After 14 years, Glen Campbell becomes No. 1 in pop with ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ – Marseille News

He had been recording in the United States since 1961 and was recording memorable and meaningful songs for most of that time. But then, after 14 years, a No.1 pop came up for Glen Campbell.

This wonderful vocal performer from the town of Delight, Arkansas, first performed in the fall of 1961, at the age of 25, with the # 62 single “Turn Around, Look At Me ”. As a in-demand session guitarist and touring member of beach boys, he didn’t reach the Top 40 on his own until “Gentle On My Mind” had a second record in 1968, even reaching 39th place.

Glen’s definitive recordings of Jimmy Webb’s songbook are part of pop music history. But at the same time “Wichita Lineman”, « Galveston », and the rest were major hits, Campbell never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 until September 6, 1975. That’s when “Rhinestone Cowboy,” written and recorded by Larry for the first time. Weiss, and now produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, has gone from No. 3 to the top spot in KC and Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight”.

During the second week of her reign, it also became the country’s first song, becoming the first song to achieve this simultaneous victory since Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” in 1961 – just a week after Glen won his first prize list.

Un cow-boy mondial

Disco may have been on the rise in September 1975, but there was still plenty of room for a great pop song on the charts, not only in the United States but around the world. “Rhinestone Cowboy” became # 1 in Canada and Ireland, # 2 in New Zealand and Switzerland, # 3 in Holland, # 4 in UK and Belgium and # 5 in Australia. A little over 18 months later, Campbell was back at the top of the American charts with Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights”.

Listen to the best of Glen Campbell on Apple Music and Spotify.

And as a postscript for songwriters who believe their work will never reach a large audience: Larry Weiss had been so depressed by the failure of his own “Rhinestone Cowboy” original that he had considered rent a storefront property and get into the furniture business. – until Campbell’s cover came.

Buy or stream “Rhinestone Cowboy” on the Glen Campbell album of the same name.

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