It Was I

Last updated
"It Was I"
Single by Skip & Flip
B-side "Lunch Hour"
Released May 1959
Genre Rock and roll
Length2:15
Label Brent
Songwriter(s) Gary S. Paxton
Skip & Flip singles chronology
"It Was I"
(1959)		"Fancy Nancy"
(1959)

"It Was I" is a 1959 song written by vocalist Gary S. Paxton when he released it as part of a duo with Clyde Battin called Skip & Flip. "It Was I" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 [1] and ranked No. 84 on Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1959. [2]

Contents

Skip & Flip recording

Paxton had dropped out of high school and was living in Phoenix, Arizona when he wrote "It Was I" with Battin. The two of them recorded an acoustic demo of the song and submitted it to producer Bob Shad. [3] Shortly after the song was release as a single, Paxton overheard "It Was I" playing from a radio speaker while he was working in a pecan tree. Paxton only realized the song was his after he rushed over to a parked car to take a closer listen. [4] "It Was I" eventually sold over one million copies. [5]

Chart performance

Chart (1959)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [6] 11

Lindsey Buckingham recording

"It Was I"
Single by Lindsey Buckingham
from the album Law and Order
Released1982
Recorded1981
Length2:39
Label Asylum/Warner Music Group
Songwriter(s) Gary S. Paxton
Producer(s) Lindsey Buckingham
Richard Dashut
Lindsey Buckingham singles chronology
"Trouble"
(1981)		"It Was I"
(1982)		"Holiday Road"
(1983)

The song was later covered by American guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, and was released as the second single off his debut album, Law and Order . A music video directed by Jerry Watson was also created to accompany the song. [7] Unlike Buckingham's previous single "Trouble", "It Was I" was not a big hit for Buckingham and it also failed to match the success of the original Skip & Flip recording. The song only reached No. 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart, an extension to the Hot 100. [8]

"It Was I" fared slightly better in Australia, where it managed to reach the No. 74 spot. [9] Despite only achieving minor success in Australia, "It Was I" performed better there than any of Buckingham's subsequent singles, including "Go Insane", which only reached No. 100.

In an interview with Jim Ladd, Buckingham described "It Was I" as having an adolescent theme to its lyrics. "It's about someone who's probably first experiencing pain in a relationship and he's explaining what has gone wrong, but his conclusion at the end is one of commitment still. Saying, "let's keep trying. Let's keep going and get through this." The sense is really very optimistic for future happiness." [10]

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [9] 74
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles [8] 10

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsey Buckingham</span> American guitarist (born 1949)

Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American musician, record producer, and the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has released seven solo studio albums and three live albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone's 2011 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Buckingham is known for his fingerpicking guitar style.

<i>Fleetwood Mac</i> (1975 album) 1975 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is the tenth studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 11 July 1975 in the United States and on 1 August 1975 in the United Kingdom by Reprise Records. It is the band's second eponymous album, the first being their 1968 debut album, and is sometimes referred to by fans as the White Album. It is the first Fleetwood Mac album with Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist and Stevie Nicks as a vocalist, after Bob Welch departed the band in late 1974. It is also the band's last album to be released on the Reprise label until 1997's The Dance; the band's subsequent albums until then were released through Warner Bros. Records, Reprise's parent company.

The Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary S. Paxton. They had a US number one hit record, "Alley Oop", in 1960.

Skip & Flip was a U.S. pop duo, consisting of Skip and Flip. They met while attending the University of Arizona in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1975 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Over My Head" is a soft rock song recorded by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac for their self-titled 1975 album. The song was written by keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie. "Over My Head" was the band's first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 since "Oh Well", ending a six-year dry spell on the American charts.

<i>Law and Order</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Lindsey Buckingham

Law and Order is the first solo album by Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1981. "Trouble", featuring drumming by Fleetwood Mac bandmate Mick Fleetwood, reached No. 9 on the U.S. charts; the album itself reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Lindsey appeared on Saturday Night Live on February 6, 1982 and performed "Trouble" and "Bwana" with Mick Fleetwood's Zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble (Lindsey Buckingham song)</span> 1981 single by Lindsey Buckingham

"Trouble" is the debut solo single by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1981 from his debut solo album Law and Order. The single was Buckingham's first hit as a solo artist, peaking at number nine in the US and number 31 in the UK, where it remained charted for seven weeks. In Australia, it topped the chart for three weeks and became the eighth biggest-selling single of 1982. It experienced similar levels of success in South Africa, reaching number one for two weeks and finishing 1982 as the country's 13th best-selling single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go Your Own Way</span> 1976 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Go Your Own Way" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). The song was released as the album's first single in December 1976 in the United States. Written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham, it became the band's first top-ten hit in the United States. "Go Your Own Way" has been well received by music critics and was ranked number 120 by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of 500 greatest songs of all time in 2010, and re-ranked number 401 in 2021. They also ranked the song second on their list of the 50 greatest Fleetwood Mac songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alley Oop (song)</span> 1960 single by The Hollywood Argyles

