Maps of Music

City of New Orleans (1984)

Where the lyrics of City of New Orleans take you, and where it was really made.

The title song was already a hit for Arlo Guthrie before Willie Nelson's cover topped the U.S. country singles chart.

Place unknown

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City of New Orleans: studio album by Willie Nelson
Released by Columbia Records in 1984
Italian Wikipedia calls it Nelson's thirtieth studio album, released in July 1984
Apart from Nelson's own "Why Are You Pickin' on Me", the album is a cover album
The Spanish track list shows ten tracks

The title track was written and first recorded by Steve Goodman; his version was released in 1971
Arlo Guthrie had the first hit with the song the following year, 1972
Nelson's version later topped the U.S. country singles chart and received two Grammy nominations
The album belongs to the period when Nelson was recording many outside songwriters' material

Chips Moman is credited as producer, engineer, guitarist and backing vocalist
Engineers credited: David Cherry and Larry Greenhill
Recorded at Moman's Recording Studio; mastered at Woodland Studios
Mastering credited to Denny Purcell
Guitarists: Reggie Young, J.R. Cobb and Chips Moman
Bass: Mike Leech; keyboards: Bobby Emmons and Bobby Wood
Drums: Gene Chrisman; harmonica: Mickey Raphael
Horn section includes Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Donald Sanders on baritone saxophone

1	City of New Orleans	4:48
2	Just Out of Reach	3:37
3	Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues	2:52
4	Why Are You Pickin' on Me	2:26
5	She's Out of My Life	3:26
6	Cry	3:32
7	Please Come to Boston	4:17
8	It Turns Me Inside Out	3:27
9	Wind Beneath My Wings	3:46
10	Until It's Time for You to Go	4:06

Born Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas.
Wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band, Bohemian Polka, as a guitarist at age nine.
Attended Baylor University for two years before dropping out to pursue music.
Moved to Nashville in 1960 and joined Ray Price's band as a bassist.

Songs such as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline), "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Pretty Paper" became hits for other artists.
Debut album ...And Then I Wrote was released in 1962; joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965.
Helped lead the outlaw country movement after moving to Austin, Texas in 1972.
Red Headed Stranger (1975) was a critically acclaimed concept album; the single "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became his first number one hit.
Co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 with Neil Young and John Mellencamp.
Acted in over 30 films, including The Electric Horseman (1979).
Received a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance for "Ride Me Back Home" (2019).
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Nelson was pushing his all-purpose interpretive powers too far
Saw Tek Meng of the New Straits Times cited the title track as an excellent opener
The same critic praised "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" as a standout with sensitive singing
Jerry Spangler of the Deseret News found Nelson's version of "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" laughable

U.S. country singles chart: number one for the title track
Billboard Hot 100 chart: title track reached number 69 on the general Billboard 200 list
Canadian country album chart: number 24
27th Annual Grammy Awards: two nominations for the title track
Won Best Country Song for Goodman's song
Lost Best Country Vocal Performance, Male to Merle Haggard's "That's the Way Love Goes"

Nelson performed "City of New Orleans" at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, where the song won Best Country Song for Goodman
"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" was written by Danny O'Keefe
The track list credits "Until It's Time for You to Go" to Buffy Sainte-Marie
The Discogs credits list Moman's Recording Studio as the recording location