Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)

Last updated
"Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) - Waylon Jennings.jpeg
Single by Waylon Jennings
from the album Ol' Waylon
B-side "Belle of the Ball"
ReleasedApril 11, 1977
RecordedJanuary 1977
Genre Country, outlaw country
Length3:22
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) Bobby Emmons, Chips Moman
Producer(s) Chips Moman
Waylon Jennings singles chronology
"Are You Ready for the Country"
(1977)
"Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"
(1977)
"The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)"
(1977)

Content

The song refers to a couple whose position in "high society" has placed strains on their marriage ("this successful life we're livin' got us feudin' like the Hatfields and McCoys") and finances ("four-car garage, and we're still buildin' on"). Jennings suggests that the couple return to "the basics of love" and relocate to the small town of Luckenbach, Texas.

References in the song include the Hatfields and McCoys, Hank Williams, Mickey Newbury, Jerry Jeff Walker, and "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." [1]

The final refrain of the song features a guest vocal by Willie Nelson.

History

The song was co-written by Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons who proposed the song to Jennings because his "name's in it." At the time of recording the song, neither the writers nor Jennings had ever been to Luckenbach. In his autobiography, Jennings wrote: "I knew it was a hit song, even though I didn't like it, and still don't." [2]

Chart performance

The song debuted on April 16, 1977, reaching #1 on the country charts on May 21, 1977, and staying there until June 25, 1977.

Weekly charts

Chart (1977)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [3] 25
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [4] 16
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1
Canadian RPM Top Singles46
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks40

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [6] 1

Cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waylon Jennings</span> American country musician (1937–2002)

Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music.

Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums like Elvis Presley's 1969 From Elvis in Memphis and the 1985 debut album for The Highwaymen. Moman won a Grammy Award for co-writing "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", a 1975 hit for B.J. Thomas.

<i>Highwayman</i> (The Highwaymen album) 1985 studio album by The Highwaymen

Highwayman is the first studio album released by country supergroup The Highwaymen, comprising Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Highwayman, released through Columbia Records in 1985, was the group's first and most successful album.

<i>Highwayman 2</i> 1990 studio album by The Highwaymen

Highwayman 2 is the second studio album released by American country supergroup The Highwaymen. This album was released in 1990 on the Columbia Records label. Johnny Cash had left Columbia several years earlier, making this a "homecoming", and ultimately his final work for Columbia as the next Highwaymen album would be issued on another label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Your Love</span> 1997 single by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

"It's Your Love" is a song written by Stephony Smith and originally recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. Released in May 1997 as the lead single from his album Everywhere, the song, featuring his wife Faith Hill, reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in its fifth week and stayed there for six weeks ; it also became McGraw's and Hill's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number seven. American pop trio She Moves covered the song in 1998, and the song has also been covered by artists such as Gil Ofarim, Tommy Page, LMNT, Natural, Cyndi Almouzni, Jo O'Meara, and Ruben Studdard.

<i>Heroes</i> (Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings album) 1986 studio album by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings

Heroes is a duet studio by American country music singers Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, released on Columbia Records in 1986.

<i>Waylon</i> (album) 1970 album by Waylon Jennings

Waylon is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1970 on RCA Victor.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Waylon Jennings album) 1979 greatest hits album by Waylon Jennings

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1979 by RCA Records.

<i>WWII</i> (album) 1982 album by Waylon Jennings

WWII is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on RCA Victor in 1982.

<i>Ol Waylon</i> 1977 studio album by Waylon Jennings

Ol' Waylon is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1977. It eventually became one of Jennings' highest-selling albums, due in no small part to the phenomenal success of the chart-topping "Luckenbach, Texas ." It was also the singer's fourth solo album in a row to reach the top of the country charts, remaining there for thirteen weeks and becoming country music's first platinum album by any single solo artist.

<i>Black on Black</i> 1982 studio album by Waylon Jennings

Black on Black is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1982.

<i>Its Only Rock & Roll</i> (Waylon Jennings album) 1983 studio album by Waylon Jennings

It's Only Rock & Roll is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1983.

<i>Clean Shirt</i> 1991 studio album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

Clean Shirt is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on Epic Records in 1991.

