The Fabulous Charlie Rich
Encyclopedia
The Fabulous Charlie Rich is a 1969 album by country music
legend Charlie Rich
. In its review, All Music
praises the album for capturing "the eclectic nature of Rich's music better than the great majority of his albums", but warns "country purists" that producer Billy Sherrill
's production may make it less to their tastes. In spite of launching several hit singles, the album was not a widespread commercial success. The album has, however, been critically well received, warmly praised by a number of reviewers including Rolling Stone Magazine, who gave the album "five stars", and Robert Christgau
who asserted that "I never took Charlie's could-been-Elvis rep very seriously until I heard the passionately confident Jimmy Reed medley that opens side two of this Nashville album".
. "Raggedy Ann" and "Life's Little Ups and Downs" ranked at #45 and #41 on Billboard's
"Country Singles" chart, while "July 12, 1939" established cross-over success, reaching #47 on "Country Singles" and #85 on "Pop Singles". Ricky Van Shelton
released a cover of "Life's Little Ups and Downs" in 1990, taking the song to #4 on the country charts.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
legend Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
. In its review, All Music
All Music
All Music was an Italian free-to-air television station which mainly broadcast music videos and music programs. Originally called Rete A, the name was changed to Rete A - All Music , and for a brief period was affiliated before with MTV Italy and after with VIVA.-History:In late 2004 the former...
praises the album for capturing "the eclectic nature of Rich's music better than the great majority of his albums", but warns "country purists" that producer Billy Sherrill
Billy Sherrill
Billy Sherrill is a record producer and arranger who is most famous for his association with a number of country artists, most notably Tammy Wynette...
's production may make it less to their tastes. In spite of launching several hit singles, the album was not a widespread commercial success. The album has, however, been critically well received, warmly praised by a number of reviewers including Rolling Stone Magazine, who gave the album "five stars", and Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
who asserted that "I never took Charlie's could-been-Elvis rep very seriously until I heard the passionately confident Jimmy Reed medley that opens side two of this Nashville album".
Hit singles
The album launched three charting singlesHit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
. "Raggedy Ann" and "Life's Little Ups and Downs" ranked at #45 and #41 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
"Country Singles" chart, while "July 12, 1939" established cross-over success, reaching #47 on "Country Singles" and #85 on "Pop Singles". Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton is a currently retired American country music artist. Active between 1986 and 2006, he has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
released a cover of "Life's Little Ups and Downs" in 1990, taking the song to #4 on the country charts.
Track listing
- "I Almost Lost My MindI Almost Lost My Mind"I Almost Lost My Mind" is a popular song. It was written by Ivory Joe Hunter and was published in 1950. Hunter's recording of the song was a number one hit on the US Billboard R&B chart in that year....
" (Ivory Joe HunterIvory Joe HunterIvory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid 1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording, "Since I Met You Baby" . He was billed as The Baron of the Boogie, and also known as The...
) – 2:36 - "Life's Little Ups and DownsLife's Little Ups and Downs"Life's Little Ups and Downs" is the title of a song originally recorded by Charlie Rich. Written by his then-wife, Margaret Ann Rich, the song appears on his second album, 1969's The Fabulous Charlie Rich...
" (Margaret Ann Rich) – 3:40 - "San Francisco Is a Lonely Town" (Ben PetersBen PetersBen James Peters was an American country music songwriter who wrote many #1 songs. Charley Pride recorded 40 of his songs and 4 of them went to #1 on the American country charts...
) – 3:31 - "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Charlie RichCharlie RichCharles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
) – 3:01 - "July 12, 1939" (Norro WilsonNorro WilsonNorris "Norro" Wilson is an American country music singer, songwriter and producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame....
) – 4:29 - "Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City may refer to: *""Bright Lights, Big City" ", a 1961 song by Jimmy Reed*Bright Lights, Big City , a 1984 novel by Jay McInerney*Bright Lights, Big City , a 1988 film based on McInerney's novel...
" (Jimmy ReedJimmy ReedMathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
) – 2:44 - "Raggedy Ann" (A.L. Owens) – 2:37
- "Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)" (George "Funky" Brown) – 2:26
- "A Picture of You" (Ted HarrisTed HarrisTed Harris may refer to:*Ted Harris , professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League*Ted Harris , songwriter in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame*Ted Harris...
) – 2:45 - "Love Waits for Me" (Dallas FrazierDallas FrazierDallas Frazier is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California...
) – 2:29 - "It Makes Me Want to Cry" (Dick Heard, Eddie RabbittEddie RabbittEdward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
, Van Trevor) – 3:01