Right or Wrong (Wanda Jackson song)

"Right or Wrong" or "Right or Wrong (I'll Be with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Wanda Jackson, an American country, rock, and Christian music artist. Originally, the song was a major country and pop hit for Jackson in 1961. A second version was released in 1964 that became popular by American Bubblegum pop artist, Ronnie Dove.

Wanda Jackson version

The song was recorded at the Bradley Film and Recording Studio on October 28, 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States and was produced by Ken Nelson. It was one of Jackson's first recording sessions in Nashville.^[2] "Right or Wrong" was officially issued as a single in April 1961, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country and Western Sides chart. It also reached number twenty nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her second top-forty single on that list. Thirdly, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, her first entry on to the chart. "Right or Wrong" became the second top-ten country single of Jackson's career.^[3]

"Right or Wrong" is associated with Wanda Jackson's "comeback" into mainstream country music. After a series of rock and roll-styled singles during the late 1950s, Jackson ultimately reverted to country and claimed to have lost her "rock" audience. She explained her reasoning to this switch in the book, Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music, stating, "Then country music began comin' back, and I had written a ballad called 'Right or Wrong' and it became a big hit...I think that when I went back to country I lost my rock and roll fans."^[4]

Chart performance

Ronnie Dove version

In 1964, American Bubblegum pop performer, Ronnie Dove, recorded Jackson's composition. The song was recorded at the Fred Foster Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, United States in September 1964. Also included on the recording session was Dove's minor hit, "Hello Pretty Girl".^[5]

Dove's version was officially released as a single in October 1964 and it peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song became Dove's first major hit as a recording artist, leading to a string of successful top-twenty Bubblegum hits on the Hot 100 during the 1960s.^[3]

Chart performance

References