"Lovesick Blues" is a Tin Pan Alley song, composed by Cliff Friend, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It first appeared in the 1922 musical "Oh, Ernest", and was recorded that year by Elsie Clark and Jack Shea. Emmett Miller recorded it in 1925 and 1928, followed by country music singer Rex Griffin in 1939. The recordings by Griffin and Miller inspired Hank Williams to perform the song during his first appearances on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in 1948. Receiving an enthusiastic reception from the audience, Williams decided to record his own version despite initial push back from his producer Fred Rose (a former 1920s Tin Pan Alley songwriter) and his band.
MGM Records released "Lovesick Blues" in February 1949, and it became an overnight success, quickly reaching number one on Billboard's Top Country & Western singles chart and number 24 on the Most Played in Jukeboxes list. After a 42 week run, 16 of those weeks at number 1, the publication named it the top country and western record of the year, while Cashbox named it "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year". It was the biggest hit of Hank Williams' career.
Several cover versions of the song have been recorded. The most popular, Frank Ifield's 1962 version, topped the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, Williams' version was added to the National Recording Registry. Miller's 1928 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, and Williams' 1949 recording in 2011.[8]
"Lovesick Blues" was originally titled "I've Got the Love-sick Blues," and published by Jack Mills, Inc. in 1922;[2]Irving Mills wrote the lyrics and Cliff Friend composed the music. It was first performed by Anna Chandler in the Tin Pan Alley musical Oh! Ernest and recorded by Elsie Clark on March 21, 1922 with Okeh Records.[9] Following the recording, Friend and Mills copyrighted the song on April 3, 1922.[2] It was featured in a show at the Boardwalk Club in New York City in June 1922 and recorded by Jack Shea (aka Irving Kaufman) on Vocalion Records later that summer.[10]
On September 1, 1925, OKeh Records sent scout Ralph Peer and a recording crew to Asheville, North Carolina. Among the aspiring artists recorded by Peer was Emmett Miller. Accompanied by Walter Rothrock on the piano, Miller cut four sides for the label, including "Lovesick Blues".[11] The single was paired with "Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William Now)" and released in November 1925.[12] On June 12, 1928 accompanied by the Georgia Crackers (Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, and Leo McConville), Miller re-recorded the song, which was released to weak sales.[11]
Eleven years later, Miller's version was covered by country music singer Rex Griffin. Like Hank Williams, Griffin was a prolific songwriter who was rarely inspired to record compositions other than his own. Griffin rearranged the song by using the original chorus - "I got a feeling called the blues" as a verse, and turning the verse "I'm in love, I'm in love, with a beautiful gal" into the new chorus.[13] He added several yodels that emphasised the pain of the singer. Though it was his final session for Decca Records, he was eventually inducted by the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, in recognition of songs like "The Last Letter" and "The Lovesick Blues." His recording on September 25, 1939[14] was the first "Hillbilly" version (equivalent to today's "Country music") of the latter, and it was his arrangement that Hank Williams later "imitated and immortalized", in December 1948.[15]
Hank Williams recording
Hank Williams, who heard both the Miller and Griffin versions,[3] started performing the song on the Louisiana Hayride shortly after joining in August 1948. Horace Logan, the show's producer and programming director for KWKH, reported that the audience "went crazy" the first time Williams performed the song on the show.[16] In light of the live audience's strong positive reaction, Williams decided to record the song. His decision was questioned by his musicians and also his producer, Fred Rose, who felt that the song did not merit a recording.[14][17] Williams, mindful of the reaction he received live, persisted, and the recording took place during the final half-hour of a session recorded at Herzog Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio,[18] on December 22, 1948.[19] For this recording, Williams replaced the jazz musicians with a modern country music band, using a rhythm guitar, mandolin, string bass, drums and a steel guitar.[20] Williams' session band was composed of Clyde Baum (mandolin), Zeke Turner (electric guitar), Jerry Byrd (steel guitar), Louis Innis (rhythm guitar), Tommy Jackson (fiddle) and Willie Thawl (bass).[21]
With little time left, Byrd and Turner replicated the musical arrangement they previously used on an Ernest Tubb session for a cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting for a Train". In the episode of American Masters about Williams, Drifting Cowboy Don Helms recalls, "When they recorded 'Lovesick Blues,' Fred told Hank, 'That song's out of meter! Got too many bars in it. And you hold that note too long.' And Hank said, 'Well, when I find a note I like, I wanna hold on to it as long as I can,' you know, just tryin' to be funny. And Fred said, 'Well, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. That thing is so much out of meter, I'm gonna get me a cup of coffee and when I get back maybe ya'll have that thing cut.' And they did, but it was still out of meter. So Fred lived with that the rest of his life." Williams combined Griffin's lyrical arrangement with a two-beat honky-tonk track,[22] borrowing the yodeling and beat drops from Miller's recording.[17] "Lovesick Blues" was recorded in two takes.[22]
