lead single from his debut self-titled studio album in November 1970. The song, inspired by a remark Stills heard from musician Billy Preston, became his biggest hit single, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1971. David Crosby and Graham Nash, Stills's fellow members of Crosby, Stills & Nash, provide background vocals on the song. Also providing the backups are Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla Jones, and John Sebastian. They all sing the "Do Dos" that come before the instrumental portion and the outro. The song was also recorded by the Isley Brothers, The Meters, Bucks Fizz, Luther Vandross, Bob Seger and Richard Clapton, among others.

Pierre Cour was a French songwriter who wrote songs for several generations of artists. He wrote a number of successful songs in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Among those who recorded his songs are Dalida, Roger Whittaker, Petula Clark, Vicky Leandros, Paul Mauriat, Nana Mouskouri, Claudine Longet, German Montero, Jean-Claude Annoux and Enrico Macias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Know Him Is to Love Him</span> 1958 single by The Teddy Bears

"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him". It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member, The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song, in 1965 and 1968, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Evelyn "Champagne" King song)</span> 1977 single by Evelyn "Champagne" King

"Shame" is a 1977 single recorded by American singer Evelyn "Champagne" King, written by John H. Fitch Jr. and Reuben Cross, and released by RCA Records. It was released by RCA Records as part of King's debut album, Smooth Talk. The extended remix was produced for the twelve-inch vinyl single and would later replace the album version of the song in late-1970s reprints of the album. "Shame" was successful on Billboard music charts and would become one of King's signature songs, though it varied on international music charts. The song was covered by Zhané for the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame and Kim Wilde in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just One Look (song)</span> 1963 single by Doris Troy

"Just One Look" is a song co-written by American R&B singers Doris Troy and Gregory Carroll. The recording by Doris Troy was a hit in 1963. The Hollies, Anne Murray, Linda Ronstadt and Iain Matthews each achieved great success with the song. There have also been many other versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husbands and Wives (song)</span> 1966 song by Roger Miller

"Husbands and Wives" is a song written and first recorded by American country music singer Roger Miller. Miller's original, from his album Words and Music, was released in February 1966 and was a crossover hit for him, reaching Top Ten on the U.S. country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Top 40 on the pop charts. Since the release of Miller's original, the song has been covered by several other artists, including The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, a duet between David Frizzell and Shelly West, Jules Shear, and Brooks & Dunn, whose version was a number-one country hit in 1998.

"The Last Farewell" is a song by the British folk singer Roger Whittaker and Ron A. Webster. Whittaker hosted a radio programme in the United Kingdom, backed by an orchestra with arrangements by Zack Lawrence. Roger Whittaker said, "One of the ideas I had was to invite listeners to send their poems or lyrics to me and I would make songs out of them. We got a million replies, and I did one each week for 26 weeks."

"Mamy Blue" is a 1970 song by French songwriter Hubert Giraud. Originally written with French lyrics, the song was rendered in English in 1971 to become an international hit for the Pop-Tops, Joël Daydé and Roger Whittaker. A hit in Italy with Italian lyrics for Dalida and in France in its original French for Nicoletta, "Mamy Blue" was also rendered in a number of other languages in cover versions recorded by a good number of local recording artists across continental Europe, while a "local cover" of the English-language version by Charisma reached #1 in South Africa. The song's title is sometimes spelled "Mammy Blue" in the English-speaking world.

<i>New World in the Morning</i> 1971 studio album by Roger Whittaker

New World in the Morning is a studio album by British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker released by EMI in 1971. It featured some of his most popular folk songs, including the international hit "The Last Farewell", "A Special Kind of Man", and "Streets of London". Whittaker first performed the title track, "New World in the Morning", at a 1969 music festival in Rio de Janeiro. When released as a single, it reached number 17 in the UK and number 12 in the US Easy Listening charts.

