Ragged but Right (song)

Last updated

"Ragged But Right" [1] is a traditional American song dating from the early 1900s. [2] It was recorded by George Jones and released in 1956 as "I'm Ragged But I'm Right". [3] The song is considered one of Jones' best early works, and it was included on his debut 1957 album (as "Ragged But Right" [4] ).

Contents

George Jones version

"I'm Ragged But I'm Right"
Single by George Jones
from the album Grand Ole Opry's New Star
B-side "Your Heart"
ReleasedApril 4, 1956
RecordedAugust 1955
Studio Gold Star (Houston, Texas)
Genre Country
Length2:13
Label Starday
Songwriter(s) Traditional
Producer(s) Pappy Daily
George Jones singles chronology
"What Am I Worth"
(1955)
"I'm Ragged But I'm Right"
(1956)
"Rock It"
(1956)

"Ragged But Right" is defiant honky-tonk tune dedicated to blue-collar pride. Jones recorded the song in August 1955 and it was released in February 1956 as a single. The song didn't chart upon its release but became popular with audiences anyway. He often performed the song live during his early years with Starday and Mercury Records. The song has since taken its place as an early George Jones standard, included on multiple albums and performed live into the 1970s. Jones is credited on his releases with writing the song, but Colin Escott later speculated in 1994, "George probably picked it up from the Gulf Coast legend, Moon Mullican, who played the same spots".

Personnel

Other versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall Jackson (singer)</span> American country music singer (1932–2021)

Stonewall Jackson was an American country music singer and musician who achieved his greatest fame during country's "golden" honky tonk era in the 1950s and early 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Paycheck</span> American country singer (1938–2003)

Johnny Paycheck was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greatest success in the 1970s as a force in country music's "outlaw movement" popularized by artists Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, and Merle Haggard. In 1980, Paycheck appeared on the PBS music program Austin City Limits, though in the ensuing decade, his music career slowed due to drug, alcohol, and legal problems. He served a prison sentence in the early 1990s, and his declining health effectively ended his career in early 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Hamilton IV</span> American country musician (1937–2014)

George Hege Hamilton IV was an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, switching to country music in the early 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moon Mullican</span> American singer-songwriter

Aubrey Wilson Mullican, known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with the hillbilly boogie style which influenced rockabilly. Jerry Lee Lewis cited him as a major influence on his own singing and piano playing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Locklin</span> American country music singer-songwriter (1918–2009)

Hank Locklin was an American country music singer-songwriter. He had 70 chart singles, including two number one hits on Billboard's country chart. His biggest hits included "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and his signature "Please Help Me, I'm Falling". The latter also went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. Billboard's 100th anniversary issue listed it as the second most successful country single of the rock and roll era. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.

"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in July 1952. It is Williams' most recorded song. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous recordings and has since achieved popularity in several different music genres.

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" is a popular song written by Scotty Wiseman for the 1944 musical film, Sing, Neighbor, Sing and performed by Lulu Belle and Scotty. It was their greatest hit and one of the first country music songs to attract major attention in the pop music field. Although the song was featured in the movie, it was not released by Lulu Belle and Scotty until 1947. The first released version of this song was by Gene Autry in 1945.

<i>Hello, Im Dolly</i> 1967 studio album by Dolly Parton

Hello, I'm Dolly is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 18, 1967, by Monument Records. The album was produced by Fred Foster. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album spawned two top 40 hits, "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy", which peaked at numbers 24 and 17, respectively.

Lonzo and Oscar were an American country music duo founded in 1945 originally consisting of Lloyd "Lonzo" George (1924–1991) and Rollin "Oscar" Sullivan (1919–2012), best known for being the first to perform the 1948 song "I'm My Own Grandpa". George departed in 1950, and Lonzo was later portrayed by Johnny Sullivan (1917–1967) from 1950 to 1967 and by David Hooten from 1967 to 1985, when the band retired. Lonzo and Oscar owned a record label, a recording studio, and a music publishing company. The recording studio and the record label were called "Nugget". The music publishing company was called "Lonzo and Oscar (BMI)". Melba Montgomery's first recordings were released on Nugget Records in the late 1950s through the early 1960s. The songs which Starday Records released by Melba Montgomery in the 1960s came from Nugget Records. Harlan Howard recorded an album with Nugget Records. Danny Harrison, Melba Montgomery, and Darnell Miller wrote for Lonzo and Oscar's publishing company, Lonzo and Oscar (BMI).

