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| The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1967 | |||
| Genre | Country gospel | |||
| Length | 27:07 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins | |||
| Willie Nelson chronology | ||||
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The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs is the sixth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
By 1967, Nelson had enjoyed immense success as a songwriter, penning “Crazy” for Patsy Cline and “Pretty Paper” for Roy Orbison, but had enjoyed only middling success as a recording artist himself. His most recent album, Make Way for Willie Nelson , had produced the Top 20 single “One In a Row,” but his sales paled in comparison to other country stars like Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash. As he later put it, “For all my songwriting success, my RCA albums languished on the shelves. I was far from what you’d call a superstar. I wasn’t playing concert halls or arenas. I was playing beer joints.” [1] Nelson was becoming increasingly unhappy with RCA, feeling the label did not promote his records enough and kept him around so his stable mates could pillage his poor-selling albums for material. [2] In Nelson's first autobiography Atkins admitted, "I was just about the worst at promotion and sales. I didn't care anything about that part of the business. What time I wasn't in the studio, I was off somewhere playing my guitar...It hurt Willie a lot to have a guy with my attitude about sales as the one who was supposed to push his product." [3] Nelson’s inability to create his live sound on record would remain a source of frustration for him in the years ahead.
Chet Atkins, who delegated responsibilities to Felton Jarvis for Nelson’s previous LP, returned as producer for The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs. Nelson managed to have two members from his band, steel guitarist Jimmy Day and drummer Johnny Bush, participate in the recording sessions, although Atkins said no to the using Nelson's full band in the studio. [4] Unlike his last two albums, which were dominated by cover songs, The Party's Over boasted only original compositions. The title track had been written years earlier when Nelson had been living in Houston and was part of a two week songwriting spurt that saw him also write "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Crazy", "Mr. Record Man", and "I Gotta Get Drunk". [5] It reached number 24 on the singles chart. A second single, "Blackjack County Chain", which had been written for Nelson by Red Lane, was climbing the country singles chart at number 21 when radio stations started banning the record for its grisly content. [6] "I'll Stay Around" was co-written with Hank Cochran, who helped get Nelson a job writing for Pamper Music when the Texan first arrived in Nashville in 1960.
Jim Worbois of AllMusic enthuses, “The title track sums up this album perfectly. This is one of those records that sounds incredible at 2 o'clock in the morning when one is feeling reflective after a busy night.” Nelson biographer Joe Nick Patoski deems it “not Willie’s most stellar work.” [6]
| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
All tracks composed by Willie Nelson, except where noted.
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.
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"Crazy" is a song written by Willie Nelson and popularized by country singer Patsy Cline in 1961. Nelson wrote the song while living in Houston, working for Pappy Daily's label D Records. He was also a radio DJ and performed in clubs. Nelson then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, working as a writer for Pamper Music. Through Hank Cochran, the song reached Patsy Cline. After her original recording and release, Cline's version reached number two on Billboard's Hot Country Singles, also crossing to the pop chart as a top 10 single.
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Yesterday's Wine is the 13th studio album and a concept album by country singer Willie Nelson. Nelson had been recording for RCA Victor since the early 1960s, and had released no significant hit records. By 1970, his recordings had reached mid-chart positions. Nelson lost the money he made from his song-writing royalties by financing concert tours that were generally unsuccessful and unprofitable. In addition to problems with his music career, Nelson had a troubled personal life. He had divorced his wife, Shirley Collie, and his Tennessee ranch had been destroyed by a fire.
Willie Nelson and Family is the twelfth studio album by American country music singer Willie Nelson, released in 1971.
Both Sides Now is the tenth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1970.
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Make Way for Willie Nelson is the fifth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
Country Favorites – Willie Nelson Style is the fourth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson. He recorded it with Ernest Tubb's band, the Texas Troubadours and Western Swing fiddler-vocalist Wade Ray with studio musicians Jimmy Wilkerson and Hargus "Pig" Robbins. At the time of the recording, Nelson was a regular on a syndicated TV show hosted by Tubb.
Country Willie: His Own Songs is the third studio album by country singer Willie Nelson. This was Nelson's third album, his first for RCA Victor.
...And Then I Wrote is the debut studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, recorded during August and September 1962 and released through Liberty Records.
Country Music Concert is a 1966 live album by country singer Willie Nelson.
"Family Bible" is a song written by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. Nelson began writing the song in 1957, while he enjoyed success as a disc jockey in KVAN, in Vancouver, Washington. After being denied a raise by the station, he moved to Houston, Texas. Due to financial issues he sold the song to Paul Buskirk.
"Willingly" is a duet by American country music singer Willie Nelson and Shirley Collie, produced by Joe Allison during Nelson's third session for Liberty Records. Released in March 1962, the album reached number ten on Billboard's Hot Country Singles.
"Touch Me" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Willie Nelson. Leveraged by the success of his songs, Nelson moved to Nashville in 1960. Through songwriter Harlan Howard, Nelson was signed to write for Pamper Music, and to a recording contract with Liberty Records.
"The Party's Over" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Willie Nelson during the mid-1950s. After arriving in Houston, Texas, Nelson was hired to play for the Esquire Ballroom band, where he would be allowed to close the shows singing the song. Guitar instructor and Nelson's friend Paul Buskirk forwarded the song to singer Claude Gray, who recorded the original version of the song, released as "My Party's Over" in 1959.
