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Shame on You (Cooley song)

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Wikipedia article




'"Shame on You"' is a Western Swing song written by Spade Cooley and became his signature song.

Background



The title comes from the refrain that starts each verse:

In the song, the singer is rebuking his straying girlfriend.

The recording was Cooley's first after taking over the band from Jimmy Wakely, and the first of an unbroken chain of six hits which led to him being on the cover of 'Billboard' in March 1946.Lange, 'Smile When You Call Me a Hillbilly', p. 109: "In March 1946, Cooley made the cover of 'Billboard'; an accompanying story reported his drawing over twelve thousand patrons a weekend at the Rancho [Riverside Rancho ballroom]." "Shame On You" was the first song whose rights were owned by the Hill & Range publishing company, which later grew to become a dominant force in country music.[http://www.julianaberbach.com/biography.p1.htm Autobiography of Julian Aberbach]

Chart performance



First recorded by Spade Cooley, it was released January 15, 1945 (OKeh 6731). With vocals by Tex Williams, it reached number one, spending 31 weeks on the charts.Whitburn, 'The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits'. The "B" side, "A Pair of Broken Hearts"—also a hit—reached number eight.

Cover Versions



*Later in 1945, "Shame on You" was recorded as a foxtrot by The Lawrence Welk Orchestra with Red Foley. Their version also went to number one on the country charts. The B-side of the song, entitled, "At Mail Call Today", went to number three on the country charts. Coast Records, based in Los Angeles released a version by Walt Shrum and His Colorado Hillbillies.Billboard Aug 4, 1945. page 19.

*"Shame on You" has also been recorded by several other Western swing bands.

References



Bibliography



*Komorowski, Adam. 'Spade Cooley: Swingin' The Devil's Dream'. (Proper PVCD 127, 2003) booklet.

*Lange, Jeffrey J.'Smile When You Call Me a Hillbilly: Country Music's Struggle for Respectability, 1939-1954'.

Category:Western swing songs

Category:1945 songs


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