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Feb. 28: Remember a couple of weeks ago, when in a discussion of country drinking songs I said this was one of the best? Today, on the 44th anniversary of its release as a single, you get to judge for yourself.
(Updated; obsolete info deleted:)
This is the version that kicked off the album Swinging Doors and The Bottle Let Me Down, which came out later in 1966. I think another take was used for the single, based on my Sirius Satellite Radio listening over the past several years. The differences I detect are in Hag’s phrasing; instrumentally, they’re virtually identical.
There are two versions of this number floating around, thanks to the inadvertent release of an alternate take on a 1990 compilation. I’ve linked to the original, which was a No. 5 single and the track that kicked off the album Swinging Doors and The Bottle Let Me Down. See the comment from Ken Johnson below for the story of the (unfortunately prevalent) alternate take, which differs from the original master largely in the mix and in Hag’s phrasing. Instrumentally, they’re virtually identical.
And stellar instrumental work it was. Ralph Mooney, so crucial to the sound of Buck Owens’ earliest Capitiol sides and later in support of Waylon Jennings, nailed it on the steel. The lead guitar part has to be from Merle’s longtime axeman Roy Nichols, right? Wrong — it’s Phil Baugh, who was keeping Nichols’ Telecaster-slinging seat warm for a short while at the time this was cut at the Capitol Tower in Hollywood in late ’65. Harmonies came from Bonnie Owens (a k a Mrs. Merle Haggard) and rhythm guitarist Billy Mize. Nothin’ but the honey, as Eddie Stubbs would say.
“Swinging Doors” is a fine record, on a fine album – whose other title track (“The Bottle Let Me Down”) you’ll recall was also on my list of great drinking songs. There are ballads, a couple of novelty songs and one of my favorite Hag album cuts, “This Town’s Not Big Enough.” If you like today’s song and don’t know much about Merle Haggard’s early work, check out his first two Capitol albums, Strangers and Swinging Doors and The Bottle Let Me Down, paired on a single CD and available from Amazon.com and other outlets.
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February 28, 2010 at 8:20 AM
Paul W Dennis
Quite right – this is a great song
Most of the Hag’s Capitol recordings have been released as two-fers by either Capitol-EMI or by British label BGO. They are paired differently (for instance BGO has HAG paired with LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A SONG, whereas Capitol-EMI has HAG paired with SOMEDAY WE’LL LOOK BACK and has some bonus tracks). All of Hag’s Capitol output is good and I would recommend all of them to anybody
February 28, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Ken Johnson
When Capitol released their “Merle Haggard Collectors Series” CD in 1990 (CDP 7 7931912) an alternate take of “Swinging Doors” was used. Sadly, this incorrect version was then re-used for countless other Haggard hit compilations for Capitol and CEMA and were licensed to other labels such as Curb and Razor & Tie. Though the arrangement of “Swinging Doors” is quite similar to the hit version, one glaring difference is that Haggard’s voice is appreciably louder than the backing vocals which are buried down in the mix. On the hit version it sounds like Haggard’s voice is competing with his chorus. ADD remixes for that track and four others on that CD demonstrate that the producers doing the multi-track digital remixes were not intimately familiar with the sound of the originals. “The Bottle Let Me Down,” “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive,” “Sing Me Back Home,” and “I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am” all suffer from that same fate.
The problem was not rectified until 1995 when Bear Family released the correct hit versions of all of the above songs in their “Untamed Hawk” box set. Capitol followed suit the next year in the “Down Every Road” box set. The version you linked to above is from the Capitol set and is indeed the correct hit version.
The BGO and Capitol album reissues mentioned in the previous post also contain the correct versions.
It should be mentioned that Haggard himself has re-recorded many of his early hits and those newer versions are also floating out there. Numerous CD’s feature versions he recorded for Sony/Tree in the 1990’s.
Sorry to say that Sirius (and their merger partner XM) is notorious for playing the wrong version or remakes of country hits. Thankfully the highly respected country broadcaster Kyle Cantrell is now in charge of the Roadhouse Channel there and has been working diligently to replace many of the wrong tracks with the correct hit versions. Unfortunately other Sirius country channels don’t have his extensive knowledge or expertise in this area.
Ken
February 28, 2010 at 3:28 PM
3chordsaday
Thanks, Paul and Ken, for the insights. Ken, I’m glad to know just how that alternate version became so prevalent. I knew my stream choice was the album cut, because I have heard that LP over and over again all my life and recognized it. Good to know it was the single, too. I own Untamed Hawk a great set? I’m proud to own a copy.
As for Merle’s re-cuts, I have encountered quite a few of them and (as good as they are) know to steer clear when looking for the real deal!
Finally, I second everything you said about my friend Kyle Cantrell.
February 28, 2010 at 3:29 PM
3chordsaday
And Paul, thank you for being a regular viewer of 3 Chords a Day and frequently contributing your knowledge via comment. I really appreciate it!