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Why Baby Why

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Wikipedia article




"'Why Baby Why'" is a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones' manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at 4 on the 'Billboard' country charts that year. It was Jones' first chart single, following several unsuccessful singles released during the prior year on Starday.

Recording and composition



Jones's first chart hit, "Why Baby Why", has gone on to become a country standard, having been covered by many artists. The recording session for "Why Baby Why" took place in Houston, Texas's Gold Star Studios and featured the house lineup of Glenn Barber on lead guitar, Herb Remington on pedal steel guitar, Tony Sepolio on fiddle, and Doc Lewis on piano. The arrangement is upbeat honky tonk, led by a fiddle that plays throughout the song. Overall, the song has been described as a classic of the "finger-pointin' cheatin' song". In the liner notes to the retrospective 'Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years', country music historian Colin Escott observes that part of the song's appeal "lay in the way a Cajun dance number was trying to break free of a honky tonk song." Jones recorded the backing vocal himself, with help from innovative techniques from engineer Bill Quinn, after a planned appearance by more established singer Sonny Burns did not materialize due to the latter's drinking. According to the book 'George Jones: The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Legend', Jones's frequent songwriting partner Darrell Edwards was inspired to write the words after hearing an argument between a couple at a gas station. The lyric sets up the theme of the song:

Credits and personnel



For the 1955 Original recording.

*George Jones vocals, acoustic

*Herb Remington steel

*Lew Brisby bass

*Tony Sepolio fiddle

*Doc Lewis piano

Reception



The single's early airplay occurred in Jones' home state of Texas, with Houston's country music station KIKK ranking it number one locally. Their charts were sent to stations around the country, which began to pick it up as well, partially overcoming Starday's regionally limited distribution. However, its progress on the chart was blunted by Red Sovine and Webb Pierce's cover duet, which benefited from Decca Records' major label status and national distribution and rose to number one on the chart over the 19551956 Christmas holiday period. Jones's rendition was later included as the first track on his 1957 debut album 'Grand Ole Opry's New Star'.

Cover versions



Since the release of Jones' rendition, "Why Baby Why" has been covered by several other artists, many of whom have also charted with it. Jones himself re-recorded it a couple of times as a duet; first with Gene Pitney for their 'It's Country Time Again!' album released in 1966, and with Ricky Skaggs for the 1994 album 'The Bradley Barn Sessions' which featured re-recordings of Jones' songs as duets with various artists. Two different versions of the song have reached Number One on the country charts, making it one of the only country songs to hold that distinction. Artists who have had country chart hits with renditions of this song include the following:

*Red Sovine and Webb Pierce, #1 in 1956

*Hank Locklin, #9 later in 1956

*Warren Smith and Shirley Collie, #23 in 1961

*Charley Pride, #1 in 1983

*Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson recorded the song for their 1983 album 'Take It to the Limit'.

*The Good Brothers, #20 in 1991 in Canada[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1434&volume=53&issue=10&issue_dt=February%2009%201991&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=jn5agqeivqgdi8198ubcnp3ss6 RPM Country Tracks - Volume 53, No. 10, February 09 1991]

*Palomino Road, #46 in 1992

*Patty Loveless cut the song in 2008.

*Peter Grudzien "Early".

References



Category:1955 singles

Category:1956 singles

Category:1961 singles

Category:1982 singles

Category:2008 singles

Category:Shirley Collie songs

Category:George Jones songs

Category:Patty Loveless songs

Category:Palomino Road songs

Category:Webb Pierce songs

Category:Charley Pride songs

Category:Red Sovine songs

Category:Hank Locklin songs

Category:Warren Smith (singer) songs

Category:The Good Brothers songs

Category:Malemale vocal duets

Category:Songs written by George Jones

Category:Song recordings produced by Norro Wilson

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:1955 songs

Category:Starday Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Pappy Daily

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