Maps of Music

Waylon Sings Ol' Harlan (1967)

Where the lyrics of Waylon Sings Ol' Harlan take you, and where it was really made.

An album made entirely of one songwriter's songs was not as successful as Jennings' previous releases, peaking at No. 32 on the country LP chart.

Key places

RCA Studio A, Nashville (1966)

Recording site RCA Studio B — Jennings recorded the album in two sessions, on 24 May and 1 June 1966, with the Waylors. The recording location is RCA Studio A in Nashville. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Fifth studio album by American country artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1967
• Consists entirely of songs by Harlan Howard
• Twelve tracks, two of them co-written with Buck Owens
• Not as successful as Jennings' previous releases

Background

• Jennings had a great affection for Howard's songs
• Most of his 1960s albums contained at least one Howard song
• The LP features some of Howard's most popular compositions, including 'Heartaches By the Number' and 'Busted'
• In his autobiography, Jennings cited the LP as the first proper album he recorded after he was living in Nashville
• By his own estimate, Jennings covered over seventy of Howard's tunes

Recording

• Recorded in two sessions spaced a week apart, on May 24 and June 1, 1966
• Backing group: the Waylors
• The band rehearsed the night before each session, set up in Harlan's office with a small two-track tape recorder
• Don Davis helped with the arrangements
• Some songs had been big hits and some had not
• Jennings's favourite, 'Beautiful Annabel Lee', was written by Howard after the Edgar Allan Poe poem

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born June 15, 1937 in Littlefield, Texas; American country singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and author.
• Considered one of the pioneers of the outlaw movement in country music.
• Played in the Texas Longhorns as a teen; worked as a DJ at KLLL in Lubbock.
• Played bass for Buddy Holly on the Winter Dance Party tour; gave up his seat on the plane that crashed in 1959.
• Led the Waylors at JD's club in Phoenix, Arizona, developing a rock-influenced country style.
• Signed with RCA Victor in 1965; gained creative control in the early 1970s with Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes.
• Had a number-one hit with "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" from Dreaming My Dreams.
• Recorded Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter, the first platinum country album.
• Narrated and sang the theme for The Dukes of Hazzard, "Good Ol' Boys", which became his biggest hit.
• Joined Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash in the Highwaymen.
• Overcame cocaine addiction in 1984.
• Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001; died February 13, 2002 in Chandler, Arizona.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Not as successful as Jennings' previous releases
• Peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot Country LP chart
• Most of Jennings' 1960s albums included at least one Howard song; this LP is built entirely from Howard's work
• Includes some of Howard's most popular compositions, such as 'Heartaches By the Number' and 'Busted'
• 'Busted' had also been covered by Johnny Cash and Ray Charles
• Two tracks were co-written with Buck Owens: 'I've Got a Tiger By the Tail' and 'Foolin' Around'
• Twelve tracks in total, running from 'She Called Me Baby' (2:34) to 'In This Very Same Room' (2:41)
• Recorded with the backing group the Waylors in two sessions
• Jennings later said Howard kept advising him on songwriting craft

Records

• Billboard Hot Country LP chart: peak No. 32
• Label: RCA Victor, released 1967
• Fifth studio album by Waylon Jennings

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• In his autobiography, Jennings named this as the first proper album he recorded after moving to Nashville
• Jennings called 'Beautiful Annabel Lee' one of his favourites; Howard wrote it after the Edgar Allan Poe poem
• Jennings said he was not sure the band ever beat the office version of 'She Called Me Baby'
• By his own estimate, Jennings covered over seventy of Howard's tunes

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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