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.
Here's the entire (appears like) SD Symphony Concert on youtube: youtube link here
He went back to Arkansas and had his preacher brother baptize him in a little creek they used to swim in.
“I hear you singin’ in the wire
I can hear you through the whine..”
Yes, we can hear her too, can’t we?
Amazing song, like so much of what Jimmy Webb wrote.
And Glen had such a distinctive sound, you knew right away it was him!
Very sad. God grace, Glen!
That is amazing. I think there are only about two background singers in Nashville and they record on every record like Glenn Campbell did. The difference is Glenn never played two licks that sounded alike.
Decades ago there was a genius woman who answered questions that appeared in the Sunday newspaper. Someone asked her if there would ever come a day when every melody has ever been written. She replied “Yes, but you won’t have time to hear them all.” I think that day has come. There’s nothing left to write.
Wow! Thanks for the link. Watched about 10 minutes of it. Will have to see the rest of it tomorrow. Thanks!
It was a great song for sure.
The Luke Bryan song was from a line by Matt McConaughey in the film DAZED AND CONFUSED.
My favorite of all his songs. ...and the Wichita lineman ..is still on the liiiine ...beep beep. LOL
This concert - 1.5 hours - is amazing. You have to watch it to believe how good it is.
Beyond a doubt, Country Music today sucks! And I love old Country (pre-1990s).
Excellent, Thanks.
I can remember this song playing on the AM radio in the car when I was about 8.
I was usually in the back of the station wagon plotting fresh deviltry.
LOL
“MacArthur Park” is a different one. Those lyrics had to be difficult to put to music.
LOL
(No doubt the rivalry with the Fighting Artichokes was truly epic...)
I once knew a girl, sort of cute, whose favorite song was “McArthur Park”. I never could understand it. She was just a bit of a mental case tho.
This had to be the Summer of 1971. Not sure when the song was popular.
FYI: I think I remember hearing McArthurs Park is THE hardest Rock n Roll song to sing in key.
Man this version is to cool...
Damn good guitar player.
Really nice. His playing reminds me of Alvin Lee’s towards the end of this version of Tulsa Queen:
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Bbaz_T6BN3g
One of my favorite Glen Campbell songs, “I’d build a bridge”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG7sQIBqFsI
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