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June 1
Why today? Sixteen stars are mentioned in this 1961 hit; 15 of them have ascended to Hill-Billy Heaven. The one who’s still with us is celebrating a birthday. Happy 84th, Andy Griffith.
About the record: Capitol 4567, recorded Jan. Feb. 3, 1961, at the label’s studios in Hollywood. Released that spring, eventually reaching No. 5 on Billboard‘s country chart. First LP appearance was on 1961’s Hillbilly Heaven, Capitol ST-1623.
At the time this song was recorded, six of those 16 luminaries were already dead: Will Rogers, Carson Robison, Jimmie Rodgers, Wiley Post, Hank Williams and Johnny Horton. The rest, the song says, were listed in “the big tally book” of the heaven-bound over the next hundred years: Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry, Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddie Dean (who cut “I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven” in the mid-’50s), Griffith, Roy Rogers and Ritter himself.
If you Google those folks, you’ll find that not all were hillbilly singers — Post, for instance, was a noted pilot who was flying the plane that crashed and killed him and humorist Rogers. And Griffith, of course, was comedian and actor who at the time was in the second season of his eponymous hit TV show. It, and he, had not become cultural icons yet, so I’ve always thought it interesting that he’d show up in this updated version of the song. Somebody had taken some prescient pills, I guess.
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June 1, 2010 at 7:09 AM
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June 1, 2010 at 9:08 AM
Ken Johnson
I always thought that Andy Griffith may have been included in the “Hillbilly Heaven” lyrics more on the merit of his comedy recordings from the 1950’s than his acting credentials. Released on Capitol Records, clever routines such as “What It Was, Was Football” and “Romeo And Juliet” never earned him a slot on the country record charts. However I’m told that his recordings did receive extensive airplay on country music radio shows as well as popular music stations. His exaggerated southern drawl especially appealed to listeners south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Griffith’s movie career and TV appearances only enhanced his visibility and stature. He performed many of those stand up routines on numerous TV variety programs of that era. I’m guessing that was Tex’s rationale for including his name.
In addition to the unique subject matter, the lasting appeal of Tex Ritter’s “Hillbilly Heaven” can be attributed to the lush orchestral arrangement and effective use of the chorus. Recorded during the sessions for Tex’s “Lincoln Hymns” album, the inclusion of Ralph Carmichael’s Orchestra and Chorus added an ethereal effect to the song. It was Tex who influenced producer Lee Gillette to record “Hillbilly Heaven” at those sessions to utilize Carmichael’s backing.
Eddie Dean and writing partner Hal Sothern had encouraged Ritter to record their song for several years. Both writers agreed that Tex could update their original lyrics which ultimately resulted in Tex receiving one-third of the royalties from the extensively revised version.
To aid promotional efforts for the record, Tex recorded customized versions of the song adding the name of important country and pop disc jockeys to the “Big Tally Book” list. Obviously the DJ’s loved to play a recording that mentioned them by name so it significantly boosted airplay. The fact that the record also became a top 20 pop hit speaks to the effectiveness of those efforts. I’ll bet that any of those surviving custom acetates are worth a good buck on today’s collector’s market.
By the way, my info indicates that the sessions for the “Lincoln Hymns” album were held on February 1, 2 and 3rd 1961. “Hillbilly Heaven” was recorded during the final day, February 3.
June 1, 2010 at 10:35 PM
3chordsaday
Thanks, Ken, for the background on the recording of this song. My source on the sessions indicates the dates are Jan. 1-3, not February. But your dates make more sense, and now I’ve checked them against another source. So I’m changing the post. As always, you’re keeping me honest!
I’m sure you’re right about Andy Griffith’s comedy records, as well as his hayseed stage and film roles, leading to his inclusion here.
It’s interesting how, even after Ken Nelson took over as the label’s country A&R chief, old Capitol hands like Ritter and Merle Travis continued to tap the talents of the great Lee Gillette.
June 1, 2010 at 9:59 AM
pwdennis
The song was remade during the 1970s by Webb Pierce, adding a more recent list of luminaries .
Another song worth checking out is Hank Locklin’s “Country Hall of Fame” issued a few years later on RCA. I actually prefer that song to this one, although both are great
I got to meet Tex Ritter in 1970 when he played London, England, where the US navy had my Dad stationed. I won a contest through a music magazine and got two tickets to the show (Buck Owens was the headliner) and got to go backstage to meet Tex who gave me an autographed album CHUCK WAGON DAYS. Tex was a class act to the end, suffering a fatal heart attack a few years later, late one night while bailing a band member out of the Nashville jail
June 1, 2010 at 10:38 PM
3chordsaday
Wow, Paul, you’re lucky to have met Ritter. And it’s ironic that it was on a Buck Owens show, given the wonderful comedy bit in Buck’s Carnegie Hall concert in which Doyle Holly imitates ol’ Tex and others. “Je-yellus horse, oh je-yellus horse of me …”
June 2, 2010 at 1:25 AM
pwdennis
Doyle didn’t perform that particular bit on this show, although he did perform it on a show I saw a year earlier