Not Qualified To Write A Glen Campbell Blog Post But Here I Go

BarryPiatoff
Aug 9, 2017 · 6 min read

A few years ago I wrote about one of my all-time favorite music groups, The Association. I had closely followed the group since the beginning of their career, remembered all their singles and albums, watched them on their many TV appearances and could write somewhat authoritatively about their career. I have followed Glen Campbell since 1967 and don’t have the same clear memories.

The first time I heard of Glen Campbell was when Gentle On My Mind came out in 1967. I forget where I first heard it. It wasn’t a traditional country music song. It was different just like The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Buy For Me The Rain was not a typical country song. No risk of being overplayed when it was only #61 on The Billboard Top 100 Singles Chart. It is one of my all-time favorite songs and despite bigger hits it became Glen’s signature song.

A great version of Gentle On My Mind with Glen Campbell and its songwriter John Hartford

Glen seemed to know great songwriters like John Hartford and then Jim Webb. In late 1967 By The Time I Get To Phoenix was released. Just like I don’t particularly like country music but liked Glen, it was the same for slow ballads. The song was unusual in that it had a long title and was about a location that, while a major city, you did not think much about. The song and album got Grammy nominations and awards. It was a sad song about love but from a more mature perspective than the pop artists I was following but a younger perspective than artists such as Frank Sinatra.

By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Glen Campbell appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and in the summer of 1968 he was their summer replacement host on The Smothers Brothers Summer Show. It was so successful that he would soon host his own hourly primetime The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour from 1969–1972.

Kind of corny but tonight’s guest on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour include John Wayne, Tim Conway and Three Dog Night

I watched the show most weeks. Glen opened the show, singing in the audience the first lines of Gentle On My Mind, told everyone he was Glen Campbell, sang the second line, told who the guest stars were and finished the first verse of the song. Variety shows were moving away from the “stiff” Ed Sullivan types to more personable hosts like Glen Campbell, Sonny & Cher and Donny & Marie.

The opening to Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Christmas Show. I can’t find a non-Christmas show opening without the seasonal references. Good show coming up; Paul Lynde, Cher and Andy Griffith.

In late 1968, Glen released Wichita Lineman. Written again by Jim Webb about a “not-top-of-mind” location it went up to #3. It is a timeless classic that no matter how many times I hear it, I always enjoy listening to it.

Wichita Lineman

Glen followed up Wichita Lineman in 1969 with a more up-tempo song written by Jim Webb called Galveston. Eric Boehlert took the lyrics “I clean my gun, and dream of Galveston” as:

That’s his theory. It was the last of the Glen Campbell hit singles mentioning a city. Glen would star in John Wayne’s movie True Grit that year in which John got his first Oscar for Best Actor.

True Grit

In late 1969 Glen would have another Top 25 hit with Try A Little Kindness which became another trademark song of his and his usual closing concert song.

Try A Little Kindness

In 1975 Dennis Lambert, who has a long and successful career, was one of the hottest writers and producers around. Songs like Rock & Roll Heaven by The Righteous Brothers, It Only Takes A Minute by Tavares, Don’t Pull Your Love by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds are examples of his hit sound. Glen Campbell became one of the artists he worked with and had a huge #1 hit with Rhinestone Cowboy. It’s not my favorite song of his but I was happy Glen had a big hit and was back at the top of the charts.

Rhinestone Cowboy

Glen followed it up with Country Boy which went up to #11

Country Boy

Glen’s last big hit was a really big hit. The Allen Toussaint written Southern Nights went to #1 in 1977.

Southern Nights

Glen was very well-respected. He had started his career as a member of The Wrecking Crew, the famous group of California studio musicians. According to the New York Times article below “But his skills eventually took him into the recording studios as a session musician, and for six years he provided accompaniment for a host of famous artists, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson and groups like the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas. Although he never learned to read music, Mr. Campbell was at ease not just on guitar but also on banjo, mandolin and bass. He wrote in his autobiography, “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1994) — the title was taken from one of his biggest hits — that in 1963 alone his playing and singing were heard on 586 recorded songs.”

In 1964 Brian Wilson wrote and produced Guess I’m Dumb for Glen. He was actually a member of The Beach Boys.

When Brian Wilson stopped touring with the group, Glen was his first replacement. Glen and the group have spoken fondly of the experience. After a few months, Bruce Johnston took his place and he was back to his solo career.

Sung by Glen and written and produced by Brian Wilson-Guess I’m Dumb
Beach Boy Al Jardine released a solo CD in 2010 called “A Postcard From California.” Glen Campbell ‘s vocal was featured on the title song. Al Jardine tells his memories of Glen Campbell and sings the song live.

Post-Southern Nights, Glen would continue to perform and record. He was inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995. Here’s an interesting story from The New York Times article about The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour; “It soon became a hit, despite memos from the front office telling Mr. Campbell to stop booking so many country stars. (One complaint came after a show that featured Mr. Campbell, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash).”

Glen Campbell showing he can still pick it on Gentle on My Mind

In 2011 Glen Campbell announced he had Alzheimer’s Disease and, before he was too sick, he would be having a farewell tour. I was very happy to have the chance to see him on January 7, 2012 at New York’s Town Hall to cheer for him in concert and thank him for all the memories. Glen recorded more new music which included Ghost On The Canvas which brought back all kind of memories while showing Glen still had it.

Ghost On The Canvas

I’m not a Glen Campbell expert. I never purchased any of his albums. I don’t even recall when I first heard Gentle On My Mind or any particular highlights of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. I was always happy to know there was a Glen Campbell, he and his music brought a smile to my face and I am sorry to hear of his passing at age 81. We knew that Glen was not in good shape and it was just a matter of time.

If you know less about Glen Campbell than I do, I hope these videos, articles and memories will teach you more about what made him so great.

Alice Cooper telling about his long friendship with Glen Campbell
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