Country Boy (Don Williams album)

Country Boy
Studio album by
Don Williams
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1977
GenreCountry
LabelABC-Dot
ProducerDon Williams
Don Williams chronology
Visions
(1977) 		Country Boy
(1977) 		Expressions
(1978)
Singles from Country Boy
  1. "I'm Just a Country Boy"
    Released: 1977
  2. "I've Got a Winner In You"
    Released: 1978
  3. "Rake and Ramblin' Man"
    Released: 1978

Country Boy is the seventh LP by American country singer and songwriter Don Williams. Released on September 13, 1977 on the ABC-Dot label[1], the album reached number nine on the US Country Albums chart.[2] Country Boy was the second of two Don Williams albums released in 1977, along with Visions, which was released first, in January.[3] Three singles were released from the album, and all three were top ten country chart hits: "I'm Just a Country Boy" was released first in 1977[4], and was Williams' second consecutive number one hit (following "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend"). The following two singles released in 1978 were "I've Got a Winner In You," which reached number seven, and "Rake and Ramblin' Man," which reached number three.[5]

Background

Don Williams spent the summer of 1977 touring in road shows with Jerry Jeff Walker, Waylon Jennings and Emmylou Harris, and splitting his time recording in the studio.[6] Willams produced the album himself, and contributed writing on some of the songs.[7]

The single "I'm Just a Country Boy" was released in August 1977 in advance of the album, and in the Billboard review for the single it was described as:

Beautiful, soft arrangement of the old evergreen should take Williams back to No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart and perhaps establish him on the Hot 100 pop chart...instrumentation kept mainly in the background, focusing attention on the flawless Williams delivery.[4]

The prediction was correct, and by the week before the release of the album, the single went from #51 to #2 on the Billboard hot country singles chart.[8] Williams' record label, ABC/Dot developed a strategy to cross market Williams to the US Pop market, and "I'm Just a Country Boy" was released to pop stations that played both country and rock music.[9]

Shortly before the release of the Country Boy album, it was announced that Don Williams was a finalist for best male vocalist by the CMA Awards.[6] In October it was announced that Williams would also perform on the 11th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Johnny Cash.[10]

Upon release of the album in September, he embarked on a short tour of England before returning to the US to play Las Vegas in November.[11] Williams was especially popular in England and Europe in 1977, where he collected a gold and silver album awards for Visions, Harmony and You're My Best Friend.[12] The decision to market him to a mainstream American audience was in large part driven by his unexpected success in Europe.[9]

Track listing

from the original vinyl[1]

Side A

  1. "I'm Just a Country Boy" (Fred Hellerman, Marshall Barer) - 3:01
  2. "Louisiana Saturday Night" (Bob McDill) - 2:20
  3. "Overlookin' and Underthinkin'" (D. Lay, Don Williams, Joe Allen) - 3:26
  4. "Sneakin' Around" (Bob McDill) - 2:40
  5. "Look Around You" (Bill Joor, Buck Lindsey) - 2:55

Side B

  1. "I've Got a Winner In You" (Don Williams, Wayland Holyfield) - 2:34
  2. "Rake and Ramblin' Man" (Bob McDill) - 2:50
  3. "Too Many Tears (To Make Love Strong)" (Jim Rushing) - 3:18
  4. "It's Gotta Be Magic" (Don Williams) - 2:48
  5. "Falling In Love" (Bob McDill, Wayland Holyfield) - 2:15

Personnel[1]

  • Acoustic guitar – Bob McDill
  • Acoustic guitar, electric guitar – Dave Kirby*, Jimmy Colvard
  • String arranger, accordion, organ, piano, vibraphone – Charles Cochran
  • Art direction – John Donegan
  • Bass – Joe Allen
  • Design – David Wright
  • Drums, congas, percussion – Kenny Malone
  • Electric piano, acoustic piano – Shane Keister
  • Engineer, backing vocals – Garth Fundis
  • Fiddle – Buddy Spicher
  • Harp, electric guitar – Danny Flowers
  • Illustration – Whole Hog Studios, LTD*
  • Percussion [hand claps] – Jim Jerome
  • Steel guitar, dobro – Lloyd Green
  • Strings – Carl Gorodetzky, Gary Vanosdale, George Binkley, Lennie Haight, Marvin Chantry, Roy Christensen, Sheldon Kurland, Steven Maxwell Smith*, Wilfred Lehmann*
  • Vocals, acoustic guitar, producer, backing vocals – Don Williams
  • Recorded at Jack Clement Recording Studios

References

  1. ^ a b c "Country Boy: Don Williams". Internet Archive. 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  2. ^ "Artist Chart History – Don Williams". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  3. ^ Stambler, Irwin (2000). Country Music: The Encyclopedia. New York: St. Martins. p. 539. ISBN 0312151217.
  4. ^ a b "Billboard's Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-08-20.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 463–464. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  6. ^ a b Wood, Gerry (1977-09-03). "Finalists Tabbed for CMA Awards" (PDF). Billboard. pp. 82–83.
  7. ^ "Billboard's Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-10-01.
  8. ^ "Billboard Hot Country Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-09-10.
  9. ^ a b "Crossover? ABC/Dot Devises Campaign to Popularize Don Williams" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-09-24.
  10. ^ "Cash Heads CMA Talent" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-10-08. p. 74.
  11. ^ Nelson, Pat (1977-08-27). "Nashville Scene" (PDF). Billboard. p. 66.
  12. ^ "Williams Clicks" (PDF). Billboard. 1977-09-17 – via World Radio History.

Category:1977 albums Category:Don Williams albums Category:ABC Records albums Category: Dot Records albums