 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2020) |
| Folk-Country | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 14, 1966 | |||
| Recorded | March – July 1965 | |||
| Studio | RCA Victor Studios, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 29:06 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins | |||
| Waylon Jennings chronology | ||||
| ||||
Folk-Country is the major-label debut album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1966 on RCA Victor. It is his first collaboration with producer Chet Atkins.
According to the book Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville, Chet Atkins first heard of Jennings through comedian Don Bowman, who had worked with Waylon on the radio in Lubbock, and country singer Bobby Bare. In March 1965, the singer made his first recordings for RCA in what would be a moderately successful but increasingly frustrated artistic partnership. In the authorized Jennings documentary Renegade Outlaw Legend, Jennings recalled that at the time he was in awe of the legendary Atkins: "That's God's right hand as far as country music. When you walked in there, the most important thing in your life is to impress him."
The album bears little resemblance to the sound Jennings would pioneer in the 1970s as part of the "outlaw" movement, with Atkins tempering Waylon's assertive vocal style and surrounding him with the hallmarks of the "Nashville sound" that had been enormously successful for previous RCA artists like Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves. Author Michael Striessguth observes in his book Outlaws:
The album contains four songs written or co-written by Jennings as well as four songs composed by country tunesmith Harlan Howard. In an uncharacteristic move, Atkins allowed Jennings to use members of his band the Waylors on the recording, something that would rarely be permitted again, much to Waylon's annoyance. Atkins marketed Jennings to the folk-pop audience, calling the album Folk-Country, as folk music was experiencing a renaissance on college campuses throughout the country, but the majority of the songs were mostly country-pop. As Jennings recalled later, "Folk-Country was Nashville's scheme to snare some of the hootenanny folk audience, which was then starting to cross over to rock...I didn't mind the label; to me, folk music was the original country music, sung by folks, plain and simple." [1] The album did contain one Jennings classic: the catchy, up-tempo "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)," which was released as a single (peaking at #16) and would remain a part of Jennings' live show for years.
Folk-Country peaked at #9 on the Billboard country album chart. AllMusic: "Folk-Country is Waylon's true debut album for the RCA label, and while it is very much embryonic in terms of its revelation of the mature Jennings sound, its roots are clearly audible and the material, while safe, is more than satisfying...The single 'Stop the World (And Let Me Off)' is indicative of the kind of countrypolitan fare Atkins was developing at the label. And while this is only 1966, the listener can hear Jennings stretching the song to its limits - at least the limits imposed by a mainstream country single."
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Another Bridge to Burn" | Harlan Howard | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)" | Carl Belew, W. S. Stevenson | 2:03 |
| 3. | "Cindy of New Orleans" | Waylon Jennings | 1:59 |
| 4. | "Look into My Teardrops" | Don Bowman, Howard | 2:21 |
| 5. | "Down Came the World" | Bozo Darnell, Jennings | 2:17 |
| 6. | "I Don't Mind" | Howard, Richard E. Johnson | 2:55 |
| 7. | "Just for You" | Jennings, Bowman, Jerry Williams | 2:11 |
| 8. | "Now Everybody Knows" | Bowman | 2:39 |
| 9. | "That's the Chance I'll Have to Take" | Jennings | 2:05 |
| 10. | "What Makes a Man Wander" | Harlan Howard | 2:37 |
| 11. | "Man of Constant Sorrow" | Traditional | 2:44 |
| 12. | "What's Left of Me" | Howard | 2:33 |
Leavin' Town is the second studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1966 via RCA Victor. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard country albums chart.
Nashville Rebel is the third studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in December 1966 via RCA Victor. It reached #4 on the Billboard country albums chart.
Love of the Common People is a 1967 album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor, and the title selection of the album is the selection of the same title.
Hangin' On is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1968 on RCA Victor.
Just to Satisfy You is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1969 on RCA Victor.
Country-Folk is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings featuring the Kimberlys on vocals. It was released in 1969 on RCA Victor.
Good Hearted Woman is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1972 on RCA Nashville.
Ladies Love Outlaws is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Nashville in 1972. Together with Jennings' previous album Good Hearted Woman, it marks his transition toward his Outlaw Country image and style. "Ladies Love Outlaws" coined the use of the term "Outlaw" to refer to the country music subgenre, which was developing at the time of its release.
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1973. It was, after Good Hearted Woman and Ladies Love Outlaws, the third in a series of albums which were to establish Jennings as one of the most prominent representatives of the outlaw country movement. Photographer Mick Rock shot the album's cover.
Honky Tonk Heroes is a country music album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of the final track on the album, "We Had It All", all of the songs on the album were written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver. The album is considered an important piece in the development of the outlaw sub-genre in country music as it revived the honky tonk music of Nashville and added elements of rock and roll to it.
This Time is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1974, at the peak of the outlaw country movement. It was produced by Jennings and Willie Nelson.
Dreaming My Dreams is the twenty-second studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. The album was co-produced with Jack Clement and recorded at Glaser Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, between February and July 1974.
Wanted! The Outlaws is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by becoming the first country album to be platinum-certified, reaching sales of one million.
Waylon Live is a live album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976.
Danny Davis was an American country music band leader, trumpet player, vocalist and producer, best known as the founder and leader of the Nashville Brass.
The Waylors, later Waymore's Outlaws, is a country music band, best known as the backing and recording band of country music singer Waylon Jennings. Jennings formed the band in 1961, consisting of Jerry Gropp on the guitar and Richie Albright on the drums after moving to Phoenix, Arizona. The band earned a local fan base during its appearances on the night club JD's.
Remembering Patsy Cline & Jim Reeves is a tribute album released in 1982 remembering the music of country stars Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves who were both killed in plane crashes in the early 1960s. It was released by MCA Records. A similar album called Greatest Hits of Jim Reeves & Patsy Cline had been released the previous year by RCA Records.
The Words Don't Fit the Picture is the 14th studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
Both Sides Now is the tenth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1970.
Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing is a studio album by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap, released in 1981 by RCA Records. The album produced one single, "Am I Losing You", which was a #1 hit for Milsap. The album is a tribute to the late Jim Reeves, and all songs are covers of Reeves songs, except for two new tunes, which were written about Reeves specifically for this project. The two new songs are "Out Where the Bright Lights are Glowing" and "Dear Friend".
