fbpx
Wikipedia

Crazy (Willie Nelson song)

January 07, 2023

"Crazy" is a song written by Willie Nelson and popularized by country singer Patsy Cline in 1961. Nelson wrote the song while living in Houston, working for Pappy Daily's label D Records. He was also a radio DJ and performed in clubs. Nelson then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, working as a writer for Pamper Music. Through Hank Cochran, the song reached Patsy Cline. After her original recording and release, Cline's version reached number two on Billboard's Hot Country Singles, also crossing to the pop chart as a top 10 single.

"Crazy"
One of side-A labels of US single
Single by Patsy Cline
from the album Showcase
B-side"Who Can I Count On?"
ReleasedOctober 1961 (1961-10)
RecordedAugust 21 – September 15, 1961
StudioQuonset Hut, Nashville
Genre
Length2:41
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Willie Nelson
Producer(s)Owen Bradley
Patsy Cline singles chronology
"I Fall to Pieces"
(1961) 		"Crazy"
(1961) 		"She's Got You"
(1962)

Cline's version is considered a country music standard and, in 1996, became the all-time most played song in jukeboxes in the United States. "Crazy" was covered by many artists; different versions reached the charts in a variety of genres. The song was featured in television shows, while many publications have included it in their all-time best songs lists. The Library of Congress inducted Cline's version into the National Recording Registry in 2003.

Background and writing

In 1958, while performing around Fort Worth, Texas and working as a DJ hosting The Western Express, Willie Nelson attracted the attention of Pappy Daily.[1] Daily, a record producer from Houston, offered Nelson a recording contract with D Records as well as a job as a writer for Glad Music.[2] Nelson moved to Houston, where he also searched for musical gigs in ballrooms and clubs. At the Esquire Ballroom, band leader Larry Butler told Nelson that he could not offer a musician job. In response, Nelson suggested he sell original songs that he played for Butler on a reel-to-reel tape recorder.[3] Butler liked the songs, but refused to buy, instead offering Nelson a job working six nights a week with his band.[4] Nelson and his family settled in Pasadena, Texas,[3] where he became a DJ on radio station KRCT.[4][2] Later, he also taught guitar.[5]

 
Mugshot of Nelson's arrest in Pasadena, Texas in July 1960

Nelson used his commute from Pasadena to the Esquire Ballroom as writing time, because the 30 mi (48 km) ride usually took an hour that he used to develop new lyrics.[5][4] Over one week, he wrote "Crazy", "Night Life", and "Funny How Time Slips Away".[6][7] At the time, Nelson's mood was negatively affected by his lack of stable employment while supporting his wife and three children, since his three jobs did not provide enough income.[8] On his long night commutes to clubs, he compared his situation with those of his contemporaries and felt that "the world was asleep".[9] According to his autobiography It's A Long Story: My Life, Nelson wondered if he were "Crazy" and completed the song as if he were a man whose relationship recently ended.[9] Musician Sleepy LaBeef, who accompanied Nelson on upright bass on the song's demo recording, asserted that the songwriter had arrived in Houston with "Crazy" already written.[2] Additionally, biographer Joe Nick Patoski noted that Nelson played "Crazy" for Butler along with the songs he planned to sell just as he arrived in the city.[10] Nelson wrote "Crazy" in less than an hour,[11] and originally titled it "Stupid".[6] The intonation of the opening was inspired by Floyd Tillman's "I Gotta Have My Baby Back".[12]

Nelson sold an original song, "Family Bible", which was then recorded by Claude Gray, whose version enjoyed success. But Nelson's employment situation remained unstable.[13] He accumulated debt, while he often attended parties and drank to excess. In July 1960, Nelson was arrested for speeding and driving without a license.[2] After several tardy incidents, he was fired by KRCT, then let go from a Pasadena club where he performed. Nelson then decided to move his wife and children to Waco, Texas, and, after the success of "Family Bible", moved to Nashville, Tennessee .[12]

At first Nelson lived with Billy Walker, who found him an encyclopedia sales job.[14] Walker also took him to different music publishers in town, and introduced Nelson as the writer of "Family Bible" to the artists and songwriters that frequented Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Through steel guitarist Buddy Emmons, Nelson became acquainted with many Grand Ole Opry performers.[15] The publishing house Pamper Music hired him after Faron Young's recording of "Hello Walls" and Billy Walker's of "Funny How Time Slips Away" succeeded.[16]

Patsy Cline's recording

 
Patsy Cline depicted in a 1960 portrait for Decca Records

In his book, Willie: An Autobiography, Nelson recalled that it was hard to find artists interested in recording "Crazy" due to its use of several chords, instead of the standard three used for country music compositions at the time.[17] Walker intended to record the song, and made a demo at Starday Records. Ultimately, the label decided to reject Walker's proposition since they felt that "Crazy" would not have commercial success.[18]

Nelson's fellow Pamper Music song plugger and writer Hank Cochran played "Crazy" for Patsy Cline's producer Owen Bradley, who felt that the composition would be good for Cline.[19] Cochran then told Walker about Bradley's interest in the song for Cline and asked him not to record it. In exchange, Cochran gave Walker "Charlie's Shoes".[18]

