Posted on 06/03/2016 2:22:48 PM PDT by PROCON
Music fans know the importance of Friday.
"It was the 3rd of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day."
That is the opening line of one of music's most discussed, examined and appreciated songs — "Ode to Billie Joe," written and performed by Bobbie Gentry, who was born in Mississippi's Chickasaw County. When her parents divorced and her mother left for California, Gentry moved in with her grandparents in Leflore County, near Greenwood.
"Ode to Billie Joe" was selected by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 500 songs of all time. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and cracked the Top 10 on the Easy Listening and R&B charts. Billboard also rated it the No. 3 song of 1967.
She was only 22 when she recorded it. The tune earned Gentry three Grammy Awards — Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female; Best New Artist.
And here is one of those strange-but-true facts: "Ode to Billie Joe" was the B-side of Gentry's first single. The A-side, which Gentry's team at Capitol Records believed had the best chance of becoming a hit, was "Mississippi Delta," a gritty, hard-driving song that was a complete opposite of "Ode to Billie Joe."
(Excerpt) Read more at sunherald.com ...
Don’t forget Niki Hoeky:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dyo_xZnvsA
One of my favorite albums in the ‘60s was Bobbie Gentry singing duets with Glen Campbell. I still love it (but don’t have it any more).
Checked your own In Forum page? You're a one trick County Cork pony.
All this time I thought it was McAllister.
That puts everything in a whole different light.
Today's also Jefferson Davis's birthday. I had a great-aunt (who died in 1976) who was born on the day he died.
At the time, I thought it was a great hot summer day's song...........and I still do.
I don’t think hands count.
Yeah. The movie bombed.
Whatever the back story of the song was supposed to be, it wasn’t that.
I've got a list of my all time favorite songs and this is one of them.........You just can't put them from 1 to whatever......they're all great in their own way.
Stafford quoted one time that she was bed bug crazy but then most women are.
...
It’s usually assumed and hardly worth mentioning, but if she was disillusioned with the music industry she can’t be all that nuts.
Please expound. This should be good.
I call that smart.............
“Have to disagree. The haunting music fit right in with the disturbing lyrics.”
I agree with both of you about the poetic and haunting aspects of the song.
It has something.
But it’s always been a bit uncomfortable and a bit stilted.
A book, a movie, lots of folks tried to interpret her song but all it was was just a song.........LOL!
Music has always been something special to me.
If you haven’t already, search youtube.
I remember her singing “Ode to Billie Joe” on Johnny Carson. She was shockingly good. She started singing and I forgot I was watching television, forgot about everything but her voice and her story. It was as though I was alone in a room with her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.