"Lovin' Her Was Easier " is a song written, composed, first recorded, and first released by Kris Kristofferson. It was also recorded and released by Roger Miller, who included it on his album The Best of Roger Miller and released it as a single in July 1971. Ten years later, it was recorded by Tompall & the Glaser Brothers for the album Lovin' Her Was Easier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Women Make Good Lovers</span>

"Lonely Women Make Good Lovers" is a song written by Freddy Weller and Spooner Oldham, and first recorded by American country music artist Bob Luman. Luman's version was the second single from his 1972 album of the same name. He released the single on August 2, 1972, and it debuted on the Hot Country Singles charts in September, spending nineteen weeks on it and peaking at number 4. Weller released his version of the song on his October 1972 album, The Roadmaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dottie West singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country artist Dottie West contains 59 singles released as a solo artist, 12 singles released as a collaborative artist, 3 promotional singles and 1 other charting song. West signed with RCA Victor Records in 1963, having her first Top 40 hit the same year. It was followed in 1964 by "Love Is No Excuse", a duet with Jim Reeves that became West's first top 10 hit. In 1964, she also released "Here Comes My Baby". The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and became the first song by a female country artist to win a Grammy award. From her 1966 album, West issued four singles, including the top 10 hits "Would You Hold It Against Me" and "What's Come Over My Baby". Over the next two years she had major hits with "Paper Mansions", "Like a Fool", "Country Girl", and "Reno". In 1969, West collaborated with Don Gibson on "Rings of Gold", which reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart. In 1973, she released a single version of a commercial jingle originally used by The Coca-Cola Company. Entitled "Country Sunshine", the song became West's biggest hit, reaching number 2 on the country songs chart and number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also nominated her for her eleventh Grammy. After releasing the top 10 hit "Last Time I Saw Him" (1974), West's chart hits declined and she was dropped from RCA in 1976.

"1900 Yesterday" is a song written by John Cameron and Lee Simmons. The song was originally released by Betty Everett in 1969 on the album There'll Come a Time.

<i>Burgers and Fries/When I Stop Leaving</i> (Ill Be Gone) 1978 studio album by Charley Pride

Burgers and Fries/When I Stop Leaving is the twenty-fifth studio album by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in October 1978 on RCA Victor and contained ten tracks. It was co-produced by Pride and Jerry Bradley. The project was Pride's twenty fifth studio release in his recording career and reached major chart positions in the United States and Canada. Three singles were released off the album, including both of its title tracks and "Where Do I Put Her Memory." All three singles became major hits on the country charts in the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Believe in If Anymore</span> 1970 single by Roger Whittaker

"I Don't Believe in If Anymore" is a song by British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker, released as a single in March 1970. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. After the success of "The Last Farewell" in 1975, the song was re-released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squeeze Toy (song)</span> 1999 single by the Boomtang Boys

"Squeeze Toy" is a song by Canadian music production team the Boomtang Boys featuring vocals from Canadian Eurodance singer Kim Esty. Written by group members Rob DeBoer, Tony Grace, and Paul Grace, it was released in March 1999 as the second single from their first studio album, Greatest Hits Volume One. The song topped the Canadian Singles Chart for four weeks and became a top-10 radio hit, peaking at number 10 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. A French-language version of the song titled "Mon joujou" was also recorded, featuring vocals from Diane DiVito.

References

  1. Durham Town (The Leavin') - By: Roger Whittaker, MusicVF.com. Accessed October 10, 2015
  2. Roger Whittaker - Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company . Accessed October 11, 2015
  3. "RPM Pop Music Playlist", RPM Weekly, Volume 24, Ed. 23 March 6, 1976. Accessed October 10, 2015
  4. Roger Whittaker - Chart History - Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed October 11, 2015
  5. Freeman, Colin; Paterson, Tony (2 December 2007). "How Germany loves the bearded balladeer" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  6. "The Early Years". RogerWhittaker.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  7. Song Title Search Results for "Durham Town", The Irish Charts. Accessed July 30, 2016.
  8. "Record Reviews". Times-News . Twin Falls, Idaho. June 5, 1970. p. 15. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  9. "New sparkler in music world". The StarPhoenix . Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. June 12, 1970. p. 16. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.