Wheelin' and Dealin' (Asleep at the Wheel album)

Last updated
Wheelin' and Dealin'
AATW-WheelinAndDealin.jpg
Studio album by
Asleep at the Wheel
ReleasedJuly 1976 (1976-07)
RecordedMarch – April 1976
StudioWoodland Sound Studio
(Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length32:56
Label Capitol Nashville
Producer Tommy Allsup
Asleep at the Wheel chronology
Texas Gold
(1975)		Wheelin' and Dealin'
(1976)		 The Wheel
(1977)
Singles from Wheelin' and Dealin'
  1. "Route 66"
    Released: July 1976 (1976-07)
  2. "Miles and Miles of Texas"
    Released: October 1976 (1976-10)
  3. "The Trouble with Loving Today"
    Released: February 1977 (1977-02)

Wheelin' and Dealin' is the fourth album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in July 1976 as the group's second album on Capitol Nashville. It is the band's first album to feature a second fiddler, Bill Mabry, as well as saxophonist Link Davis Jr. The album was a commercial success, charting on the US Billboard 200 and reaching the top 20 of the Top Country Albums chart.

Contents

After achieving commercial success for the first time on 1975's Texas Gold , Asleep at the Wheel worked again with producer Tommy Allsup for Capitol, which marked the first time the group had produced two albums for the same label. The record featured a range of new guest musicians, including former Bob Wills guitarist Eldon Shamblin and mandolinist Tiny Moore, and was the last album by the group for several years to feature recurring guests Johnny Gimble and Bucky Meadows.

Wheelin' and Dealin' was a critical and commercial success. It was the second of the band's albums to chart in the US, peaking at number 179 on the Billboard 200 and number 19 on the Top Country Albums chart. The collection's lead single – a recording of Bobby Troup's "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" – reached number 48 on the Hot Country Songs chart, while its follow-up "Miles and Miles of Texas" (originally by Jim McGraw and the Western Sundowners) broke into the top 40.

Background

For the recording of their fourth album, Asleep at the Wheel again enlisted Tommy Allsup as producer, with whom they had previously worked on 1973's Comin' Right at Ya and 1975's Texas Gold . [2] Recording took place between March and April 1976, and the album was released in July. [3] [4] The album was the band's last to feature Scott Hennige on drums, who had joined in time for the recording of Texas Gold. [5] He was replaced by Chris York in August 1976. [6]

Reception

Commercial

Upon its release, Wheelin' and Dealin' debuted at number 189 on the US Billboard 200, and at number 38 on the Top Country Albums chart. [7] [8] After several weeks on the charts, the album peaked at number 179 on the main albums chart and number 19 on the country chart. [9] [10] Aside from the Billboard charts, Wheelin' and Dealin' reached number 13 on the Cash Box Top Country Albums chart, [11] and peaked at number 20 on the Record World Country Album Chart. [12]

Critical

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B [13]
Tom Hull – on the Web B+ ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [14]

Media response to Wheelin' and Dealin' was generally positive. Cash Box magazine hailed the album as "a strong indicator that people want to get back to good-time music", praising "Route 66" and "Shout Wa Hey" in particular. [15] Radio & Records also highlighted the two tracks, alongside "Cajun Stripper" and "They Raided the Place", in a short review which recognised the record as featuring "Great country swing music, ballads and boogie woogie". [16] Canadian music magazine RPM wrote that the album's "Repertoire is dynamite" and noted that it included "Lots of surprises", suggesting that the release was the band's "tightest LP to date". [17]

In a retrospective review of the album for website AllMusic, James Chrispell awarded the album three and a half out of five stars and stated: "Combining old-fashioned swing, western swing, country ballads, Cajun and good ol' rock & roll, Asleep at the Wheel turns a wonderful performance on Wheelin' and Dealin'." [1] Robert Christgau awarded the album a B rating, slightly lower than its predecessor Texas Gold , noting that "this LP singles out no really striking nonoriginals". [13]