Cline's husband Charlie Dick had previously taken her a demo of Nelson's "Night Life". Cline disliked the song, and she asked her husband not bring her any more of Nelson's songs, saying that she did not want to record compositions that embraced vulnerability or loss of love. The persistent Cochran drove Nelson to Cline's house with the demo of "Crazy". While Nelson waited in the car, Cochran played the song for Cline. Cline told Cochran to bring Nelson into the house, where he taught her to sing the song. Cline had difficulty following Nelson's phrasing because he sang behind the beat.[20][21] An alternative account published by Nelson in his 2015 book It's A Long Story: My Life revealed that, while drinking with Dick at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nelson played his demo of "Crazy" on the bar's jukebox. Dick thought the song was good, that his wife should record it, and offered to take Nelson to his home to play the demo for Cline. Because it was after midnight, Nelson decided to wait in the car as Dick played the song for Cline, and she later invited him in.[22][23]

 
"Crazy" by Patsy Cline
For the recording, Cline adapted Nelson's phrasing to her own singing style
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Bradley planned to record "Crazy" with the minor and major sevenths jazz chords favored by Nelson.[21] For most of the song, the composition uses a B-flat key but ends in B major.[24] Bradley decided to add the Jordanaires on background vocals, pianist Floyd Cramer, and bass guitarist Bob Moore.[21] Floyd opened with a four-bar introduction, followed by brushing from drummer Buddy Harman. Moore was complemented by Harold Bradley's electric guitar, creating a tic-tac effect.[24] The first four-hour recording session took place on August 21, 1961, at Quonset Hut Studio.[25] Cline had recently been in a car accident that bruised her ribs and Owen Bradley had to end her participation because, in her pain, she could not reach the notes needed to match Nelson's phrasing. Bradley worked the arrangements with the musicians and recorded the music track for the song.[23]

Bradley asked Cline to use her own rather than Nelson's singing style.[26] After her ribs recovered three weeks later, Cline returned to record her vocal track; she accomplished it on the first take.[23] During the session on September 15, 1961,[25] Cline's vocal featured ascending and descending intervals and the use of broken chords. Cline learned to sing in the style needed for "Crazy" early in her life; she listened to and imitated big band and jazz performers that she heard on the radio.[27] Following Nelson, Cline sang slightly behind the beat, but modified to fit her own unique style.[28]

Release and reception

 
1961 advertisement for "Crazy", published in Cashbox magazine

"Crazy" was released in October 1961 by Decca Records under catalog number 31317 with "Who Can I Count On" on the flip side.[29] In November, "Crazy" was included on Cline's album Showcase.[30] After 11 weeks, the single peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot Country Singles[31] and it crossed over to the pop charts reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100,[16] also attaining number two on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[32] With the success of "Crazy" and her previous single "I Fall to Pieces", Cline was named Billboard's Favorite Female Country Artist of 1961.[33] In November 1961, Cline sang "Crazy" during a performance with the Grand Ole Opry cast at Carnegie Hall.[34]

"Crazy" became Cline's most successful pop single, her signature song, and one of the country songs that generated the most royalties.[35][36] Nelson dubbed Cline's his favorite version of his composition. He opined that her interpretation was done with "delicacy, soul, and perfect diction".[23] Media outlets, including National Public Radio, New Musical Express, and American Songwriter defined "Crazy" as a country music standard.[21][37][25]

The recording was featured in the 1985 Cline biopic Sweet Dreams.[38] In 1989, the Amusement and Music Operators Association ranked "Crazy" number two on the all-time Top 40 Jukebox Singles on the United States list. [39][40] By 1996, the updated list cited the song as the most played in jukeboxes.[41] "Crazy" appeared on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 at number 79, and moved to number 14 in 1990.[42] The next year, it peaked at number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart.[43] In 2003, Cline's recording was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.[44] The next year, it was ranked number 85 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[45] In the 2021 version of the list, the magazine placed it at number 195.[46] In 2018, it was included by New Musical Express on their "25 best country songs of all time" list,[37] in 2019; The Tennessean listed it as one of the 100 best country songs of all time.[47]

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the original liner notes of Showcase.[48]

Other versions

Nelson recorded his own version of "Crazy" for his 1962 debut album, ...And Then I Wrote.[49] Nelson's original demo of "Crazy" was released on 2003's Crazy: The Demo Sessions.[25] In 1977, Linda Ronstadt released a version as a single from her album Hasten Down the Wind.[50] Ronstadt's release reached number six on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.[51] A version by Beverly D'Angelo was featured on the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter.[52]

In 1993, Canadian country music singer Colleen Peterson charted with her version of "Crazy" at number 29 on the RPM country music chart.[53] Julio Iglesias' single release of the song appeared at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994.[54] In 1998, a cover of "Crazy" by Kidneythieves was featured on the soundtrack of Bride of Chucky.[55] American singer LeAnn Rimes included "Crazy" on her 1999 album LeAnn Rimes.[56] It reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart.[57]

