Click to listen
June 10
Why today? Twenty-nine years ago, legendary producer Owen Bradley entered the studio that friendly competitor Chet Atkins had built and directed a new backing for an electronic joining of two of the most beloved voices of country music.
About the record: RCA Victor PB-12346, overdubbed on June 10 and 25, 1981, at Music City Music Hall in Nashville. Released in October of that year, it reached No. 5 on Billboard‘s country chart. First LP appearance was on Greatest Hits — Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline, RCA Victor AHL1-4127. Released in November 1981, it reached No. 8 on Billboard‘s country album chart.
I don’t know whose idea it was to perform this bit of studio trickery. Was it legendary producer and talented musician Owen Bradley, who’d recorded Cline so skillfully for Decca Records? Was it legendary producer and talented musician Chet Atkins, who’d recorded Reeves so skillfully at RCA Victor? Was it the occupant of some corporate office in New York or L.A. who’d never seen the inside of a recording studio and just thought, “Hey, here’s a great idea …”?
What I do know: Bradley gathered musicians John Christopher, Reggie Young, Weldon Myrick, Mike Leach, James Stroud and David Briggs into the former RCA Studio A and created new tracks for this song and “I Fall To Pieces.” (Here’s an overview of the process from start to finish. UPDATE: As sometimes happens on Wikipedia, the linked article has some problems. See the discussion in the Comments section below.)
It’s no secret that I’m a traditionalist; in a post just last week I slammed the Hank Williams With Strings project from the mid-‘60s. But, strangely, this particular contrivance doesn’t really bother me. Maybe because it started with two Nashville Sound records, and I don’t have as much invested in it. Here are thoughts on the general idea of “singing with the dead” from Nashville music journalist Edward Morris, expressed in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times several years ago.
About the originals: The two sources have two things in common: They were recorded on Music Row in 1961, and the legendary Bob Moore played bass on both records. Many of you might not have heard those original cuts. Here they are. It’s clear that the Reeves bites were manipulated more than Clines’ for the “duet.” I prefer Patsy’s version to Reeves’, but they’re both good – just not country enough!
Patsy Cline’s version (click image to listen): Recorded Aug. 24, 1961, at Bradley Film & Recording Studio, Nashville. Appeared on the LP Showcase, Decca DL7-4202, released Nov. 27, 1961. Did not chart country; reached No. 73 on Billboard’s pop album chart.
Jim Reeves’ version (click image to listen): Recorded Nov. 20, 1961, at the label’s Nashville studio. Appeared on the LP A Touch Of Velvet, RCA Victor LSP/LPM-2487, released in April 1962. Did not chart country; reached No. 97 on Billboard’s pop album chart. First posthumous release was on RCA Victor single 447-0870 (1971). Did not chart.
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June 10, 2010 at 3:27 PM
On my 3 Chords a Day blog … « Take Highway 12
[…] post. Tagged: 3 Chords a Day, classic country, country music, Kevin Paulk. Leave a Comment Today “Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)” — a duet that never was, from Jim Reeves and Patsy […]
June 11, 2010 at 10:15 AM
Ken Johnson
Kevin – I share your love for the more traditional side of country music but also agree wholeheartedly with your view on this recording. Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline had two of the best voices to ever caress a country song. Though the musical arrangements of their later recordings took a decidedly “pop” approach, they maintained their country music sensibilities by selecting songs that were country at their core. Even a half century later these recordings remain great music to listen to. I still marvel at how their smooth vocals blend so well with the lush orchestration.
I’m also amazed that both of them sang in a very “hillbilly” style early in their careers and then seamlessly made the transition to the “Nashville Sound.” Listen to Jim’s “Mexican Joe” then “Welcome To My World.” Or Patsy’s “A Church, A Courtroom And Then Goodbye” then “Crazy.” It is a remarkable transition to say the least.
As with most Wiki info, readers beware. This explanation of the creation of the posthumous “Have You Ever Been Lonely” duet is yet another example. The first error was the year listed for the studio remix (1979).
The second error is in this statement:
“This was possible only because in the very early 60’s in Nashville when both hits were recorded, both Chet Atkins at RCA and Owen Bradley at Decca had access to then-brand-new 3-track mastering recorders. In this format, the orchestra was recorded on one, the backup singers on two, and the lead vocal on three, all intended for mixdown to mono in the end.”
A small point perhaps, but the writer appears to be unaware that by 1961 both mono AND stereo records were being distributed by those record labels. Therefore a final stereo mixdown of the session tapes was necessary. Both original recordings featured a stereo instrumental backing track. With only 3 tracks available, the backing vocals had to share one of the instrumental tracks to allow the lead vocal to remain isolated on the 3rd track.
As a side note, had the background vocalists shared the lead vocal track, this new “duet” may not have been possible via 1981 technology.
The “I Fall To Pieces” duet proved far less satisfying. Patsy was so associated with the song by that time that Reeves duet appearance seemed unnecessary and failed to add anything other than novelty value.
June 11, 2010 at 5:02 PM
3chordsaday
Ken, I knew there were some factual errors in the Wikipedia article. While I didn’t notice its erroneous date, I did consider mentioning in my post that stereo had come to Nashville studios around 1958.
And the writer’s handling of the 3-track tape discussion was squishy at best. For instance, I believe I was told that RCA used the 3-track largely as a safety copy — or one to have in case the vocal level needed to be adjusted in the mastering — and that the engineer was mixing the stereo version live on the Ampex 2-track machine. But I wasn’t certain, and I didn’t know how Owen Bradley and Decca made use of the 3-track.
In the end, I decided that getting too deep in the weeds would have needlessly lengthened an already-long post. But thank you for providing the real facts, as you often do.
June 11, 2010 at 10:25 AM
On my 3 Chords a Day blog … « Take Highway 12
[…] 10 “Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)” — a duet that never was, from Jim Reeves and Patsy […]