"Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" | ||||
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Single by Jean Shepard | ||||
from the album Heart, We Did All That We Could | ||||
B-side | "Two Little Boys" | |||
Released | April 1964 | |||
Recorded | January 27, 1964 | |||
Studio | Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:11 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Betty Amos | |||
Producer(s) | Marvin Hughes | |||
Jean Shepard singles chronology | ||||
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"Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" is a song written by Betty Amos that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released as a single by Capitol Records in 1964, reaching the top five of the US Country chart. The song featured Shepard yodeling and was her first top ten single in ten years. The song would later be nominated by the Grammy Awards.
One of the first female country artists to find commercial success in a solo career, [1] Jean Shepard rose to fame during the 1950s honky tonk era. While she topped the country chart with "A Dear John Letter" as a pairing with Ferlin Husky, she had top ten singles as a solo act with "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies". In the second half of the 1950s, her popularity waned with the new country pop sounds that became in-vogue. Her first major success would be 1964's "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)". [2] The song was written by Betty Amos [3] and featured Shepard yodeling. [1] It was recorded on January 27, 1964 at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The recording session was produced by Marvin Hughes. On the same day, Shepard also recorded "He Plays the Bongo (I Play the Banjo)" and "Two Little Boys". [4] The session was produced by Marvin Hughes. [4]
"Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" was released as a single in April 1964. It was issued as a seven-inch vinyl record by Capitol Records, featuring "Two Little Boys" on the B-side. [3] The song was described as Shepard's comeback recording for restoring her commercial success. [5] It became Shepard's first charting single since 1959's "Have Heart, Will Love", peaking at the number five position on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1964. It was her first top ten single since 1955's "I Thought of You" and one of ten top ten singles in her career. [6]
It was later included on Shepard's 1967 studio album Heart We Did All That We Could . [7] In 1965, it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. [8] Author Kurt Wolff found that the lyrics of "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" were both "proto-feminist" and "down-right bold" in his book Country Music: The Rough Guide. [9] In 2003, it was voted among the "500 greatest singles" in the book Heartaches by the Number: Country Music's 500 Greatest Singles. [10]
Chart (1964) | Peak position |
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US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [11] | 5 |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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1965 | 7th Annual Grammy Awards | Best Country Vocal Performance, Female | Nominated | [8] |
Ollie Imogene "Jean" Shepard, was an American country singer who was considered by many writers and authors to be one of the genre's first significant female artists. Her early successes during the 1950s decade were said to influence the future careers of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
The discography of American country singer Jean Shepard contains 29 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, two live albums, 1 box set album, 72 lead and collaborative singles, four promotional singles, two other charted songs and nine album appearances. Her first singles were released by Capitol Records in 1953, beginning with "Crying Steel Guitar Waltz". Her next two releases featured vocals by Shepard and a recitation by Ferlin Husky. The first was "A Dear John Letter", Shepard's only number one single on the US Hot Country Songs chart. It also reached number four on the US pop chart and number three in Australia. The second was "Forgive Me, John", which reached the US country top five, the US pop top 30 and the Australia top 20. In 1955, her solo singles "A Satisfied Mind" and "Beautiful Lies" both reached number four on the US Hot Country Songs chart. Their B-sides also charted on the US country chart: "Take Possession" and "I Thought of You". The latter peaked in the US country top ten.
"Slippin' Away" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bill Anderson and was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Inspired to write the song while watching an old film, Shepard chose to the song to record and it was released as her first single for the United Artists label in 1973. It became her first top ten US country song in several years and was issued on an album of the same name.
"Many Happy Hangovers to You" is a song written by Johnny MacRae that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released as a single by Capitol Records in 1966, reaching the US country top 20 that year. It received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release and was included on her 1966 studio album of a similar name.
"If Teardrops Were Silver" is a song written by Don Wayne that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released as a single by Capitol Records in 1966, reaching the US country top ten that year. It received positive responses from Cashbox and Record World magazines. It was included on her 1967 studio album of a Heart, We Did All That We Could.
"Heart, We Did All That We Could" is a song written by Ned Miller that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released as a single in 1967 and reached the top 20 of the US country songs chart. It received positive reviews from music publications was included on Shepard's studio album of the same name. The song has been performed routinely in the Country Bear Jamboree entertainment attraction at Walt Disney World.
