"Maybe It Was Memphis" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Pam Tillis | ||||
from the album Put Yourself in My Place | ||||
B-side | "Draggin' My Chains" | |||
Released | November 25, 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:59 (album version) | |||
Label | Arista Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Michael Anderson | |||
Producer(s) | Paul Worley, Ed Seay | |||
Pam Tillis singles chronology | ||||
|
"Maybe It Was Memphis" is a song recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis on two occasions. The second recording was released in 1991 as the fourth single from her album Put Yourself in My Place .
Pam Tillis first cut the song on Warner Bros. Records in the late 1980s under the production of Josh Leo, but did not release this version until Warner issued the album Pam Tillis Collection in the mid-1990s. [1]
Her second and more successful version of the song was recorded on her 1991 album Put Yourself in My Place . It was released in November 1991 as the album's fourth single and became her third Top Ten hit on the Billboard country charts, peaking at number 3 in February 1992. [2] "Maybe It Was Memphis" was also nominated for the Country Music Association's Song of the Year in 1992. [3] This version also earned Tillis a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.
According to Arista Records' then-senior director of marketing Mike Dungan, executives were reluctant to release the song due to its more pop sound, and held off on doing so until Tillis had established herself. [4]
The song is a mid-tempo ballad in which the female narrator recalls a former lover whom she met in Memphis, Tennessee. It is composed in the key of A major with a vocal range of A3-E5. The main chord pattern on the verses is A-D twice, E-D twice, and E-G-A. [5]
Michael Anderson wrote the song in 1983. In an article for TAXI, he described the song writing process: [6]
I believe I wrote the last verse soon after the first verse – may have been the same night - and I knew it was the last verse. I didn't want the standard "happy ever after" storyline – and I couldn't see it ending badly – so I left it open – just the way it was. I imagined myself back in LA remembering it all and just wrote that...I decided to just write a filler verse and then I would record it that way and change it when I got back to LA. So I made up some stuff about Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and country love songs ("summer night beauty took my breath away" was directly from "Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell and one of the song books – never even liked that song but the concept worked in context). I recorded it the next day and never changed the verse.
In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked "Maybe It Was Memphis" at #177 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking. [7]
On May 24, 2011, Lauren Alaina performed the song during the finale of American Idol . Carrie Underwood selected the song as part of the round of competition in which each contestant's idol chose their song. On May 8, 2013, during the live rounds of the fourth season of The Voice, Danielle Bradbery from Blake Shelton's team sang it as her song. On season 23 of The Voice, Grace West sang the song for her blind audition.
Chart (1991-1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [8] | 4 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [9] | 3 |
Chart (1992) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [10] | 60 |
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [11] | 29 |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [12] | 25 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [13] | 92 |
Pamela Yvonne Tillis is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the eldest child of country singer Mel Tillis. After recording unsuccessful pop material for Elektra and Warner Records in the early 1980s, Tillis shifted to country music. In 1989, she signed with Arista Nashville, entering top-40 on Hot Country Songs for the first time with "Don't Tell Me What to Do" in 1990. This was the first of five singles from her breakthrough album Put Yourself in My Place.
Lonnie Melvin Tillis was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, with a long list of Top 10 hits.
If My Heart Had Windows is the second studio album by American country music artist Patty Loveless, and was released in 1988. The title track — a cover of a George Jones song from 1967 — became Loveless' first top ten hit, peaking on the Billboard Country Music charts at number 10. It was then followed by her biggest chart position at the time with "A Little Bit In Love," a song written by country artist Steve Earle. It also features a recording of the song "Baby's Gone Blues", which would be recorded by Shelby Lynne for her 1990 album Tough All Over and by Reba McEntire for her 1992 album It's Your Call.
Put Yourself In My Place is the second studio album from American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was also her first album with Arista Records, following 1983's Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey, released on Warner Bros. Records. The album track Put Yourself in My Place reached number 10 on the Top Country Albums charts. Five singles were released from the album: "Don't Tell Me What to Do", followed by "One of Those Things", the title track, "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "Blue Rose Is". The album has been certified Gold for shipments of more than 500,000 copies in the U.S.
"He Thinks He'll Keep Her" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released in December 1993 as the sixth single from the album Come On Come On. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was written by Carpenter and Don Schlitz.