Hank Williams, depicted on an MGM publicity portrait
MGM released "Lovesick Blues" on February 11, 1949, coupling it with "Never Again (Will I Knock On Your Door)".[6] The single sold 50,000 copies in the first two weeks.[18] On its February 26, 1949 review, Billboard opined: "Hank's razz-mah-tazz approach and ear-catching yodeling should keep this side spinning". Based on votes sent to Billboard, the record was rated with 85 points by disc jockeys, 82 by record dealers and 85 by jukebox operators. Between the three, the track scored an overall of 84. In reference to its 100-point scale, Billboard regarded the record as "Excellent".[23] It reached number one on Billboard's Top C&W singles, where it remained for sixteen weeks and reached number twenty-four on Most Played in Jukeboxes.[24] The magazine listed it as the "number one country and western record of 1949" while Cashbox named it "Best Hillbilly record of the year".[19]
Following the success of the song, Williams was invited to appear as a guest on the Grand Ole Opry, on June 11, 1949.[25] After the performance, Williams received a standing ovation.[26] "Lovesick Blues" became his signature song, which he used to close his shows.[27] It was also his first number one hit, and garnered Williams the stage nicknames of "The Lovesick Blues Boy" and "Mr. Lovesick Blues".[28] In 1949, the singer received second billing behind Eddy Arnold on the list of the "Year's Top Selling Folk Artists".[27] Williams' version of the song was featured in the films The Last Picture Show (1971), Forrest Gump (1994) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). In 2004, "Lovesick Blues" was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.[29]
The Crickets recording
The Crickets released their cover of the song (based on Williams' version) in 1971 on the Philips label. The song appeared originally as the B-side to the single "My Rockin' Days". The recording lineup consisted of Sonny Curtis providing lead guitar and vocals, Joe Osborn on bass, Jerry Allison on drums, and Glen Hardin on piano. The song was performed live on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972.[30]
Other versions
Singer Sonny James released a version of the song on the flip side of "Dear Love" in June 1957.[31] The song peaked at number 15 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs.[32]
In March 1960, Patsy Cline released a version of "Lovesick Blues" via Decca Records. It was backed on the B-side with the track "How Can I Face Tomorrow".[33] Cline's version failed to become a commercial success due to a lack of promotion and advertisement from her record label.[34]
Floyd Cramer's 1962 instrumental version of the song peaked at 87 on the Billboard Hot 100.[35]
In November 1962, Frank Ifield's version of "Lovesick Blues" topped the UK Singles Chart,[36] and reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1963. [37]Gramophone compared his singing to a "rough and raucous Jimmie Rodgers".[38] Meanwhile, Elizabethan delivered a negative review, stating: "No true country singer would dare do to a Hank Williams number what Frank Ifield has done to 'Lovesick Blues'." The review finished by declaring that Ifield had "none of Jim Reeves' depth and character, nor of the subtle melodic quality (of) Don Gibson."[39] By the end of February 1963, Billboard estimated that the single had sold close to a million copies worldwide.[40]
Charley Pride recorded "Love Sick Blues" in 1968.[41]
Little Richard released a version of the song arranged with what has been described as a "New Orleans rhythm"[42] on his album The Rill Thing in 1970.
Glen Campbell recorded a version of the song for his album, Houston (I'm Comin' to See You) in 1973.
In 1992, George Strait released a version that reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles.[43] The single peaked at number 22 on RPM's Country Tracks.[44] This chart placing broke a string of 31 consecutive top ten country hits for Strait; he would subsequently reel off another 18 top ten hits in a row after "Lovesick Blues" dropped off the chart. In all, of the 50 singles Strait issued between 1982 and late 1996, "Lovesick Blues" was the only one not to hit the top 10 on the US country charts.
In 2018, Mason Ramsey became a viral sensation when he was recorded singing "Lovesick Blues" at a Walmart store in Harrisburg, Illinois,[45] which led to him signing a record deal,[46] and his version of the song was included on his debut EP, Famous.
HiramKing "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five of which were released posthumously, and 12 of which reached No.1.
Yodeling is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word yodel is derived from the German word jodeln, meaning "to utter the syllable jo". This vocal technique is used in many cultures worldwide. Recent scientific research concerning yodeling and non-Western cultures suggests that music and speech may have evolved from a common prosodic precursor.
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancée from Nashville, Tennessee, to Shreveport, Louisiana. After describing his first wife Audrey Sheppard as a "cheatin' heart", in minutes he dictated the lyrics to Billie Jean Jones. Produced by Fred Rose, Williams recorded the song at his last session at Castle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 23.
