Once Upon a Rhyme | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 1975 | |||
Recorded | 1975 at Columbia Studio in Nashville | |||
Genre | Country, Outlaw country | |||
Length | 33:17 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Ron Bledsoe | |||
David Allan Coe chronology | ||||
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Once Upon a Rhyme is the fourth studio album by American country singer David Allan Coe. It was released in 1975 on Columbia.
Once Upon a Rhyme contains one of Coe’s biggest hits, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” and one of his most famous compositions, “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)”. The former was written by Steve Goodman and John Prine and first appeared on Goodman’s 1971 debut. Coe’s version became his first country Top 10 hit single, peaking at #8 in 1975, and includes a spoken epilogue where Coe relates a correspondence he had with songwriter Steve Goodman, who stated the song he had written was the "perfect country and western song." Coe wrote back stating that no song could fit that description without mentioning a laundry list of clichés: "Mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or getting drunk". Goodman's equally facetious response was an additional verse that incorporated all five of Coe's requirements, and upon receiving it, Coe acknowledged that the finished product was indeed the "perfect country and western song" and included the last verse on the record:
I was drunk the day Mama got out of prison
And I went to pick 'er up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned ol' train
“Would You Lay with Me (“In a Field of Stone”) was originally recorded by American country music artist Tanya Tucker and released in December 1973 as the first single and title track from the album Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) . It topped the U.S. country chart on March 30, 1974, for one week and was Tucker's third number-one song on the chart. [1] On the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 46. Coe’s version appeared as the b-side of “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” and it would also be recorded as a duet by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson in 1983 and by Johnny Cash on his album American Recordings: Solitary Man. The song, which contains poetic lyrics questioning the devotion of a prospective lover, was surprising to many considering it originated from a tattooed ex-con who bragged about doing jail time for murder and ran with a biker gang called The Outlaws. Another ballad, “Jody like a Melody,” was a favorite of Coe’s, with the songwriter confessing later:
“Jody Like a Melody” is probably one of my favorite songs because as a songwriter, up until I had written that song, I had been writing songs in three chords, you know, real simple stuff. In that song I wrote the string arrangements and key changes and everything. It opened up a lot of doors for me. That same day I wrote "Jody Like a Melody,” “Would You Lay With Me In a Field of Stone,” and “Would You Be My Lady.” [2]
In his AllMusic review of the album, Thom Jurek writes, “After the emotional impact of the first two tracks, add two self-penned masterpieces – ‘Loneliness in Ruby's Eyes’ and ‘Would You Be My Lady’ - and the listener is left nearly breathless. But with Coe, that's not enough, and he digs deeper emotionally with ‘Sweet Vibrations’ and ‘Another Pretty Country Song.’" [3]
Producer Rod Beldsoe utilises many of the same top shelf musicians and session players on this album as he had on Coe's major label debut the year before.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [4] |
Allmusic: Once Upon a Rhyme and its predecessor, The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy , established Coe as a major songwriting force; they remain enduring testaments to his songwriting brilliance as a criminally under-examined talent in the country tradition." [4]
All Songs written by David Allan Coe except where noted.
David Allan Coe is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly in the blues style, before transitioning to country music, becoming a major part of the 1970s outlaw country scene. His biggest hits include "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", "Longhaired Redneck", "The Ride", "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", and "She Used to Love Me a Lot".
The Battle is an album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1976 on the Epic Records label.
The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy is the third album of American singer David Allan Coe, and his first on Columbia Records. Released in 1974, it is his first release in the country music genre.
Longhaired Redneck is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1976 on Columbia.
Rides Again is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1977 on Columbia.
Tattoo is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe, released in 1977 on Columbia Records.
Texas Moon is an album recorded by country musician David Allan Coe in 1973, but not released until 1977 on Plantation Records.
Human Emotions is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1978 on Columbia.
Spectrum VII is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe, released in 1979 on Columbia Records.
Compass Point is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1979 on Columbia.
I've Got Something to Say is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1980 on Columbia. Guy Clark, Bill Anderson, Dickey Betts, Kris Kristofferson, Larry Jon Wilson, and George Jones are all featured on this album.
Invictus (Means) Unconquered is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1981 on Columbia.
"You Never Even Called Me by My Name" is a song written by Steve Goodman and John Prine. Prine requested to be uncredited on the song, as he thought it was a "goofy, novelty song" and didn't want to "offend the country music community". Goodman released the song on his eponymous 1971 debut album Steve Goodman to little acclaim. It was more famously recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe on his 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme. It was the third single release of Coe's career and his first Top Ten hit, reaching a peak of number eight on the Billboard country singles charts. The song, over five minutes long, is known for its humorous self-description as "the perfect country and western song."
Tennessee Whiskey is a 1981 album by country singer David Allan Coe.
Rough Rider is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1982 on Columbia.
Castles in the Sand is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1983 on Columbia.
Hello in There is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe, released in 1983 on Columbia Records.
Unchained is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe, released in 1985 on Columbia Records.
Son of the South is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1986 on Columbia.
A Matter of Life ...and Death is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1987 on Columbia.
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