Rhinestone Cowboy (song)
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| “Rhinestone Cowboy” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Glen Campbell from the album Rhinestone Cowboy |
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| Released | May 1975 (U.S.) | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | c. early 1975 | ||||
| Genre | Country | ||||
| Length | 3:15 | ||||
| Label | Capitol Records 4095 | ||||
| Writer(s) | Larry Weiss | ||||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | ||||
| Glen Campbell singles chronology | |||||
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"Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by country-pop singer Glen Campbell. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975.
Contents |
[edit] Song history
Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. Neither that version, nor a cover by Neil Diamond made much of an impression on audiences (although Diamond's version did garner adult contemporary airplay).[citation needed] In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio and, during a tour of Australia decided to learn the song. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury's office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about "a great new song" — "Rhinestone Cowboy."[1]
Several music writers noted that Campbell identified with the subject matter of "Rhinestone Cowboy" — survival and making it, particularly when the chips are down — very strongly. As Steven Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide put it, the song is about a veteran artist "who's aware that he's more than paid his dues during his career ... but is still surviving, and someday, he'll shine just like a rhinestone cowboy."[2]
[edit] Chart performance
Released in May 1975, "Rhinestone Cowboy" immediately caught on with both country and pop audiences. The song spent that summer climbing both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts before peaking at No. 1 by season's end - three non-consecutive weeks on the country chart, two weeks on the Hot 100.
During the week of September 13 — that was the week the song returned to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart, after having been nudged out for a week by "Feelins'" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn — "Rhinestone Cowboy" topped both the country and Hot 100 charts simultaneously. This was the first time a song had accomplished the feat since November 1961, when "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean turned the trick.
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The other songs were "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender; "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" by B.J. Thomas, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "I'm Sorry"/"Calypso," both by John Denver; and "Convoy" by C.W. McCall.
The song was also the sole Glen Campbell track in a promotional-only compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Sold" (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512), that was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign, which promoted 15 "Best Of" albums released by the record label.
[edit] Awards
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. [2]
The song became Glen Campbell's signature song and won numerous awards from the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards. The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song as well as for Record of the Year, but did not win.
[edit] Legacy
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"Rhinestone Cowboy" served as the basis for the 1984 movie Rhinestone, starring Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton.
The song also continues to be heard in movies and television, making the soundtracks of High School High and Daddy Day Care, as well as being used in an episode of "Desperate Housewives."
"Rhinestone Cowboy" has been covered by Soul Asylum, Belle and Sebastian, Charley Pride, White Town, David Hasselhoff, DJ Z-Trip & DJ P and Radiohead.
Johnny Carson parodied this song in a famous skit on "The Tonight Show," and is one of the few times Carson actually sang a complete song on his show, albeit, as a comedy routine. "Family Guy" parodied this song by having Peter Griffin sing this song (out of tune) at a local mafia bosses' daughter's wedding.
British comedian Harry Hill sang the song at the beginning of every show on his "Hooves" stand-up tour, whilst riding on the back of aman in a horse suit.
Rapper MF DOOM performs a song entitled "Rhinestone Cowboy" that references the country song in its lyrics but is otherwise unrelated.
[edit] Succession
| Preceded by "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" by Freddy Fender |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single by Glen Campbell August 23, 1975- August 30, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Feelins'" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn |
| Preceded by "Feelins'" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single by Glen Campbell September 13, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Daydreams About Night Things" by Ronnie Milsap |
| Preceded by "Get Down Tonight" by KC and the Sunshine Band |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single September 6, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Fame" by David Bowie |
| Preceded by "There Won't Be Anymore" by Charlie Rich |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single of the year 1975 |
Succeeded by "Convoy" by C. W. McCall |
[edit] References
- ^ Gilbert, Bob and Gary Theroux, "The Top Ten: 1956-Present," Pop Record Research, Fireside Books, Simon & Schuster, New York. 1982 (ISBN 0-671-43215-X)
- ^ [1] Erlewine, Steven Thomas, "Rhinestone Cowboy" on All Music Guide