"Your Forevers (Don't Last Very Long)" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was written by Wes Buchanan, Cliffie Stone and Scott Turner. Released as a single by Capitol Records in 1967, it reached the top 20 of the US country songs chart. It received a positive review from Cash Box magazine and appeared on a studio album of Shepard's with a Your Forevers Don't Last Very Long.
"Then He Touched Me" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Written by George Richey and Norro Wilson, it reached the top ten of the US country chart and was nominated by the Grammy Awards. It was Shepard's ninth top ten single in her career and was included on her 1970 album A Woman's Hand.
"Another Lonely Night" is a song written by Jan Crutchfield and Larry Butler. It was released as a single by both Jean Shepard (1970) and Jody Miller (1977). Shepard's version was the highest-charting, rising into the top 20 of the US country chart in 1971. Her version was included on her 1971 studio album Here and Now. Miller's version also made the US country chart, but only rose into the top 80 after its release. Both versions were reviewed by Billboard magazine following their individual releases.
"I'll Take the Dog" is a duet song by American country singers Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow. Released as a single, it reached the top ten of the US country songs chart in 1966. The song was described as a "comedy duet" centered on a couple about to divorce. It received a positive response from Record World magazine following its release and was included on the pair's album of the same name.
Heartaches and Tears is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released by Capitol Records in March 1962 with a total of 12 tracks. The tracks mixed both new material and cover tunes. Among its new tracks was the single "How Long Does It Hurt ". It was the fourth studio album of her career and fifth overall. The album was met with positive reviews from publications.
Many Happy Hangovers is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in July 1966 by Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. The album's concept was centered on songs about an evening out followed by songs about the morning after. Among them was the album's title track. Released as a single, it reached the top 20 of the US country chart in 1966. The album was given a positive reception by Billboard, Cashbox and AllMusic.
"Two Little Boys" is a song written by Marty Robbins that was recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It served as the B-side to her top ten US country single "Second Fiddle ". While Robbins composed the track, the original single release is credited to Shepard's two sons Don and Harold Hawkins. The song is about the two boys left behind after Shepard lost her husband Hawkshaw Hawkins in a plane crash. The song was met with positive reception from writers in later years.
I'll Take the Dog is a studio album by American country artists Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow. It was released in November 1966 by Capitol Records and was a collection of duets between the duo. The album's songs focused on marital conflicts and other themes. Its title track was a top ten single on the US country chart in 1966. The album itself reached the top 20 of the US country chart. The album was met with positive reviews from Cash Box and Record World.
Heart, We Did All That We Could is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in March 1967 by Capitol Records and featured 12 tracks. The album's material centered on heartbreak and despair. Six of the tracks were originally singles released between 1963 and 1967. Both "Second Fiddle " and "If Teardrops Were Silver" reached the US country top ten, while the title track reached the top 20. The album itself reached the US country top ten in 1967. The disc received positive reviews from both Billboard and Cashbox.
"A Tear Dropped By" is a song originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Composed by Larry Lee and Rusty Adams, it was released as a single in 1964, reaching the top 40 of the US country chart that year. It was one of 30 top 40 singles Shepard had in her career. It was given positive reviews from critics following its release.
"Someone's Gotta Cry" is a song written by Don Bowman that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released as a single in 1965, reaching the top 40 of the US country chart that year. It was one of 30 top 40 singles Shepard had in her career. It was given positive reviews from critics following its release.
"I Don't See How I Can Make It" is a song written by George Richey that was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Released as a single in 1967, it reached the top 40 of the US country songs chart.
A Real Good Woman is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in October 1968 by Capitol Records and was her twelfth studio album. It consisted of 12 tracks, two of which were originally singles: "An Old Bridge" and the title track. The latter was a top 40 single on the US country chart. A Real Good Woman received positive reviews by music publications following its release.
Seven Lonely Days is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released in September 1969 by Capitol Records and was her fourteenth studio album. The ten-track collection featured several covers, including the title track. Released as a single, the title track reached the top 20 of the US country songs chart. The album itself also reached the US country albums survey. Seven Lonely Days received reviews from both music magazines and music websites following its release.