Leon Roger Payne, "the Blind Balladeer", was an American country music singer and songwriter.

<i>Youve Still Got a Place in My Heart</i> 1984 studio album by George Jones

You've Still Got a Place in My Heart is an album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1984 on the Epic Records label.

"Girl from the North Country" is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in April 1963, and released the following month as the second track on Dylan's second studio album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Dylan re-recorded the song as a duet with Johnny Cash in February 1969. That recording became the opening track on Nashville Skyline, Dylan's ninth studio album.

<i>Grand Ole Oprys New Star</i> 1956 studio album by George Jones

Grand Ole Opry's New Star is the debut studio album released by George Jones in November 1956 with Starday Records. Produced by Jones' manager Pappy Daily, the album was recorded during early sessions in 1954, throughout 1955, and other sessions in 1956. It is also the first album to be released on the Starday label, a label only four years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Baby Why</span> 1955 single by George Jones

"Why Baby Why" is a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones' manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at 4 on the Billboard country charts that year. It was Jones' first chart single, following several unsuccessful singles released during the prior year on Starday. "Why Baby Why", has gone on to become a country standard, having been covered by many artists.

<i>Rodney Crowell</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell is the third studio album by American country music artist Rodney Crowell. It was released in 1981 by Warner Bros. Records and was his last album on that label before switching to Columbia. It was the first album Crowell produced by himself. It reached #47 on the Top Country Albums chart and #105 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The songs, "Stars on the Water" and "Victim or a Fool" were released as singles. "Stars on the Water" reached #30 on the Hot Country Songs chart, his highest-charting song up to that point. It peaked at #21 on the Canadian country charts. "Victim or a Fool" reached #34 in the U.S. The album was rereleased on compact disc in 2005 paired with his previous album But What Will the Neighbors Think.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy Kisses (George Morgan song)</span> 1949 single by George Morgan

"Candy Kisses" is a 1949 song written and recorded by American country crooner George Morgan. "Candy Kisses" was George Morgan's debut release on the charts and was his only #1 on the Best Selling Folk charts, where it stayed for three weeks. The B-side of "Candy Kisses", a song entitled, "Please Don't Let Me Love You" reached #4 on the same chart.

Darrell Puckett, known professionally as Darrell Clanton, is an American country music artist. In the mid-1980s, he recorded for Audiograph and Warner Bros. Records, charting three singles on the Billboard country charts. The highest of the three was "Lonesome 7-7203," which reached No. 24 on the country charts in 1984.

<i>Ragged but Right</i> (album) 2010 live album by Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band

Ragged but Right is the second live album by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band. It was recorded in October and December 1987 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City, the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. It was released on November 16, 2010, twenty-two years after the band's first album, Almost Acoustic.

"Seasons of My Heart" is a song written by George Jones and Darrell Edwards. The song was released as the b-side to the #4 hit "Why Baby Why" in 1955. The song was also recorded by Johnny Cash and, released in 1960, it became a #10 hit.

<i>George Jones Singing 14 Top Country Song Favorites</i> 1957 compilation album by George Jones

George Jones Sings is a compilation album released by George Jones in May 1957. The album didn't chart well; however, it plays many of his best early recordings.

References

  1. Jeff Ferrell. Drift: Illicit Mobility and Uncertain Knowledge. University of California Press, 2018. p. 131. ISBN   9780520295544
  2. 1 2 3 4 Richard L. Matteson, Jr. "Ragged But Right." Acoustic Music Source Book. Mel Bay Publications, 2012. p. 181. ISBN   9781619110991
  3. " I'm Ragged But I'm Right / Your Heart " at Discogs
  4. Grand Ole Opry's New Star at Discogs
  5. ikachina (9 January 2013). "Ragged But Right Minstrel Show Sand Dance". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 24 October 2018 via YouTube.