Last Date (song)
"Last Date" | |
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Single by Floyd Cramer | |
from the album Last Date | |
Released | 1960 |
Genre | Country |
Label | RCA |
Writer(s) | Floyd Cramer |
"Last Date" is a 1960 instrumental written and performed by Floyd Cramer. It exemplifies the "slip note" style of piano playing that Cramer made popular. It peaked at number 11 on the country chart[1] and at number two on the Hot 100. Cramer's recording inspired a number of successful cover versions, including a vocal adaptation by Conway Twitty.
Chart performance
Chart (1960) | Peak position |
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New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
Canadian RPM Top Singles | 4 |
Australian Kent Music Report | 8 |
Cover versions
- In 1960, Skeeter Davis recorded the song with lyrics written by her and Boudleaux Bryant titled "My Last Date (With You)". The song was a top-30 pop and top-five country hit.
- Also in 1960, the Davis lyric version was successfully released as a single by Joni James and an album by track by several artists including Ann-Margret and Pat Boone.
- In 1961, the Ventures covered the song in their distinct surf-guitar style.
- In 1963, Duane Eddy recorded a version of the song, along with Floyd Cramer, when Eddy joined the RCA label
- In the mid-1960s, Lawrence Welk's orchestra recorded an instrumental version of the song; the piano-dominated arrangement stuck very closely to Cramer's original version.
- In 1964, Al Hirt released a version on his album, Cotton Candy.[2]
- In 1972, Conway Twitty recorded the song with new lyrics written by him and was known as "(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date" and was his seventh solo number one on the U.S. country chart. It spent one week at number one and a total of 13 weeks on the chart.[3]
- In 1982, Emmylou Harris recorded the Conway Twitty version as "(Lost His Love) On Our Last Date" which became her fifth number one on the country chart as a solo artist.[4]
- In 1987, R.E.M. recorded an instrumental version of the Skeeter Davis version for the B-side of their single It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine). They recorded a vocal version of it with Deborah Harry for her album Debravation in 1993 using the same arrangement.
- American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer Little Willie Littlefield recorded a version for his 1994 album Yellow Boogie & Blues.
- In 2013, David Bromberg Band recorded a studio version of "Last Date" which had been a regular part of their live repertoire. The song appears on the album "Only Slightly Mad"
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 91.
- ↑ Al Hirt, Cotton Candy Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 361.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 153.
Preceded by "Grandma Harp" by Merle Haggard |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single (Conway Twitty version) May 27, 1972 |
Succeeded by "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." by Donna Fargo |
Preceded by "Together Again" by Hank Smith |
RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Conway Twitty version) June 3-June 10, 1972 |
Succeeded by "Made in Japan" by Buck Owens |
Preceded by "Going Where the Lonely Go" by Merle Haggard |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single (Emmylou Harris version) January 22, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Talk to Me" by Mickey Gilley |
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