Bright Lights and Country Music
Bright Lights and Country Music | ||||
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Studio album by Bill Anderson and the Po' Boys | ||||
Released | November 1965 (1965-11) | |||
Recorded | July 1965 | |||
Studio | Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre |
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Label | Decca | |||
Producer | Owen Bradley | |||
Bill Anderson and the Po' Boys chronology | ||||
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Singles from Bright Lights and Country Music | ||||
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Bright Lights and Country Music is a studio album by Bill Anderson and the Po' Boys. It was released in November 1965 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was Anderson's first studio album to include dual credit with his band, The Po' Boys. It was his fourth studio album overall. The album included one single release, the title track. This song became a major hit on the Billboard country charts. The album itself also reached charting positions on Billboard shortly after its release.
Background and content
Bright Lights and Country Music was recorded in July 1965 at the Columbia Recording Studio. The sessions were produced by Owen Bradley, whom Anderson had been collaborating with for several years. It was Anderson's first studio album that included lead credit with his band, The Po' Boys.[2] The album consisted of 12 tracks.[3] Like his previous studio releases, the album contained several songs written by Anderson. Among these songs was the title track, which appeared as the first song in the set. Other songs were new recordings and cover versions songs recorded by others. Among the record's covers was "The Wild Side of Life", which was first released by Hank Thompson in the 1950s. Another cover was the fifth track, "How the Other Half Lives". This song was first recorded by Wynn Stewart and Jan Howard as a duet.[2]
Release and reception
Bright Lights and Country Music was released in November 1965 on Decca Records.[2] The album was released as a vinyl record, with six songs on side of the recording.[3] The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart on February 12, 1966. It became Anderson's fifth album release to reach a position on this chart.[4] The title track was the only single released from the album. It was issued in August 1965 and became a major hit, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in November 1965.[5] The song "Golden Guitar" would later be included as a B-side to a single not included on this album.[6] The album was later reviewed by Allmusic, which gave the release a rating of 4.5 out of 5 possible stars.[1]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bright Lights and Country Music" |
| 2:35 |
2. | "Wild Side of Life" |
| 2:46 |
3. | "Golden Guitar" |
| 4:13 |
4. | "Wine" | Mel Tillis | 3:04 |
5. | "How the Other Half Lives" |
| 2:09 |
6. | "Good Old Mountain Dew" | 2:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Truck Drivin' Man" | Terry Fell | 2:17 |
2. | "I'll Go Down Swinging" | Anderson | 2:48 |
3. | "The Strangers' Story" | Pete Stamper | 3:04 |
4. | "Sittin' in an All-Nite Cafe" | Jim Glaser | 2:30 |
5. | "Cocktails" | Anderson | 2:29 |
6. | "I'm Walking the Dog" |
| 2:02 |
Personnel
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Bright Lights and Country Music.[2]
Musical personnel
- Bill Anderson – lead vocals
- Harold Bradley – guitar, banjo
- James Colvard – guitar
- Floyd Cramer – piano
- Pete Drake – steel guitar
- Ray Edenton – guitar
- Jimmy Gateley – guitar
- Roy Huskey – bass
- The Jordanaires – background vocals
- Jimmy Lance – guitar
- Grady Martin – guitar
- Len Miller – drums
- Bob Moore – bass
- Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
- The Po' Boys – various
- Joe Zinkan – bass
Technical personnel
- Owen Bradley – producer
- Hal Buksbaum – photography
Chart performance
Chart (1965) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7] | 6 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | February 1964 | Vinyl | Decca | [3][1] |
References
- ^ a b c "Bright Lights and Country Music -- Bill Anderson -- Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d Anderson, Bill (November 1965). "Bright Lights and Country Music (Liner Notes and Album Information)". Decca Records.
- ^ a b c d e "Bill Anderson & The Po' Boys: Bright Lights and Country Music (1965, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Bright Lights and Country Music chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ ""Bright Lights and Country Music" [single] chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "Bill Anderson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- v
- t
- e
- Still (1963)
- Bill Anderson Sings (1964)
- Showcase (1964)
- Bright Lights and Country Music (1965)
- I Love You Drops (1966)
- Get While the Gettin's Good (1967)
- I Can Do Nothing Alone (1967)
- For Loving You (with Jan Howard) (1968)
- Wild Weekend (1968)
- Happy State of Mind (1968)
- My Life/But You Know I Love You (1969)
- Christmas (1969)
- If It's All the Same to You (with Jan Howard) (1970)
- Love Is a Sometimes Thing (1970)
- Where Have All Our Heroes Gone (1970)
- Always Remember (1971)
- Bill and Jan (Or Jan and Bill) (with Jan Howard) (1972)
- Singing His Praise (with Jan Howard) (1972)
- Bill Anderson Sings for "All the Lonely Women in the World" (1972)
- Don't She Look Good (1972)
- Bill (1973)
- "Whispering" Bill Anderson (1974)
- Every Time I Turn the Radio On/Talk to Me Ohio (1975)
- Sometimes (with Mary Lou Turner) (1976)
- Peanuts and Diamonds and Other Jewels (1976)
- Scorpio (1977)
- Billy Boy & Mary Lou (1977)
- Love...& Other Sad Stories (1978)
- Ladies Choice (1979)
- Nashville Mirrors (1980)
- Southern Fried (1983)
- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1984)
- A Place in the Country (1986)
- Country Music Heaven (1993)
- Greatest Songs (1996)
- Fine Wine (1998)
- A Lot of Things Different (2001)
- No Place Like Home on Christmas (2002)
- Softly & Tenderly (2004)
- The Way I Feel (2005)
- Whisperin' Bluegrass (2007)
- Songwriter (2010)
- Life! (2014)
- Anderson (2018)
- The Hits Re-Imagined (2020)
- Bill Anderson Sings Country Heart Songs (1962)
- From This Pen (1965)
- Bill Anderson's Greatest Hits (1967)
- Bill Anderson's Country Style (1968)
- The Bill Anderson Story: His Greatest Hits (1969)
- Bill Anderson's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1971)
- Live from London (1975)
- Po' Folks