He had been charting in America since 1961 and recording memorable, important songs for many of that point. However then, after 14 years, a pop No.1 arrived for Glen Campbell.
This excellent vocal interpreter from the city of Delight, Arkansas had first charted within the autumn of 1961, aged 25, with the No.62 single “Turn Around, Look At Me.” As an in-demand session guitarist and touring member of the Seashore Boys, he didn’t make the Prime 40 in his personal proper till “Gentle On My Mind” had a second chart run in 1968, even then solely reaching No.39.
Glen’s definitive recordings of Jimmy Webb’s songbook are a part of pop music historical past. However whereas “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” and the remaining have been main hits, Campbell by no means made the highest of the Billboard Sizzling 100 till September 6, 1975. That was when “Rhinestone Cowboy,” written and first recorded by Larry Weiss and now produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, climbed from No.3 to take over on the prime from Okay.C. and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight.”
Within the second week of its reign, it went No.1 nation as properly, turning into the primary tune to realize that simultaneous victory since Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” did it in 1961 – only one week after Glen took that first chart bow.
A world cowboy
Disco could have been on the rise in September 1975, however there was nonetheless loads of room for an ideal pop tune on the charts, not simply within the States however world wide. “Rhinestone Cowboy” went to No.1 in Canada and Eire, No.2 in New Zealand and Switzerland, No.3 in Holland, No.4 within the UK and Belgium, and No.5 in Australia. Little greater than 18 months later, Campbell was again on the prime of the American chart with Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights.”
And as a postscript for songwriters who assume their work won’t ever attain a large viewers: Larry Weiss had been so depressed in regards to the failure of his personal unique of “Rhinestone Cowboy” that he had been contemplating renting a storefront property and going into the furnishings enterprise – till Campbell’s cowl got here alongside.
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