Crazy Arms
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| “Crazy Arms” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by Ray Price | ||
| Released | May 1956 (U.S.) | |
| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | March 1, 1956 | |
| Genre | country | |
| Length | 2:35 | |
| Label | Columbia Records 21510 | |
| Writer(s) | Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals | |
"Crazy Arms" is an American country song recorded by Ray Price. The song, released in the late spring of 1956, went on to become a massive hit that summer and a honky-tonk standard.
Contents |
[edit] Background
"Crazy Arms," in many ways, was country music's answer to the growing influence of rock and roll music in the genre. Country music historian Bill Malone noted that the genre's producers and promoters were frantically searching for a style to reach America's youth.[1]
The up-and-coming Price, who already had several successful recordings by 1956, used "Crazy Arms" to not only establish himself as a star but to introduce fans to his Texas shuffle sound: fiddle, pedal steel guitar, walking electric bass and swinging 4/4 rhythm.[1] Those hallmarks became part of many of Price's biggest hits throughout the mid-to-late 1950s and early 1960s, before Price began experimenting with strings and more pop-oriented styles.
[edit] Chart performance
"Crazy Arms" reached No. 1 of each of the Billboard magazine country music charts (jukebox, best sellers and radio airplay) in June 1956, and has been credited with spending 20 weeks atop the chart; just three other songs spent longer at No. 1. In addition, Billboard named the song its No. 1 country single of 1956 in its year-end issue.[2]
[edit] Cover versions
"Crazy Arms" has been covered many times by performers both in country music and other genres. Some of the more notable names include Chuck Berry, Patsy Cline, Mickey Gilley, Great Speckled Bird, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson and Linda Ronstadt. In addition, Price had a cameo role on a version recorded by Barbara Mandrell, on her 1990 album Morning Sun.[3] Karen Chandler and Jimmy Wakely directly covered the Price version in 1956.
[edit] Sources
[edit] References
- ^ a b Malone, Bill, "Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection" ((booklet included with Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection 4-disc set). Smithsonian Institution, 1990), p.51.
- ^ [1] Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles year-end chart - 1956.
- ^ [2] "Crazy Arms" at All Music Guide.
[edit] See also
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2006.
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006," 2007.
[edit] Succession
| Preceded by "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single by Ray Price June 23-July 7, 1956 |
Succeeded by "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" by Elvis Presley |
| Preceded by "In the Jailhouse Now" by Webb Pierce |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single of the year by Ray Price 1956 |
Succeeded by "Gone" by Ferlin Husky |