"Crazy" was twice featured in the TV series Nashville: sung by Juliette Barnes in the 2014 episode "That's Me Without You",[58] and by Barnes and Steven Tyler in a duet on the 2015 episode "Can't Let Go".[59] Nelson recorded duets of the song with Mary Sarah (2014) and then with Carla Bruni (2017).[60][61] In 2022, Heather Small performed a version of "Crazy" in series 3 of the British version of The Masked Singer.[62]

Charts and certifications

Patsy Cline

Weekly chart performance of "Crazy"
Year Chart Peak
position
1961
Australian Top 100 Singles (Kent Music Report)[63] 56
CAN (CHUM Charts Top 20)[64] 8
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[65] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[66] 9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[67] 2
1987 UK Singles (OCC)[68] 79
1990 UK Singles (OCC)[68] 14
1991 Ireland (IRMA)[69] 14


Region Certification Certified units/sales
Certifications of Patsy Cline's "Crazy"
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] Silver 200,000 

  Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other artists

Various artists weekly chart performance of their covers of "Crazy"
Year Artist Chart Peak
position
1977 Linda Ronstadt US Billboard Hot 100[71] 6
Linda Ronstadt Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[72] 2
1993 Colleen Peterson Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[73] 29
1994 Julio Iglesias UK Singles (OCC)[74] 43
1999 LeAnn Rimes UK Singles (OCC)[75] 36