Accolades

"Route 66" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. [18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Route 66" (originally recorded by the King Cole Trio ) Bobby Troup 2:50
2."Miles and Miles of Texas" (originally recorded by Jim McGraw and the Western Sundowners)
  • Tommy Camfield
  • Diane Johnston
3:03
3."The Trouble with Loving Today"Kevin Farrell3:33
4."Shout Wa Hey"
2:46
5."Blues for Dixie" (originally recorded by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys )Oliver Wendell Mayo3:58
6."The Cajun Stripper" (originally recorded by Rusty and Doug )
2:27
7."If I Can't Love You"Preston2:54
8."Lost Mind" (originally recorded by Percy Mayfield ) Percy Mayfield 3:46
9."They Raided the Place" (originally recorded by Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra )
4:05
10."We've Gone as Far as We Can Go" Linda Hargrove 2:49
Total length:32:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1976)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [9] 179
US Hot Country LPs ( Billboard ) [10] 19

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chrispell, James. "Wheelin' & Dealin' - Asleep at the Wheel: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  2. ↑ Jennings, Steve (March 1, 2014). "Classic Tracks: "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read," Asleep at the Wheel". Mix . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  3. ↑ "July Is Hot..." (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. 39 no. 9. New York City, New York: Cash Box. July 17, 1976. p. 13. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Asleep At The Wheel firmed for Horseshoe" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 27 no. 4. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: RPM. April 23, 1977. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ Benson, Ray; Menconi, David (October 2015). Comin' Right at Ya: How a Jewish Yankee Hippie Went Country, or, the Often Outrageous History of Asleep at the Wheel. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp. 76–79. ISBN   978-0292756588 . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Country Roundup" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. 38 no. 15. New York City, New York: Cash Box. August 28, 1976. p. 34. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Top LPs and Tape" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 88 no. 38. New York City, New York: Billboard. September 18, 1976. p. 72. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Hot Country LPs" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 88 no. 32. New York City, New York: Billboard. August 7, 1976. p. 50. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Top LPs and Tape" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 88 no. 39. New York City, New York: Billboard. September 25, 1976. p. 84. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Hot Country LPs" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 88 no. 37. New York City, New York: Billboard. September 11, 1976. p. 52. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Top 50 Country Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. 38 no. 19. New York City, New York: Cash Box. September 25, 1976. p. 41. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  12. ↑ "The Country Album Chart" (PDF). Record World . New York City, New York: Record World. September 18, 1976. p. 64. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Asleep at the Wheel". Robert Christgau . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  14. ↑ Hull, Tom (May 3, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. 38 no. 10. New York City, New York: Cash Box. July 24, 1976. p. 30. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Suggested Albums" (PDF). Radio & Records . Vol. 4 no. 28. Hollywood, California: Radio & Records. July 23, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Asleep at the Wheel: Wheelin' and Dealin'" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 25 no. 17. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: RPM. July 24, 1976. p. 18. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Ray Benson". Grammy Awards . Retrieved June 14, 2020.

Related Research Articles

Asleep at the Wheel American band

Asleep at the Wheel is an American western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, United States, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more than 21 singles on the Billboard country charts. Their highest-charting single, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read", peaked at No. 10 in 1975.

<i>Wheelin & Dealin</i> (Prestige Records album) 1958 studio album by Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor

Wheelin' & Dealin' is an album by Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor released in April 1958 by Prestige Records. It was later reissued on New Jazz Records in 1964. On a small number of reissues, it is credited to "The Prestige All Stars", a name used by Prestige for various combinations of musicians who were under contract to the label. The compact disc reissue adds two alternate takes that did not appear on the initial vinyl releases.

Lucky Oceans American-Australian guitarist and radio announcer

Lucky Oceans is an American pedal steel guitarist and a former member of country and Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. From 1995 to 2017 he was a broadcaster in Perth, Western Australia with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Miles and Miles of Texas 1976 single by Asleep at the Wheel

"Miles and Miles of Texas" is a song originally recorded by Jim McGraw And The Western Sundowners in 1961. It was used as the B-side of their single, "Crazy Dreams."

<i>Comin Right at Ya</i> 1973 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Comin' Right at Ya is the debut album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Mercury Custom Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in March 1973 as the group's only album on United Artists Records. The album features a variety of traditional and original compositions, including recordings of songs originally by Bob Wills, Hank Williams and Geoff Mack. Most of the original tracks on the album were written by drummer and vocalist LeRoy Preston.

