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"I Ain't Never" | ||||
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Single by Mel Tillis | ||||
from the album I Ain't Never | ||||
B-side | "Burden Of Love" | |||
Released | July 1972 | |||
Recorded | May 26, 1972 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:09 | |||
Label | MGM 14418 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mel Tillis, Webb Pierce | |||
Producer(s) | Jim Vienneau | |||
Mel Tillis singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"I Ain't Never" on YouTube |
"I Ain't Never" is a song co-written by American country music artists Webb Pierce and Mel Tillis. Each co-writer recorded the song separately, with both Pierce's (1959), and years later Tillis's (1972), versions resulting in major hits.
According to Tillis, he wrote the song himself, and agreed to credit Pierce as a co-writer in exchange for a pair of boots Pierce was wearing when Tillis pitched him the song. In Tillis's words, "Them old boots cost me over eight hundred thousand dollars" in royalties. [1]
Pierce's version was released in 1959, eventually spending nine weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides chart that year (held out by "The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)" by The Browns). The pop market accepted the Webb Pierce version, crossing it into the Billboard Top 40 and peaking at #24. [2]
Chart (1959) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [4] | 24 |
Tillis's 1972 recording of the song was his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts. The success of this version was limited to country music stations.
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles [5] | 1 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles [5] | 70 |
Since its original release, the song has been recorded by several other artists, including: Jimmie Vaughan, Roger Miller, Little Richard, The Jordanaires and Charley Crockett [6]
"Mountain of Love" is a song written by Harold Dorman. Dorman released his version as a single in 1960. It was originally recorded in late 1959 at the Royal Recording Studios in Memphis before the backing vocals were overdubbed. It performed well, spending 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 21 in May 1960, while reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart, and No. 25 on Canada's "CHUM Hit Parade". The song was his only top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the highest-charting single of his career.
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.
"City Lights" is an American country music song written by Bill Anderson on August 27, 1957. He recorded it on a small Texas label called TNT Records in early 1958 to little acclaim. The song was first cut by Anderson in 1957 at the campus of the University of Georgia. In June 1958, Ray Price recorded it and his version hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs singles chart in August 1958. Mickey Gilley's version also hit number 1 in June 1975.
"Detroit City" is a song written by Danny Dill and Mel Tillis, made famous by Billy Grammer, country music singer Bobby Bare and Tom Jones. Bare's version was released in 1963 and was featured on his album "Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare. The song — sometimes known as "I Wanna Go Home" — was Bare's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that summer, and became a country music standard.
"Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in October 1971 as the first single from the album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs. The song has since become one of his signature tunes and was his eighth song to reach number one on the country charts. It was also Pride's only single to reach the Top 40 on the pop charts, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also went into the Top Ten of the Adult Contemporary charts. It also reached #19 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100. The song spent four months on the pop chart, longer than any of his other hits. Billboard ranked it as the No. 74 song for 1972.
"Life Turned Her That Way" is a song written by Harlan Howard and first recorded by American country music artist Little Jimmy Dickens in 1965. Mel Tillis recorded it in 1967 and released it as a single in February and was his seventh chart entry. Ricky Van Shelton would also later record it and release it as a single. It was the fourth single released from his debut album, Wild-Eyed Dream. Released in late 1987, it was his second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early 1988.
"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording and was his second number one on the country charts. "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" spent 14 weeks at the top spot and spent nine months on the country chart and crossed over to the Hot 100 peaking at number eight.
"I Don't Care" is a 1955 song written by Webb Pierce and Cindy Walker and originally performed by Pierce. The song spent twelve weeks at number one on the C&W Best Seller charts and spent a total of 32 weeks on the charts. "The B-side of "I Don't Care" a song entitled, "Your Good for Nothing Heart" spent six weeks on the Juke Box and C&W Jockey charts.
"All the Time" is a song that has been recorded by many country music artists. The first version, by Kitty Wells, peaked at #18 on the country music charts in 1959. It was the b-side to her single "Mommy for a Day," which peaked at #5.
"It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in May 1972 as the first single from the album A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride. The song was Pride's ninth number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for three weeks and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the country chart.
"Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" is a song written by Warner Mack. Mack recorded the song in 1957, and reached No. 9 on the Billboard country charts and spent 36 weeks on the chart.
Honey (Open That Door)" is a song written by Mel Tillis and recorded by American country music artist Webb Pierce and by Ricky Skaggs. Pierce recorded it for his 1962 album Hideaway Heart. It was also a non-charted single by Pierce released in 1974.
"Honky Tonkin'" is a 1947 country music song, written and recorded by Hank Williams. His song went to #14 on the Billboard country music chart in 1948. In 1982, it became the sixth chart topping single for Williams' son, Hank Williams Jr.
"Making Believe" is a country music song written by Jimmy Work. Kitty Wells recorded a chart-topping version in 1955. The song is on many lists of all-time greatest country music songs and has been covered by scores of artists over the past fifty years, including Thorleifs, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Don Gibson, Roy Acuff, Lefty Frizzell, Wanda Jackson, Connie Francis, Ray Charles, Anita Carter, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, The Kendalls, Ernest Tubb, Skeeter Davis, The Haden Triplets, Social Distortion and Volbeat. The song is occasionally called "Makin' Believe".
"One of Those Things" is a song written by American country music artists Pam Tillis and Paul Overstreet and recorded by Tillis on Warner Bros. Records. The song was released as a single in June 1985, but did not chart. After signing with Arista Nashville in 1989, Tillis re-recorded the song and released it as the second single from her 1990 studio album Put Yourself in My Place in April 1991. This version reached number six on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" is a song written by Joe Babcock.
"How to Be a Country Star" is a song recorded by American country music group The Statler Brothers, written by group members Harold Reid and Don Reid. The song – a humorous, tongue-in-cheek advice song that names many of the top country music recording artists of the time, along with a number of classic country artists – was released in March 1979 as the first single from the album The Originals. The song eventually climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that May, and also No. 18 on the Canadian RPM country singles chart.
"Honky Tonk Song" is a country music song recorded by Webb Pierce. The song was co-written by Mel Tillis and Buck Peddy. It was released in 1957 on the Decca label.
"Let Me Live" is a song written by Ben Peters. It was originally recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. The song was produced by Jack Clement and was released as a single via RCA Victor Records in 1971. The song became a top 40 hit on the Billboard country chart and in Canada. It was Pride's only gospel recording to become a major hit.