References

  1. ^ Nelson, Willie & Shrake, Bud 2000, pp. 103–105.
  2. ^ a b c d Smith, William Michael 2013.
  3. ^ a b Nelson, Willie & Shrake, Bud 2000, p. 116.
  4. ^ a b c Nelson, Willie & Shrake, Bud 2000, p. 117.
  5. ^ a b Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 98.
  6. ^ a b Duncan, Dayton & Burns, Ken 2019, p. 239.
  7. ^ Nelson, Willie & Cash, Johnny 1998.
  8. ^ Nelson, Willie & Ritz, David 2015, pp. 119–120.
  9. ^ a b Nelson, Willie & Ritz, David 2015, p. 122.
  10. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 96.
  11. ^ Richmond, Clint 2000, p. 37.
  12. ^ a b Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 103.
  13. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 102.
  14. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 108.
  15. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 109.
  16. ^ a b Ott, Tim 2020.
  17. ^ Nelson, Willie & Shrake, Bud 2000, p. 140.
  18. ^ a b Oermann, Robert K. 2008, p. 226.
  19. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 115.
  20. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick 2008, p. 116.
  21. ^ a b c d Wertheimer, Linda 2000.
  22. ^ Nelson, Willie & Ritz, David 2015, pp. 144–145.
  23. ^ a b c d Duncan, Dayton & Burns, Ken 2019, p. 240.
  24. ^ a b Johnson, Chad 2018, p. 35.
  25. ^ a b c d Kingsbury, Paul 2019.
  26. ^ Nelson, Willie, Nelson, Bobbie & Ritz, David 2020, p. 142.
  27. ^ Hofstra, Warren 2013, p. 76.
  28. ^ Sullivan, Steve 2013, p. 96.
  29. ^ Neely, Tim 2006, p. 241.
  30. ^ Billboard staff 1961, p. 6.
  31. ^ Billboard staff 1962, p. 35.
  32. ^ Billboard staff 2 1961, p. 14.
  33. ^ Oermann, Robert K. 2008, p. 97.
  34. ^ Duncan, Dayton & Burns, Ken 2019, p. 241.
  35. ^ Kosser, Michael 2006, p. T4.
  36. ^ Duncan, Dayton & Burns, Ken 2019, p. 257.
  37. ^ a b Cooper, Leonie 2018.
  38. ^ Sharpe, Jerry 1985, p. F6.
  39. ^ Murrieta, Ed 1989, p. S3.
  40. ^ Newsweek 1990, p. F-2.
  41. ^ Associated Press staff 1996, p. 2B.
  42. ^ Official Charts staff 2021.
  43. ^ Gogan, Larry 2021.
  44. ^ National Recording Registry 2021.
  45. ^ Rolling Stone staff 2003.
  46. ^ Rolling Stone staff 2021.
  47. ^ Leimkuehler, Matthew, Paulson, Dave & Watts, Cindy 2019.
  48. ^ Cline, Patsy (November 27, 1961). "Showcase (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Decca Records. DL 4202.
  49. ^ Milward, John 2021, p. 61.
  50. ^ Ronstadt, Linda 2014, p. 207.
  51. ^ Billboard staff 2021.
  52. ^ Hilburn, Robert 1980, p. C-77.
  53. ^ RPM staff 1993.
  54. ^ Official Charts staff 2 2021.
  55. ^ A.V. Club 2009, p. RA1.
  56. ^ Harrison, Thomas 2011, p. 136.
  57. ^ Official Charts staff 3 2021.
  58. ^ Weiss, Max 2014.
  59. ^ Weiss, Max 2015.
  60. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin 2014.
  61. ^ Barsamian, Edward 2017.
  62. ^ Harrison, Ellie 2022.
  63. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
  64. ^ "CHUM Top 20 Singles - November 6, 1961".
  65. ^ "Patsy Cline Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  66. ^ "Patsy Cline Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  67. ^ "Patsy Cline Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  68. ^ a b "Patsy Cline: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  69. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Crazy". Irish Singles Chart.
  70. ^ "British single certifications – Patsy Cline – Crazy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  71. ^ "Linda Ronstadt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  72. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 4476." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  73. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1471." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  74. ^ "Julio Iglesias: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  75. ^ "LeeAnn Rimes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
Sources
  • Associated Press staff (October 26, 1996). "Flash". Vol. 113, no. 94. Tampa Bay Times. Associated Press. Retrieved November 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • A.V. Club (2009). Inventory: 16 Films Featuring Manic Pixie Dream Girls, 10 Great Songs Nearly Ruined by Saxophone, and 100 More Obsessively Specific Pop-Culture Lists. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-439-10989-2.
  • Barsamian, Edward (June 17, 2017). "El 'French Touch' de Carla Bruni-Sarkozy". Vogue. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  • Billboard staff (November 20, 1961). "Album Reviews". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2021 – via Google Books.  
  • Billboard staff 2 (December 4, 1961). "Easy Listening". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2021 – via Google Books.  
  • Billboard staff (January 27, 1962). "Hot C&W Sides". Billboard. Vol. 74, no. 4. Retrieved November 2, 2021 – via Google Books.  
  • Billboard staff (2021). "Chart History - Linda Ronstadt". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  • Cooper, Leonie (April 15, 2018). "The 25 best country music songs of all time". NME. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  • Duncan, Dayton; Burns, Ken (2019). Country Music: An Illustrated History. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-525-52055-9.
  • Gogan, Larry (2021). "Crazy". The Irish Charts. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  • Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1990s. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-37943-7.
  • Hilburn, Robert (March 30, 1980). "'Daughter soundtrack vs. legend-a timely reminder". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • Hofstra, Warren (2013). Sweet Dreams: The World of Patsy Cline. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09498-9.
  • Johnson, Chad (2018). Hal Leonard Baritone Guitar Method. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-540-04297-2.
  • Kingsbury, Paul (2019). "Behind the Song: Willie Nelson, 'Crazy'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  • Kosser, Michael (2006). How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0-634-09806-2.
  • Fekadu, Mesfin (November 7, 2014). "Mary Sarah duets with Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, more". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  • Leimkuehler, Matthew; Paulson, Dave; Watts, Cindy (August 25, 2019). "100 all-time greatest country songs". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  • Milward, John (2021). Americanaland: Where Country & Western Met Rock 'n' Roll. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-05281-1.
  • Murrieta, Ed (October 20, 1989). "Take your pick: Here's a look at the all-time, Top 40 jukebox singles". The Sacramento Bee. Vol. 266. Retrieved November 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • National Recording Registry (2021). "Complete National Recording Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  • Neely, Tim (2006). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-896-89307-8.
  • Nelson, Willie; Cash, Johnny (1998). Johnny Cash / Willie Nelson – VH1 Storytellers (CD). American Recordings. CT 69416.
  • Nelson, Willie; Shrake, Bud (2000). Willie: An Autobiography. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 978-1-461-66131-3.
  • Nelson, Willie; Ritz, David (2015). It's a Long Story: My Life. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-0-316-40356-6.
  • Nelson, Willie; Nelson, Bobbie; Ritz, David (2020). Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-984-85414-8.
  • Newsweek (March 12, 1990). "By The Numbers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • Oermann, Robert K. (2008). Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain: Tales of Romance and Tragedy. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1-599-95184-3.
  • Official Charts staff (2021). "Patsy Cline". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  • Official Charts staff 2 (2021). "Crazy". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  • Official Charts staff 3 (2021). "Leann Rimes". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  • Ott, Tim (December 15, 2020). "How Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson Teamed up for Her Hit Song 'Crazy'". Biography. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  • Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Hachette Digital. ISBN 978-0-316-01778-7.
  • Richmond, Clint (2000). Willie Nelson. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-03960-8.
  • Rolling Stone staff (December 11, 2003). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2004)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  • Rolling Stone staff (September 15, 2021). "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  • Ronstadt, Linda (2014). Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-451-66873-5.
  • RPM staff (October 2, 1993). "RPM 100 Country Tracks". RPM. Vol. 58, no. 13. 1471. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  • Sharpe, Jerry (December 15, 1985). "'Sweet Dreams' sound track recaptures Patsy Cline flair". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 102, no. 173. Retrieved November 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • Smith, William Michael (April 24, 2013). "Mr. Record Man: Willie Nelson". Houston Press. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  • Sullivan, Steve (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings. Vol. 1. ISBN 978-0-810-88296-6.
  • Weiss, Max (September 25, 2014). "Nashville Season 3 Premiere Recap: Put a Ring on It". Vulture. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  • Weiss, Max (September 24, 2015). "Nashville Recap: It's Aliiiiive!". Vulture. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  • Harrison, Ellie (January 29, 2022). "Masked Singer UK: Who are the mystery contestants? All the latest clues". The Independent. Yahoo! News. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  • Wertheimer, Linda (September 4, 2000). "Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' Changed The Sound Of Country Music". NPR. Retrieved October 25, 2021.

