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Liner
Notes for Webb Pierce just the mere mention of the name conjures up visions of Guitar Shaped Swimming Pools, Silver Dollar Convertible Cars and of course those fancy, flashy embroidered rhinestone suits. But there was much more to Webb than that - hit hits! And he had a bunch of them too. Like "Back Street Affair" a song, Hank Williams once sung to Webb and said his publisher Fred Rose, wouldn't let him cut it. Priding himself on knowing a hit, Webb recorded it himself. The "Queen of Country Music" Miss Kitty Wells cut a parady song to it, thought non humorus "Paying for that Back Street Affair". "There Stand the Glass" a song barred from radio at one time because DJ's believed that it encouraged drinking. It spawned two answers though, Jean Shepard's "The Glass that Stands Beside You" and Betty Cody's "Please Throw Away the Glass". The song has come to be known as the honky-tonk national anthem for beer drinkers. "Slowly", one of the first to have a pedal steel guitar on a phonograph record. "More & More" a Merle Kilgore classic, which Webb shared writing credits on even though he didn't contribute one line. But this was common practice among singers of the 1950s. And a Jimmie Rodgers penned tune "In The Jailhouse Now". The last one had for backup singers The Wilburn Brothers, (Teddy & Doyle) although they received no label credit. It stayed at the # 1 spot for half a year back in 1955. A feat still unmatched today by country music's newer stars including Garth Brooks! "I Don't Care", written with songwriter Cindy Walker' was later a hit for Ricky Skaggs. "Love, Love, Love" a number written by Ted Jarrett a black Nashville songwriter and R & B Musician. And the last Triple Crown Award for Webb making him have four in a row. They were for "More & More", "In the Jailhouse Now" and "I Don't Care". "Why Baby Why" a tune that's as much a milestone in the career of George Jones as it is for Mr. Pierce. For George made his chart debut with this one back in 1955. Webb shared the better part of the song though with pal Red Sovine. Webb can be heard doing the harmony behind Red on the original deut version. Sovine became famous for truck songs like "Giddy-up Go", "Phantom 309" and "Teddy Bear" mostly done as narrations. And now for "Bye, Bye Love" a song generally though of today as only an Everly Brothers classic. True it was their first big hit. But Webb had a Jockey # 7 and Best Seller # 8 hit with the song back in May 1957, just days after the Everly's hit! Next up "Missing You" again a song generally thought of today as only a hit for someone else; Jim Reeves. But Webb had a hit with it first in 1957. The Reeves' version didn't chart until 1972. Plus there was my personal favorite of "I Ain't Never" one of the many songs constructed for Webb by Mel Tillis. Tillis later scored with his own version of this song too, hit first # 1. Webb again shared writing credits on the later as well as being published by Webb's own Cedarwood Publishing Company. Which Webb owned with ex-Opry talent scout Jim Denny and country star Carl Smith. And I ain't through yet! Webb, himself was also an accoplished songwriter in his own right. As is evident in the song "Leavin' On Your Mind" which was a monstrous hit for Decca label mate Patsy Cline. And oh, oh I just can't name them all. Nor could we record all of them on this one disc for it would take 2 or 3 discs to even try; since he had 13 number 1's; 68 top 10's and 97 charted single in all. So we'll just stop right here while the stopping's good! Webb's an idol of mine and Jacky's so want you please give this disc a listen. We've done our best to pay homage to a true country legend "The King of the Honky-Tonks" Webb Pierce.
Roger True True Brothers |
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Last modified: June 26, 2004 |
