Rhymes & Reasons | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 14, 1969 | |||
Studio | RCA, New York City | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 37:28 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Producer | Milton Okun | |||
John Denver chronology | ||||
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Singles from Rhymes & Reasons | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide | [4] |
Rhymes & Reasons is the first commercial studio album by the American singer-songwriter John Denver, released in October 1969 by RCA Records. It was reissued on CD by Legacy Recordings in 2005. [5]
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" was written and recorded by Denver in 1966 and included on his debut demo recording John Denver Sings as "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave them out as presents for Christmas of that year. Denver's then producer Milt Okun convinced him to change the title and it was renamed "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1967. After the success of the Peter, Paul and Mary version in 1969, Denver recorded the song again for his debut album, Rhymes & Reasons, and it was released as a single in October 1969. Although it is one of Denver's best known songs, his single failed to enter the charts. It was re-recorded for the third and final time in 1973 for John Denver's Greatest Hits and this version appears on most of his compilation albums. [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Love of the Common People" | 4:06 | |
2. | "Catch Another Butterfly" | Mike Williams | 2:31 |
3. | "Daydream" | John Denver | 2:54 |
4. | "The Ballad of Spiro Agnew" | Tom Paxton | 0:15 |
5. | "Circus" |
| 2:37 |
6. | "When I'm Sixty-Four" | 2:02 | |
7. | "The Ballad of Richard Nixon" | Paxton | 0:05 |
8. | "Rhymes & Reasons" | Denver | 3:15 |
Total length: | 17:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Yellow Cat" | Steven Fromholz | 2:52 |
2. | "Leaving on a Jet Plane" | Denver | 3:37 |
3. | "(You Dun Stomped) My Heart" | Mason Williams | 2:41 |
4. | "My Old Man" | Jerry Jeff Walker | 4:34 |
5. | "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" |
| 3:49 |
6. | "Today Is the First Day of the Rest of My Life (Sugacity)" |
| 2:10 |
Total length: | 19:43 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Rusty Green" | Denver | |
16. | "Take Me to Tomorrow" (early version) | Denver |
Musicians
| Production
|
Chart (1969–73) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC) [7] | 21 |
US Billboard 200 [8] | 148 |
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the bestselling artists in that decade. AllMusic has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers of his era".
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard's US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017. The song became one of John Denver's most popular songs. It has continued to sell, with over 1.6 million digital copies sold in the United States.
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger, songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock, it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the '60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions.
"Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was originally recorded by The Platters with lead vocals by Tony Williams in 1955.
Greatest Hits is the eleventh official album release for English musician Elton John, and the first compilation. Released in November 1974, it spans the years 1970 to 1974, compiling ten of John's singles, with one track variation for releases in North America and for Europe and Australia. It topped the album chart in both the United States and the United Kingdom, staying at number one for ten consecutive weeks in the former nation and eleven weeks in the latter. In Canada, it was number one for 13 weeks between December 14, 1974, and March 22, 1975, missing only December 28, 1974, at number 2 to Jim Croce's Photographs & Memories.
"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on the band’s 1969 album Abbey Road and was also released as a double A-side single with "Something". The song reached the top of the charts in the United States and Australia, but peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom.
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"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording John Denver Sings as "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave them out as presents for Christmas of that year. Denver's then producer Milt Okun convinced him to change the title; the song was renamed "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1967.
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