External links

  • SecondHandSongs listing of known covers of "Crazy"
  • Library of Congress essay on Patsy Cline's version and its inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
  • Patsy Cline - Crazy on YouTube

January 07, 2023
crazy, willie, nelson, song, crazy, song, written, willie, nelson, popularized, country, singer, patsy, cline, 1961, nelson, wrote, song, while, living, houston, working, pappy, daily, label, records, also, radio, performed, clubs, nelson, then, moved, nashvil. Crazy is a song written by Willie Nelson and popularized by country singer Patsy Cline in 1961 Nelson wrote the song while living in Houston working for Pappy Daily s label D Records He was also a radio DJ and performed in clubs Nelson then moved to Nashville Tennessee working as a writer for Pamper Music Through Hank Cochran the song reached Patsy Cline After her original recording and release Cline s version reached number two on Billboard s Hot Country Singles also crossing to the pop chart as a top 10 single Crazy One of side A labels of US singleSingle by Patsy Clinefrom the album ShowcaseB side Who Can I Count On ReleasedOctober 1961 1961 10 RecordedAugust 21 September 15 1961StudioQuonset Hut NashvilleGenreCountryTraditional PopLength2 41LabelDeccaSongwriter s Willie NelsonProducer s Owen BradleyPatsy Cline singles chronology I Fall to Pieces 1961 Crazy 1961 She s Got You 1962 Cline s version is considered a country music standard and in 1996 became the all time most played song in jukeboxes in the United States Crazy was covered by many artists different versions reached the charts in a variety of genres The song was featured in television shows while many publications have included it in their all time best songs lists The Library of Congress inducted Cline s version into the National Recording Registry in 2003 Contents 1 Background and writing 2 Patsy Cline s recording 2 1 Release and reception 2 2 Personnel 3 Other versions 4 Charts and certifications 4 1 Patsy Cline 4 2 Other artists 5 References 6 External linksBackground and writing EditIn 1958 while performing around Fort Worth Texas and working as a DJ hosting The Western Express Willie Nelson attracted the attention of Pappy Daily 1 Daily a record producer from Houston offered Nelson a recording contract with D Records as well as a job as a writer for Glad Music 2 Nelson moved to Houston where he also searched for musical gigs in ballrooms and clubs At the Esquire Ballroom band leader Larry Butler told Nelson that he could not offer a musician job In response Nelson suggested he sell original songs that he played for Butler on a reel to reel tape recorder 3 Butler liked the songs but refused to buy instead offering Nelson a job working six nights a week with his band 4 Nelson and his family settled in Pasadena Texas 3 where he became a DJ on radio station KRCT 4 2 Later he also taught guitar 5 Mugshot of Nelson s arrest in Pasadena Texas in July 1960 Nelson used his commute from Pasadena to the Esquire Ballroom as writing time because the 30 mi 48 km ride usually took an hour that he used to develop new lyrics 5 4 Over one week he wrote Crazy Night Life and Funny How Time Slips Away 6 7 At the time Nelson s mood was negatively affected by his lack of stable employment while supporting his wife and three children since his three jobs did not provide enough income 8 On his long night commutes to clubs he compared his situation with those of his contemporaries and felt that the world was asleep 9 According to his autobiography It s A Long Story My Life Nelson wondered if he were Crazy and completed the song as if he were a man whose relationship recently ended 9 Musician Sleepy LaBeef who accompanied Nelson on upright bass on the song s demo recording asserted that the songwriter had arrived in Houston with Crazy already written 2 Additionally biographer Joe Nick Patoski noted that Nelson played Crazy for Butler along with the songs he planned to sell just as he arrived in the city 10 Nelson wrote Crazy in less than an hour 11 and originally titled it Stupid 6 The intonation of the opening was inspired by Floyd Tillman s I Gotta Have My Baby Back 12 Nelson sold an original song Family Bible which was then recorded by Claude Gray whose version enjoyed success But Nelson s employment situation remained unstable 13 He accumulated debt while he often attended parties and drank to excess In July 1960 Nelson was arrested for speeding and driving without a license 2 After several tardy incidents he was fired by KRCT then let go from a Pasadena club where he performed Nelson then decided to move his wife and children to Waco Texas and after the success of Family Bible moved to Nashville Tennessee 12 At first Nelson lived with Billy Walker who found him an encyclopedia sales job 14 Walker also took him to different music publishers in town and introduced Nelson as the writer of Family Bible to the artists and songwriters that frequented Tootsie s Orchid Lounge Through steel guitarist Buddy Emmons Nelson became acquainted with many Grand Ole Opry performers 15 The publishing house Pamper Music hired him after Faron Young s recording of Hello Walls and Billy Walker s of Funny How Time Slips Away succeeded 16 Patsy Cline s recording Edit Patsy Cline depicted in a 1960 portrait for Decca Records In his book Willie An Autobiography Nelson recalled that it was hard to find artists interested in recording Crazy due to its use of several chords instead of the standard three used for country music compositions at the time 17 Walker intended to record the song and