The Race Is On (song)
"The Race Is On" is a song co-written and recorded by country music artist George Jones. It was the first single released from his 1965 album of the same name. Released as a single in late 1964, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1965.
Notable cover versions
Also in 1965, singer Jack Jones (no relation to George Jones) released a pop/easy listening version of the song. This version of the song reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and spent a week atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart[2] in April 1965. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1965 album Chipmunks à Go-Go.
The Grateful Dead covered the song on their 1981 live album, Reckoning. Rockabilly artist Dave Edmunds, in collaboration with the Stray Cats, whose debut album Edmunds had recently produced, recorded a version for his 1981 album, Twangin.... Released as a single, it peaked at number 34 on the UK charts, but failed to chart in the US.
"The Race Is On" returned to the country charts in 1989 when country music band Sawyer Brown covered it and released it as the lead single from their album The Boys Are Back. It peaked at number five in the United States and number three in Canada. The music video was directed by John Lloyd Miller and features Sawyer Brown on their concert tour.
Chart positions
George Jones version
| Chart (1965) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
96 |
Jack Jones version
| Chart (1965) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Middle-Road Singles |
1 |
Dave Edmunds version
| Chart (1981) |
Peak
position |
| UK Singles Chart |
34 |
Sawyer Brown version
| Chart (1989) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles |
5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks |
3 |
See also
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 331.
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 33.
External links
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| Notable singles |
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