"Alley Oop" is a song written and composed by Dallas Frazier in 1957. The song was inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tusk (song)</span> 1979 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Tusk" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from the 1979 double LP of the same name. The song peaked at number eight in the United States for three weeks, reached number six in the United Kingdom, number five in Canada, and number three in Australia. Lindsey Buckingham wrote the song and is the lead singer on the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary S. Paxton</span> American record producer, recording artist, and songwriter

Gary Sanford Paxton was an American record producer, recording artist, and Grammy and Dove Award winning songwriter. Paxton was a member of Skip & Flip and the Hollywood Argyles and was the producer of two number one Billboard Hot 100 singles, "Alley Oop" for the Hollywood Argyles in 1960 and "Monster Mash" for Bobby "Boris" Pickett in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skip Battin</span> Musical artist

Clyde "Skip" Battin was an American singer-songwriter, bassist, performer, and recording artist. He was a member of the Byrds, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

<i>Go Insane</i> 1984 studio album by Lindsey Buckingham

Go Insane is the second solo studio album by American rock musician Lindsey Buckingham, then the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of Fleetwood Mac. The album was released on July 30, 1984, by Elektra Records and Warner Music Group, while Fleetwood Mac was on a hiatus between albums. It peaked at No. 45 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Two promotional music videos were shot for the album. These include "Go Insane" and "Slow Dancing". Buckingham played all of the instruments on the album except for on "I Want You" and "Go Insane."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Love (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1987 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Big Love" is a song written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The song first appeared on the band's 1987 album Tango in the Night. The song was the first single to be released from the album, reaching number 5 in the US and number nine in the UK. The single was also a hit on the American dance charts, where the song peaked at number 7.

<i>Gift of Screws</i> 2008 studio album by Lindsey Buckingham

Gift of Screws is the fifth solo album by American musician and Fleetwood Mac vocalist/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, and was released on September 15, 2008. Gift of Screws peaked at #48 on the Billboard 200 album chart in September 2008. Additionally, it also reached number #15 on the Billboard Rock Album Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Me (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1982 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Hold Me" is a 1982 song by the British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was the first track to be released as a single from the band's thirteenth album Mirage. Written by Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, McVie and Lindsey Buckingham shared lead vocals on the song. The single reached #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's first to break the top five since 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday Road</span> 1983 single by Lindsey Buckingham

"Holiday Road" is a 1983 single composed and recorded by American guitarist/singer Lindsey Buckingham. Written for the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation, it was also used in the film's sequels National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985), Vegas Vacation (1997) and Vacation (2015). Despite only peaking at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during its original release, it has since become one of Buckingham's best known songs.

<i>Seeds We Sow</i> 2011 studio album by Lindsey Buckingham

Seeds We Sow is the sixth solo album by American musician and Fleetwood Mac vocalist-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, released on September 6, 2011. It is his first to be self-released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peacekeeper (song)</span> 2003 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Peacekeeper" is a song by Fleetwood Mac, written by guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, from their 17th studio album, Say You Will (2003). It was the first and most commercially successful single released from the album. Buckingham shares vocals with bandmate Stevie Nicks. As of 2024, "Peacekeeper" was the band's most recent song to debut on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 80.

<i>Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie</i> 2017 studio album by Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie

Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie is a studio album by Fleetwood Mac vocalists Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, released on June 9, 2017. Four of the five "classic members" of Fleetwood Mac are featured on the album; vocalist Stevie Nicks is the sole member absent. The album sold over 22,000 units in the United States in its first week and debuted within the top 20. It proved to be even more successful in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at No. 5. In November 2017, the album was also certified silver with sales exceeding 60,000 units.

References

  1. ↑ Skip & Flip, "It Was I" chart position Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1959". Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ Roberts, Sam (2016-07-23). "Gary S. Paxton, Whose Mixed Bag of a Life Was Filled With Music, Dies at 77". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  4. ↑ Daponte, Mark (2022-05-14). "Of Hits and Hitmen: The Gary S. Paxton Story". CultureSonar. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  5. ↑ "Gary S.Paxton". www.urban.ne.jp. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  6. ↑ "Skip and Flip Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Looking Out For Trouble" (PDF). Billboard. November 21, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Billboard - March 20, 1982" (PDF). Billboard. March 20, 1982. p. 70. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Innerview with Jim Ladd (1981), (Radio Show Partial Transcript)". The Blue Letter Archives. 1981. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
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.