"When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon. It was initially released as a single on November 23, 1963, as the B-side to "Till You Say You'll Be Mine". It was re-released as an A-side in September 1964, and later included on the album Breakin' It Up on the Beatles Tour. The single charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 99.
"Timber, I'm Falling in Love" is a song written by Kostas, and recorded by American country music artist Patty Loveless. It was released in May 1989 as the third single from her album Honky Tonk Angel.
"Shake the Sugar Tree" is a song written by Chapin Hartford, and recorded by American country music singer Pam Tillis. It was released in August 1992 as the lead-off single from her album Homeward Looking Angel. "Shake the Sugar Tree" became Tillis' fourth Top Ten country hit, peaking at number 3 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.
The discography of American country music singer–songwriter, Pam Tillis, contains 14 studio albums, six compilation albums, one video album, 45 singles, 25 music videos and has appeared on 11 albums. Tillis's career was launched on the Warner Bros. label, where she released several unsuccessful singles and her debut studio album: Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey (1983). Through Arista Nashville, her second studio album was released in January 1991 titled Put Yourself in My Place. The disc was her first commercial success, reaching number ten on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart, number 69 on the Billboard 200 and number 12 on Canada's RPM country chart. The disc also certified gold in both countries and spawned five charting singles. Of these releases, "Don't Tell Me What to Do", "One of Those Things" and "Maybe It Was Memphis" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In September 1992, her third studio album was released called Homeward Looking Angel. The disc certified both gold and platinum in North America, while also spawning the Billboard and RPM top ten singles "Shake the Sugar Tree" and "Let That Pony Run".
The discography of American country music artist Lorrie Morgan contains 19 studio albums, nine compilation albums, two video albums, one live album, one extended play, 51 singles and 21 music videos. Morgan early releases were singles that reached lower-charting positions on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Morgan's 1988 single, "Trainwreck of Emotion", was her first to reach the Billboard country top 20. It was followed by her debut studio album in 1989 named Leave the Light On. It reached number six on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. The disc spawned three more top ten singles: "Dear Me", "Out of Your Shoes" and "He Talks to Me". Its fourth single, "Five Minutes", topped the Billboard country chart. Her second album was released in 1991 titled Something in Red. It reached number eight on the country albums chart and number 13 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums chart. In addition to certifying platinum by the RIAA, the disc included three top ten Billboard and RPM country songs: "We Both Walk", "A Picture of Me Without You" and "Except for Monday".
"Please Remember Me" is a song co-written by American country music artist Rodney Crowell with lyricist Will Jennings. Originally recorded by Crowell for his 1995 album Jewel of the South, his version was released as its lead single and peaked at number 69 on the Billboard country chart in early June.
"Five Minutes" is a country music song written by Beth Nielsen Chapman. It was recorded by Lorrie Morgan for her debut album Leave the Light On, and released as the album's fourth single. In April 1990, the song became Morgan's first number one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Don't Tell Me What to Do" is a song written by Harlan Howard and Max D. Barnes, and recorded by the American country music artist Pam Tillis. Her breakthrough single, it was released in December 1990 as the first single from the album Put Yourself in My Place. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"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 Said a Prayer" is a song written by Leslie Satcher, and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in May 1998 as the first single from the album Every Time. The song reached #12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Put Yourself in My Place" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in August 1991 as the third single and title track from the album Put Yourself in My Place. The song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 8 on the RPM Country Tracks in Canada. The song was written by Tillis and Carl Jackson.
"It's Lonely Out There" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in May 1996 as the third single from her album All of This Love. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in September 1996. Tillis wrote the song with her then-husband, Bob DiPiero.
"Do You Know Where Your Man Is" is a song written by Dave Gibson, Russell Smith and Carol Chase, and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in August 1993 as the fourth single from the album Homeward Looking Angel. The song reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Barbara Mandrell first recorded the song for her 1990 album Morning Sun. Melba Montgomery made the song the title track of her 1992 studio album on Playback Records.
Danielle Simone Bradbery is an American country pop singer. She won season 4 of NBC's The Voice in 2013, becoming the youngest artist to win the competition at age 16. Since then, she has released three albums and multiple singles.
"The Heart of Dixie" is a song written by Brett James, Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith, and recorded by American country music artist Danielle Bradbery. It was released on July 16, 2013 as her debut single after being crowned the winner of the fourth season of The Voice, and the lead single of her eponymous debut album Danielle Bradbery.
{{cite book}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)