<i>Live from Austin, TX</i> (Waylon Jennings album) 2006 live album by Waylon Jennings

Live from Austin, TX is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on New West Records in 2006. As part of New West's series of albums featuring individual artists' performances on Austin City Limits, it was recorded on April 1, 1989, several months after the release of Full Circle, Jennings' last album for MCA Records, and a year before the singer's move to Epic Records would yield The Eagle. The songs themselves primarily include popular selections from Jennings' own catalog: "I'm a Ramblin' Man", "America", "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard ", "Luckenbach, Texas " and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", among others. The concert was also released in video format and in 2007, the DVD of Live from Austin, TX was certified gold by the RIAA.

<i>Nashville Rebel</i> (box set) 2006 box set by Waylon Jennings

Nashville Rebel is a box set by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Nashville through Legacy Recordings in 2006. According to Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, it is "the first comprehensive, multi-label Waylon Jennings retrospective ever assembled," comprising ninety-two songs recorded between 1958 and 1994, with selections from the majority of the singer's recording career. The first track of the box set is the Buddy Holly-produced "Jole Blon," released in 1958, while the last is "I Do Believe," a song produced by Don Was that was included on The Highwaymen's 1995 release, The Road Goes on Forever. The other material on the box set covers Jennings' career chronologically, with songs ranging from his years on RCA's roster to later compositions from his short-lived stay at Epic Records; it ignores, however, the tracks from Jennings albums released on independent labels. The majority of the singer's charting singles are included in the package, as are collaborations such as "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" with Willie Nelson and "Highwayman" with The Highwaymen. A notable addition is the previously unreleased "The Greatest Cowboy of Them All," a 1978 duet with Johnny Cash which was later recorded by Cash alone for A Believer Sings the Truth (1979) and The Mystery of Life (1991); two others, "It's Sure Been Fun" and "People in Dallas Got Hair," had never been released in the United States. Nashville Rebel was released on four CDs, with a 140-page booklet and liner notes by Rich Kienzle and Lenny Kaye.

<i>Classics</i> (George Canyon album) 2007 studio album by George Canyon

Classics is the fifth studio album by Canadian country music singer George Canyon. The album is a collection of classic country songs covered by Canyon. Of the album, Canyon said:

This is the album I've always wanted to make. It was a labor of love to record these songs that influenced me so many years ago. It was important for me to keep the arrangements true to the original in the hope that when people listen to this it recreates the magic I experienced when hearing these songs on the radio the first time round.

<i>Standing Tall</i> (The Crusaders album) 1981 studio album by The Crusaders

Standing Tall is the fourteenth album by the jazz group The Crusaders after they changed their name from The Jazz Crusaders, and their third studio album with MCA Records. It features singer Joe Cocker as guest artist on two tracks: the 1981 Grammy-nominated song "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today" and "This Old World's Too Funky for Me."

<i>Always on My Mind</i> (Willie Nelson album) 1982 studio album by Willie Nelson

Always on My Mind is the 27th studio album by country singer Willie Nelson. It was the Billboard number one country album of the year for 1982, and stayed 253 weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts, peaking at number one for a total of 22 weeks, as well as spending 99 weeks on the Billboard 200 for all albums, peaking at number two for 3 weeks.

"The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)" is a song written by Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons, and recorded by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. It was released in September 1977 as the first single from the album Waylon & Willie. The song was Jennings' sixth number one on the country charts. The single spent two weeks at the top and a total of eleven weeks on the chart. It was later covered by Kacey Musgraves for a tribute show to Jennings, the live album of which was released in 2017.

Bobby Gene Emmons was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and many others from the 1950s onward. His compositions included "Luckenbach, Texas ", written with Chips Moman and recorded by Waylon Jennings; and "Love Me Like You Used To", co-written with Paul Davis and recorded by both Johnny Cash and Tanya Tucker.

References

  1.  : www.lyrics.com
  2. Waylon, Jennings (1996), Waylon: An Autobiography, Kaye, Lenny., Media Books, ISBN   1578152062, OCLC   48983943
  3. "Waylon Jennings Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  4. "Waylon Jennings Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  5. "Waylon Jennings Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  6. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1977". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.