<i>Asleep at the Wheel</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel is the second album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Norro Wilson at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in September 1974 as the group's first album on Epic Records. As with its predecessor Comin' Right at Ya, Asleep at the Wheel's self-titled album featured a mix of traditional and original compositions, including songs written by popular country musicians Rex Griffin, Cindy Walker and Hank Penny.

<i>Texas Gold</i> 1975 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Texas Gold is the third album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup primarily at Jack Clement Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in August 1975 as the group's first album on Capitol Nashville. The album was the band's first commercial success, charting on the US Billboard 200 and reaching the top ten of the Top Country Albums chart. Lead single "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read" also reached the Hot Country Songs top ten.

<i>The Wheel</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1977 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Wheel is the fifth album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Sumet-Bernet Studios in Dallas, Texas, it was released on March 14, 1977 as the group's third album on Capitol Nashville. Unlike the band's previous releases, all of which included covers of songs originally recorded by popular country and jazz artists, The Wheel features entirely original material, most of which was written by band member LeRoy Preston.

<i>Collision Course</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1978 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Collision Course is the sixth album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Joel Dorn at Regent Sound Studios in New York City, it was released in June 1978 as the group's fourth and final studio album on Capitol Nashville. After 1977's The Wheel featured all original material, Collision Course features only two tracks written by members of the band. The remaining recordings are covers of compositions originally by popular Western swing, Cajun and jazz artists.

<i>Served Live</i> 1979 live album by Asleep at the Wheel

Served Live is the first live album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded over two nights at the Austin Opry House in Austin, Texas in January 1979, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson with Chuck Flood, and released on June 11, 1979 as the group's final album on Capitol Nashville. Neither the album nor its sole single, "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", registered on the US Billboard record charts – the band's first album since 1974 not to do so.

<i>Framed</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1980 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Framed is the seventh studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at several studios in Austin and Dallas, Texas, it was produced solely by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on August 5, 1980 as the group's only album on MCA Records. Following the departure of the group's primary songwriter LeRoy Preston in 1978, the original material on Framed was written primarily by Benson, with Chris O'Connell the only other credited member.

<i>Pasture Prime</i> 1985 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Pasture Prime is the eighth studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Ray Benson at Austin Recording and Bee Creek Studios in Austin, Texas, and by Benson and Willie Nelson at Pedernales Recording Studio in Briarcliff, Texas, it was released in April 1985 by Demon Music Group in the UK and Stony Plain Records in Canada. The album was later repackaged in the US with three fewer tracks and released under the title Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>10</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1987 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

10 is the ninth studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bee Creek Studios in Spicewood, Texas and the Austin Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced solely by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released in March 1987 as the group's first album back on Epic Records. 10 was the group's first album on a major label since 1980's Framed, and its first to register on the US Billboard charts since 1978's Wheelin' and Dealin'.

<i>Western Standard Time</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Western Standard Time is the tenth studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at various studios in Austin, Dallas, Briarcliff and San Marcos, Texas it was produced solely by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released in August 1988 as the group's second album back on Epic Records. Western Standard Time is the band's first album to feature no original material, relying on recordings of compositions originally by popular swing, R&B and big band artists.

<i>Keepin Me Up Nights</i> 1990 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Keepin' Me Up Nights is the 11th studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded primarily in Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson with Barry Beckett, Tim DuBois and Scott Hendricks, and released in July 1990 as the group's first album on Arista Records. Unlike its 1988 predecessor Western Standard Time, Keepin' Me Up Nights features almost all original material, with just one cover version included.

<i>Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1993 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 12th studio album and first tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on October 25, 1993 by Liberty Records. The collection features recordings of songs made popular by Western swing group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, a major influence on Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>The Wheel Keeps on Rollin</i> 1995 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' is the 13th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by Andy Byrd with the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 21, 1995 by Capitol Nashville. The album was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the group's 1970 inception, and was its first collection of new original studio material since the release of Keepin' Me Up Nights in 1990.

<i>Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1999 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 15th studio album and second tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded between June 1998 and March 1999 at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on August 10, 1999 as the band's only album on DreamWorks Records. The album is another tribute to the music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

Asleep at the Wheel discography

The discography of Asleep at the Wheel (AATW), an American country band, consists of 25 studio albums, 16 live albums, 21 compilation albums, seven extended plays (EPs), 37 singles, four video albums and 17 music videos.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.