made a demo at Starday Records Ultimately the label decided to reject Walker s proposition since they felt that Crazy would not have commercial success 18 Nelson s fellow Pamper Music song plugger and writer Hank Cochran played Crazy for Patsy Cline s producer Owen Bradley who felt that the composition would be good for Cline 19 Cochran then told Walker about Bradley s interest in the song for Cline and asked him not to record it In exchange Cochran gave Walker Charlie s Shoes 18 Cline s husband Charlie Dick had previously taken her a demo of Nelson s Night Life Cline disliked the song and she asked her husband not bring her any more of Nelson s songs saying that she did not want to record compositions that embraced vulnerability or loss of love The persistent Cochran drove Nelson to Cline s house with the demo of Crazy While Nelson waited in the car Cochran played the song for Cline Cline told Cochran to bring Nelson into the house where he taught her to sing the song Cline had difficulty following Nelson s phrasing because he sang behind the beat 20 21 An alternative account published by Nelson in his 2015 book It s A Long Story My Life revealed that while drinking with Dick at Tootsie s Orchid Lounge Nelson played his demo of Crazy on the bar s jukebox Dick thought the song was good that his wife should record it and offered to take Nelson to his home to play the demo for Cline Because it was after midnight Nelson decided to wait in the car as Dick played the song for Cline and she later invited him in 22 23 Crazy by Patsy Cline source source For the recording Cline adapted Nelson s phrasing to her own singing style Problems playing this file See media help Bradley planned to record Crazy with the minor and major sevenths jazz chords favored by Nelson 21 For most of the song the composition uses a B flat key but ends in B major 24 Bradley decided to add the Jordanaires on background vocals pianist Floyd Cramer and bass guitarist Bob Moore 21 Floyd opened with a four bar introduction followed by brushing from drummer Buddy Harman Moore was complemented by Harold Bradley s electric guitar creating a tic tac effect 24 The first four hour recording session took place on August 21 1961 at Quonset Hut Studio 25 Cline had recently been in a car accident that bruised her ribs and Owen Bradley had to end her participation because in her pain she could not reach the notes needed to match Nelson s phrasing Bradley worked the arrangements with the musicians and recorded the music track for the song 23 Bradley asked Cline to use her own rather than Nelson s singing style 26 After her ribs recovered three weeks later Cline returned to record her vocal track she accomplished it on the first take 23 During the session on September 15 1961 25 Cline s vocal featured ascending and descending intervals and the use of broken chords Cline learned to sing in the style needed for Crazy early in her life she listened to and imitated big band and jazz performers that she heard on the radio 27 Following Nelson Cline sang slightly behind the beat but modified to fit her own unique style 28 Release and reception Edit 1961 advertisement for Crazy published in Cashbox magazine Crazy was released in October 1961 by Decca Records under catalog number 31317 with Who Can I Count On on the flip side 29 In November Crazy was included on Cline s album Showcase 30 After 11 weeks the single peaked at number two on Billboard s Hot Country Singles 31 and it crossed over to the pop charts reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 16 also attaining number two on Billboard s Easy Listening chart 32 With the success of Crazy and her previous single I Fall to Pieces Cline was named Billboard s Favorite Female Country Artist of 1961 33 In November 1961 Cline sang Crazy during a performance with the Grand Ole Opry cast at Carnegie Hall 34 Crazy became Cline s most successful pop single her signature song and one of the country songs that generated the most royalties 35 36 Nelson dubbed Cline s his favorite version of his composition He opined that her interpretation was done with delicacy soul and perfect diction 23 Media outlets including National Public Radio New Musical Express and American Songwriter defined Crazy as a country music standard 21 37 25 The recording was featured in the 1985 Cline biopic Sweet Dreams 38 In 1989 the Amusement and Music Operators Association ranked Crazy number two on the all time Top 40 Jukebox Singles on the United States list 39 40 By 1996 the updated list cited the song as the most played in jukeboxes 41 Crazy appeared on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 at number 79 and moved to number 14 in 1990 42 The next year it peaked at number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart 43 In 2003 Cline s recording was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress 44 The next year it was ranked number 85 on Rolling Stone s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 45 In the 2021 version of the list the magazine placed it at number 195 46 In 2018 it was included by New Musical Express on their 25 best country songs of all time list 37 in 2019 The Tennessean listed it as one of the 100 best country songs of all time 47 Personnel Edit All credits are adapted from the original liner notes of Showcase 48 Harold Bradley 6 string electric bass Owen Bradley organ Floyd Cramer piano Buddy Harman drums Walter Haynes steel guitar Randy Hughes acoustic guitar The Jordanaires backing vocals Grady Martin electric guitar Bob Moore acoustic bassOther versions EditNelson