I HIGHLY recommend Jimmy Webb's version of his compositions including "Wichita Lineman", "Galvaston", "McArthur Park", "Phoenix", etc .
Posted on 01/24/2015 3:09:51 PM PST by FlJoePa
Forty-six years ago today (Jan. 22, 1969), Glen Campbell struck gold for the first time. It was on this day that the singer earned the first gold single of his career, signifying sales of 500,000 copies, with ‘Wichita Lineman.’
The song, which was the title track of Campbell’s 12th studio album, was written by Jimmy Webb, who got the inspiration for the tune while driving through Washita County, Okla., when he saw a lone telephone lineman working on the top of a telephone pole.
“I’m a songwriter, and I can write about anything I want to,” Webb says of his inspiration for the song. “I feel that you should know something about what you’re doing, and you should have an image, and I have a very specific image of a guy I saw working up on the wires out in the Oklahoma panhandle one time with a telephone in his hand talking to somebody. And this exquisite aesthetic balance of all these telephone poles just decreasing in size as they got further and further away from the viewer — that being me — and as I passed him, he began to diminish in size.
“This song came about, really, from wondering what that was like, what it would be like to be working up on a telephone pole, and what would you be talking about?” Webb continues. “Was he talking to his girlfriend? Probably just doing one of those checks where they called up and said, ‘Mile marker 46,’ you know. ‘Everything’s working so far.’”
Webb often wrote in the studio while Campbell was recording. As soon as the songwriter played part of ‘Wichita Lineman’ for Campbell, the singer knew he wanted to record the tune.
“I implored him to finish it and even offered to help,” Campbell says. “But he told me to go and play my guitar and leave the writing to him.”
‘Wichita Lineman,’ which was nominated for an ACM Award for Single of the Year in 1968, has been included on several of Campbell’s compilation albums, including ‘Glen Campbell’s Greatest Hits’ in 1971, ‘The Best of Glen Campbell’ in 1976, 1987′s ‘The Very Best of Glen Campbell’ and ‘The Legacy’ from 2003.
The song was also included on Campbell’s final ‘See You There’ album, which was released as the legendary singer’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease caused him to officially retire from the music business.
You’re all correct ... he did play with the Beach Boys. On the Sunset Surf album, it mentions that he was a studio musician at the time, so it’s not surprising that he appeared on a lot of albums before his own talent became recognized.
"Everything in the song was visible. There's nothing in it that's fabricated. The old men playing checkers by the trees, the cake that was left out in the rain, all of the things that are talked about in the song are things I actually saw. And so it's a kind of musical collage of this whole love affair that kind of went down in MacArthur Park. ... Back then, I was kind of like an emotional machine, like whatever was going on inside me would bubble out of the piano and onto paper."
Here is Johnny singing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwG9mypJhoU
I love the days of youth. :^)
Gavelston was always my favorite.
Love the new version of Gentle on my mind
Great lyrics
I HIGHLY recommend Jimmy Webb's version of his compositions including "Wichita Lineman", "Galvaston", "McArthur Park", "Phoenix", etc .
He did a concert in NJ which was recorded and released as an LP. A good track on the LP which never got radio play but was a good song was “The Everyday Housewife”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFucCXherLg
A “synch” performance of Pipeline, by the Chantays, 1963.
A bit humorous since they are “synching” instead of playing, notice no wires to those guitars.
Nonetheless it captures the vibe of the era, and I was there.
The lead guitar guy, Bob Spickard, is a neighbor of mine since forever. His daughter and mine, now in their 40s, were friends throughout school elementary through HS.
Actually, “Dreams of an Everyday Housewife” did get good radio play. Hit number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1968.
“Wichita Lineman” - the great Jimmy Webb singing & playing his piano. VERY haunting...incredible song! From his album “10 Easy Pieces”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X2TXwREYOY
Thanx for the info. I never knew that. I still have the LP someplace, and nothing to play it on.
I was lucky enough to see Jimmy Webb perform all of his songs live on stage in Hollywood back in the late 1970s. Great show.
bttt
Yes, I agree with MOM. I almost cry for the Andy Williams world. One of the all time greats
start @ 2;26—HOW does he do that? AMAZING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnRMwzpNvs
I hate most of today’s music.
One of the greatest rock songs EVER: (Foreigner)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raNGeq3_DtM&list=RDraNGeq3_DtM
Anybody agree?
My wife & I moved to H’wood in late 60’s and stayed until mid-70’s. Jimmy Webb would have been a great show.
Where was he playing when you saw/heard him?
BTTT
bump
I was a fan of "MacArthur Park" when the version by Richard Harris was a hit in the spring of 1968. I liked the song because it's about Los Angeles and because Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the park's namesake, was, and still is, one of my heroes.
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