Don't Worry (Marty Robbins song)

"Don't Worry"
Single by Marty Robbins
from the album More Greatest Hits
B-side"Like All the Other Times"[1]
ReleasedFebruary 6, 1961
Recorded1960
StudioBradley Studios (Nashville, Tennessee)
GenreCountry
Length3:15
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Marty Robbins
Producer(s)Don Law
Marty Robbins singles chronology
"Five Brothers"
(1960)
"Don't Worry"
(1961)
"Jimmy Martinez"
(1961)

"Don't Worry" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Marty Robbins. It was released in February 1961 as the third single from his compilation album More Greatest Hits. The song was Robbins' seventh number one on the country chart and stayed at number one for ten weeks.[1] The single crossed over to the pop chart and was one of Marty Robbins' most successful crossover songs, peaking at number three on the Hot 100.[2]

Background

The track has an early example of guitar distortion. A faulty channel in the mixing desk at Bradley Studio B unexpectedly transformed session musician Grady Martin's Danelectro six-string baritone guitar tone in the bridge section and brief reprise right at the end into an unusual distorted sound.[3] Although Martin did not like the sound, Robbins' producer left the guitar track as it was.[4][5][6] The effect was eventually reverse-engineered and developed into the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone, one of the first guitar pedals, produced by Gibson under the Maestro brand name.

In a 1968 report on sound effects in pop for Beat Instrumental, Crotus Pike believed the effect to be a result of the guitar being "played at a half speed", describing the resulting solo break as exhibiting "the tones of a rich, deep cello–a beautiful sound which no doubt attracted many buyers." He wrote that the effect was the opposite of the use of sped-up instrument solos used in other songs, such as Alan Price Set's "The House That Jack Built" and John Lee Hooker's "Walking the Boogie".[7]

Chart performance

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Canada (CHUM Chart)[8] 6
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 3

Cover versions

References

  1. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 355. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 533.
  3. ^ Kim, Michelle (24 May 2018). "Glenn Snoddy, Fuzz Pedal Inventor, Dead at 96". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  4. ^ Halterman, Del (2009). Walk-Don't Run – The Story of the Ventures. Lulu.com. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-557-04051-3.
  5. ^ Kosser, Michael (2006). How Nashville Became Music City USA. p. 49. ISBN 9780634098062.
  6. ^ Diane Diekman (2012-02-15). Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins. p. 75. ISBN 9780252094200. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  7. ^ Pike, Crotus (January 1968). "Sound Effects" (PDF). Beat Instrumental: 17. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  8. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - March 20, 1961".
  9. ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Marty Robbins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.