recorded his own version of Crazy for his 1962 debut album And Then I Wrote 49 Nelson s original demo of Crazy was released on 2003 s Crazy The Demo Sessions 25 In 1977 Linda Ronstadt released a version as a single from her album Hasten Down the Wind 50 Ronstadt s release reached number six on Billboard s Hot Country Songs chart 51 A version by Beverly D Angelo was featured on the 1980 film Coal Miner s Daughter 52 In 1993 Canadian country music singer Colleen Peterson charted with her version of Crazy at number 29 on the RPM country music chart 53 Julio Iglesias single release of the song appeared at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994 54 In 1998 a cover of Crazy by Kidneythieves was featured on the soundtrack of Bride of Chucky 55 American singer LeAnn Rimes included Crazy on her 1999 album LeAnn Rimes 56 It reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart 57 Crazy was twice featured in the TV series Nashville sung by Juliette Barnes in the 2014 episode That s Me Without You 58 and by Barnes and Steven Tyler in a duet on the 2015 episode Can t Let Go 59 Nelson recorded duets of the song with Mary Sarah 2014 and then with Carla Bruni 2017 60 61 In 2022 Heather Small performed a version of Crazy in series 3 of the British version of The Masked Singer 62 Charts and certifications EditPatsy Cline Edit Weekly chart performance of Crazy Year Chart Peakposition1961Australian Top 100 Singles Kent Music Report 63 56CAN CHUM Charts Top 20 64 8US Hot Country Songs Billboard 65 2US Billboard Hot 100 66 9US Adult Contemporary Billboard 67 21987 UK Singles OCC 68 791990 UK Singles OCC 68 141991 Ireland IRMA 69 14 Region Certification Certified units salesCertifications of Patsy Cline s Crazy United Kingdom BPI 70 Silver 200 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Other artists Edit Various artists weekly chart performance of their covers of Crazy Year Artist Chart Peakposition1977 Linda Ronstadt US Billboard Hot 100 71 6Linda Ronstadt Canada Country Tracks RPM 72 21993 Colleen Peterson Canada Country Tracks RPM 73 291994 Julio Iglesias UK Singles OCC 74 431999 LeAnn Rimes UK Singles OCC 75 36References Edit Nelson Willie amp Shrake Bud 2000 pp 103 105 a b c d Smith William Michael 2013 a b Nelson Willie amp Shrake Bud 2000 p 116 a b c Nelson Willie amp Shrake Bud 2000 p 117 a b Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 98 a b Duncan Dayton amp Burns Ken 2019 p 239 Nelson Willie amp Cash Johnny 1998 Nelson Willie amp Ritz David 2015 pp 119 120 a b Nelson Willie amp Ritz David 2015 p 122 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 96 Richmond Clint 2000 p 37 a b Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 103 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 102 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 108 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 109 a b Ott Tim 2020 Nelson Willie amp Shrake Bud 2000 p 140 a b Oermann Robert K 2008 p 226 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 115 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 p 116 a b c d Wertheimer Linda 2000 Nelson Willie amp Ritz David 2015 pp 144 145 a b c d Duncan Dayton amp Burns Ken 2019 p 240 a b Johnson Chad 2018 p 35 a b c d Kingsbury Paul 2019 Nelson Willie Nelson Bobbie amp Ritz David 2020 p 142 Hofstra Warren 2013 p 76 Sullivan Steve 2013 p 96 Neely Tim 2006 p 241 Billboard staff 1961 p 6 Billboard staff 1962 p 35 Billboard staff 2 1961 p 14 Oermann Robert K 2008 p 97 Duncan Dayton amp Burns Ken 2019 p 241 Kosser Michael 2006 p T4 Duncan Dayton amp Burns Ken 2019 p 257 a b Cooper Leonie 2018 Sharpe Jerry 1985 p F6 Murrieta Ed 1989 p S3 Newsweek 1990 p F 2 Associated Press staff 1996 p 2B Official Charts staff 2021 Gogan Larry 2021 National Recording Registry 2021 Rolling Stone staff 2003 Rolling Stone staff 2021 Leimkuehler Matthew Paulson Dave amp Watts Cindy 2019 Cline Patsy November 27 1961 Showcase LP Liner Notes and Album Information Decca Records DL 4202 Milward John 2021 p 61 Ronstadt Linda 2014 p 207 Billboard staff 2021 Hilburn Robert 1980 p C 77 RPM staff 1993 Official Charts staff 2 2021 A V Club 2009 p RA1 Harrison Thomas 2011 p 136 Official Charts staff 3 2021 Weiss Max 2014 Weiss Max 2015 Fekadu Mesfin 2014 Barsamian Edward 2017 Harrison Ellie 2022 David Kent 1993 Australian Charts Book 1970 1992 Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd Turramurra N S W ISBN 978 0 646 11917 5 CHUM Top 20 Singles November 6 1961 Patsy Cline Chart History Hot Country Songs Billboard Patsy Cline Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Patsy Cline Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard a b Patsy Cline Artist Chart History Official Charts Company The Irish Charts Search Results Crazy Irish Singles Chart British single certifications Patsy Cline Crazy British Phonographic Industry Retrieved November 19 2021 Linda Ronstadt Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Top RPM Country Tracks Issue 4476 RPM Library and Archives Canada Top RPM Country Tracks Issue 1471 RPM Library and Archives Canada Julio Iglesias Artist Chart History Official Charts Company LeeAnn Rimes Artist Chart History Official Charts Company SourcesAssociated Press staff October 26 1996 Flash Vol 113 no 94 Tampa Bay Times Associated Press Retrieved November 24 2021 via Newspapers com A V Club 2009 Inventory 16 Films Featuring Manic Pixie Dream Girls 10 Great Songs Nearly Ruined by Saxophone and 100 More Obsessively Specific Pop Culture Lists Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 1 439 10989 2 Barsamian