Emmett Miller was an American minstrel show performer and recording artist known for his falsetto, yodel-like voice. Miller was a major influence on many country music singers, including Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Tommy Duncan, and Merle Haggard. His music provides a link among old-time Southern music, minstrelsy, jazz, and Western swing.
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song has been covered by a wide range of musicians.
"I Saw the Light" is a country gospel song written by Hank Williams. Williams was inspired to write the song while returning from a concert by a remark his mother made while they were arriving in Montgomery, Alabama. He recorded the song during his first session for MGM Records, and released in September 1948. Williams' version did not enjoy major success during its initial release, but eventually it became one of his most popular songs and the closing number for his live shows. It was soon covered by other acts, and has become a country gospel standard and often a classic for summer camps.
"Ain't Nobody's Business" is a 1920s blues song that became one of the first blues standards. It was published in 1922 by Porter Grainger and Everett Robbins. The song features a lyrical theme of freedom of choice and a vaudeville jazz–style musical arrangement. It was first recorded, as "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do", in 1922 by Anna Meyers, backed by the Original Memphis Five.
"Honky Tonk Blues" was a hit country and western song written and performed by Hank Williams. The original 1952 recording was a major hit, and it later became a hit for Charley Pride.
I Love Dixie Blues is a live album by American country singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1973.
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is a 1950 song by Hank Williams. It was Williams' second number-one single on the Country & Western chart. "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" stayed on the charts for 21 weeks, with five weeks at the top.
"You Win Again" is a 1952 song by Hank Williams. In style, the song is a blues ballad and deals with the singer's despair with his partner. The song has been widely covered, including chart successes by Tommy Edwards and Charley Pride.
Francis Edward Ifield OAM was a British-born Australian country music singer and guitarist who often incorporated yodelling into his music.
"Mind Your Own Business" is a 1949 song written and originally performed by Hank Williams.
"My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" is a song widely attributed to Clarence Williams, who obtained a copyright in 1933, although the melody was recorded under various names years earlier. The song became popular performed by Hank Williams for MGM and reached number 4 on the country chart in 1949.
"The Last Letter" is a song written by country music singer Rex Griffin. Griffin wrote the song in 1937, after he was left by his wife. The song tells through a suicidal letter the feelings of an older man who is left by his young wife. The song, released on Decca Records became a hit for Griffin.
"Wedding Bells" is a song written by Claude Boone and recorded by Hank Williams on MGM Records. It peaked at No. 2 on the Best Selling Retail Folk chart in 1949.
"I've Just Told Mama Goodbye" is a song by Hank Williams on MGM Records.
"Moanin' the Blues" is a song by Hank Williams. It became his fourth number one single on MGM Records in 1950.
The Minstrel Man from Georgia is a compilation album by the American musician Emmett Miller, released in 1996. It was part of Legacy Recordings' Roots n' Blues collection. The compilation was reissued in 2001 to coincide with Nick Tosches's Miller biography. Tosches, who first wrote about Miller in his 1977 book, Country: The Biggest Music in America, expanded his research for the 2001 book, Where Dead Voices Gather.
Blue yodeling is a musical style that essentially consists of a combination of elements of blues and old-time music, enriched with characteristic yodelings. Initially sometimes referred to as yodeling blues, it reached its greatest popularity during the 1920s and 1930s in the United States, Canada and Australia.
References
Billboard staff (1949). "Record Reviews". Billboard. Vol.61, no.9. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN0006-2510.
Billboard staff (1957). "Tips on Coming Tops". Billboard. Vol.69, no.24. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN0006-2510.
Billboard staff (1962). "Billboard Music Week Hot 100". Billboard. Vol.74, no.16. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN0006-2510.
Billboard staff 2 (1962). "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol.74, no.49. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN0006-2510.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Billboard staff (1963). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol.75, no.4. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN0006-2510.
Campbell, Michael (2011). Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on. Cengaging Learning. ISBN978-0-8400-2976-8.
Deikman, Diane (2007). Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story. University of Illinois Press. ISBN978-0-252-09380-7.
Harwood, Robert (2008). I Went Down to St. James Infirmary: Investigations in the Shadowy World of Early Jazz-Blues in the Company of Blind Willie McTell, Louis Armstrong, Don Redman, Irving Mills, Carl Moore, and a Host of Others, and Where Did This Dang Song Come from Anyway?. Harlan Press. ISBN978-0-9809743-0-0.
Jennings, Dana (2008). Sing Me Back Home: Love, Death, and Country Music. Macmillan. ISBN978-1-4299-9624-2.
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