Edward June 17 2017 El French Touch de Carla Bruni Sarkozy Vogue Retrieved November 15 2021 Billboard staff November 20 1961 Album Reviews Billboard Retrieved November 2 2021 via Google Books Billboard staff 2 December 4 1961 Easy Listening Billboard Retrieved November 2 2021 via Google Books Billboard staff January 27 1962 Hot C amp W Sides Billboard Vol 74 no 4 Retrieved November 2 2021 via Google Books Billboard staff 2021 Chart History Linda Ronstadt Billboard Retrieved November 9 2021 Cooper Leonie April 15 2018 The 25 best country music songs of all time NME Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 24 2021 Duncan Dayton Burns Ken 2019 Country Music An Illustrated History Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 525 52055 9 Gogan Larry 2021 Crazy The Irish Charts Retrieved November 10 2021 Harrison Thomas 2011 Music of the 1990s ABC CLIO ISBN 978 0 313 37943 7 Hilburn Robert March 30 1980 Daughter soundtrack vs legend a timely reminder Los Angeles Times Retrieved November 8 2021 via Newspapers com Hofstra Warren 2013 Sweet Dreams The World of Patsy Cline University of Illinois Press ISBN 978 0 252 09498 9 Johnson Chad 2018 Hal Leonard Baritone Guitar Method Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 978 1 540 04297 2 Kingsbury Paul 2019 Behind the Song Willie Nelson Crazy American Songwriter Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 1 2021 Kosser Michael 2006 How Nashville Became Music City U S A 50 Years of Music Row Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 978 0 634 09806 2 Fekadu Mesfin November 7 2014 Mary Sarah duets with Willie Nelson Dolly Parton more The Tennessean Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 15 2021 Leimkuehler Matthew Paulson Dave Watts Cindy August 25 2019 100 all time greatest country songs The Tennessean Retrieved November 24 2021 Milward John 2021 Americanaland Where Country amp Western Met Rock n Roll University of Illinois Press ISBN 978 0 252 05281 1 Murrieta Ed October 20 1989 Take your pick Here s a look at the all time Top 40 jukebox singles The Sacramento Bee Vol 266 Retrieved November 3 2021 via Newspapers com National Recording Registry 2021 Complete National Recording Registry Listing Library of Congress Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 9 2021 Neely Tim 2006 Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1950 1975 Krause Publications ISBN 978 0 896 89307 8 Nelson Willie Cash Johnny 1998 Johnny Cash Willie Nelson VH1 Storytellers CD American Recordings CT 69416 Nelson Willie Shrake Bud 2000 Willie An Autobiography Cooper Square Press ISBN 978 1 461 66131 3 Nelson Willie Ritz David 2015 It s a Long Story My Life Hachette UK ISBN 978 0 316 40356 6 Nelson Willie Nelson Bobbie Ritz David 2020 Me and Sister Bobbie True Tales of the Family Band Random House Publishing Group ISBN 978 1 984 85414 8 Newsweek March 12 1990 By The Numbers Los Angeles Times Retrieved November 3 2021 via Newspapers com Oermann Robert K 2008 Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain Tales of Romance and Tragedy Hachette UK ISBN 978 1 599 95184 3 Official Charts staff 2021 Patsy Cline Official Charts Company Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 10 2021 Official Charts staff 2 2021 Crazy Official Charts Company Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 10 2021 Official Charts staff 3 2021 Leann Rimes Official Charts Company Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved November 15 2021 Ott Tim December 15 2020 How Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson Teamed up for Her Hit Song Crazy Biography Archived from the original on February 5 2022 Retrieved October 21 2021 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 Willie Nelson An Epic Life Hachette Digital ISBN 978 0 316 01778 7 Richmond Clint 2000 Willie Nelson Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 0 671 03960 8 Rolling Stone staff December 11 2003 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2004 Rolling Stone Retrieved November 9 2021 Rolling Stone staff September 15 2021 The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Rolling Stone Retrieved November 9 2021 Ronstadt Linda 2014 Simple Dreams A Musical Memoir Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 1 451 66873 5 RPM staff October 2 1993 RPM 100 Country Tracks RPM Vol 58 no 13 1471 Retrieved November 11 2021 Sharpe Jerry December 15 1985 Sweet Dreams sound track recaptures Patsy Cline flair The Pittsburgh Press Vol 102 no 173 Retrieved November 8 2021 via Newspapers com Smith William Michael April 24 2013 Mr Record Man Willie Nelson Houston Press Retrieved October 13 2021 Sullivan Steve 2013 Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings Vol 1 ISBN 978 0 810 88296 6 Weiss Max September 25 2014 Nashville Season 3 Premiere Recap Put a Ring on It Vulture Retrieved November 15 2021 Weiss Max September 24 2015 Nashville Recap It s Aliiiiive Vulture Retrieved November 15 2021 Harrison Ellie January 29 2022 Masked Singer UK Who are the mystery contestants All the latest clues The Independent Yahoo News Retrieved February 9 2022 Wertheimer Linda September 4 2000 Patsy Cline s Crazy Changed The Sound Of Country Music NPR Retrieved October 25 2021 External links EditSecondHandSongs listing of known covers of Crazy Library of Congress essay on Patsy Cline s version and its inclusion in the National Recording Registry Patsy Cline Crazy on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crazy Willie Nelson song amp oldid 1127044335, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.