There was a brief period in the 1960s and early 70s when popular music encompassed across the board. Hence, cross-overs. There were standards like Sinatra, soul music, country and rock and roll like Jefferson Airplane. As time moved on, music became more segregated into marketing segments--but at one time one could listen to the radio and hear the likes of the stanards like Dean Martin, country like Glen Campbell and soul like the Temptations as well as Rock and Roll like the Beatles all in the same Top Ten line up for the week. Glen was a cross over from country to the pop charts... Today it seems as though music is sliced and diced in to smaller and smaller genres and marketing niches for good or ill. I can easily forgive DJ Pj-Roc for never hearing Glen Campbell, especially if he is a younger man unexperienced in hearing pop music that was expereinced throughout the country and encompassed many different genres. We shared a musical tapestry while at the same time we also enjoyed our particular genres. That shared experience--that tapestry--has been yanked away from us and is just one of the many instances of created divisions in this country. In a sense we are all the working man that Glen sings about up there on the pole in the summer Kansas heat as the ribbon of highway stretches out beyond the horizon.
Yes, like "Rose Garden" 1971 by Lynn Anderson, love that song by her, great voice, same with Ode to Billie Joe ( 1967) by Bobbie Gentry and Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley ( 1968)
I can't disagree with a single sentence in your elegant description of the times and the music. Your words provided the perfect context for a society truly connected through music and culture.
When I hear this song, it takes me back to my childhood. I'm about 8-9 yrs old, we traveled a lot between the states visiting family, vacations, etc. My dad liked to drive at night, my mom beside him in the passenger seat, nodding off, my younger twin sisters asleep next to me in the back. I have a very clear memory of a cool night, my 6 yr old sister's head resting against my shoulder, the light of the moon shining on her blond hair, she smelled of baby shampoo and talcum powder. We were under a jet black sky dotted with stars and a full moon. My Dad was driving as the telephone poles clocked by. This song playing on our car stereo. I felt safe, happy, loved. Good times, approximately 53 yrs, or so, ago. I will play this song just to visit this precious moment in time. Although bittersweet and makes me cry, so worth it just to linger there for a few minutes one more time .
What a sweet memory. That was my childhood too. My sister and I. Just add four little brothers! We all felt peaceful and safe. The Peace only God can give.
Wonderful memories . Thank for sharing with us. It’s easy to see that was a comforting time in your life. With sweet memories like that are a reflection of you being a nice person inside. Hopefully we all have more wonderful memories still to come.
One of the greatest lines ever written,"And I Need You More Than Want You."thank you Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell. 1968, I was 7 years old but this song still affected me.
I agree. I just posted the words on facebook. It is right there with "Objects in the rear view mirror might appear closer than they are." I was 8 when this came out. My parents played it often and I was in love. Still brings tears. His version with Stone Temple Pilots is amazing. What goes around, comes around. Talent is forever.
And I want you for all time. Funny, when this video came to that line, I thought this has to be my top favorite line of a song ever, and then I read your comment. 😎
This hit the Top 40 in early 1969, I was in 5th grade at Assumption Catholic School in Houston, TX....we listened to it on KILT-AM 610 Radio...a great time to be growing up in America....AM Radio ruled!!!
When Wichita Lineman was released, I was a junior high adolescent, and even though I was young, this song struck me so deeply with its longing quality and hauntingly stunning melody. I grew up in NYC but with Wichita Lineman, I could feel and envision the wide expanse of a cold, windy midwestern road, and that lonesome Lineman going about his work. It still takes me to a very special place emotionally, all these years later. I'm a fan of Jimmy Webb's storytelling songwriting and beautiful chord structures.
Yes, I'm with you. Glen killed it with this recording, but the real artist was the songwriter, Jimmy Webb. Gorgeous chord progression, melody, and lyrics.
... And I was a Jr. High kid living in small town America with roads that went on for miles and miles. Grew up in a town that was so small it had no stop lights. I'd walk around all day with a transistor radio to my head listening to music just like this, dreaming of a world out there in places like NYC that seemed like Oz to me.
@@markwood5486 from different parts of the country we shared in a common love of music! I know exactly how you feel, as that's how I felt about the world outside my boundaries too...imagination and wonder! Cheers!
One of the greatest pop songs ever written. Gorgeous arrangement. Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell made up one of the finest collaborations of singer and songwriter in modern music history. They did many brilliant songs together.
I heard an interview with Glen where he asked Jimmy Webb for a song for the album he was working on. This was it, but Jimmy mentioned the song lyrics were not complete. He couldn’t work on it as he had other obligations. Glen went into the studio and recorded it anyway. Instead of a third verse, he used a baritone guitar borrowed from bassist Carol Kaye (look up The Wrecking Crew). Glen could absolutely shred guitar!
Might I ask you: after listening to this song 200 times consecutively, I’ve concluded that it was perfectly arranged and mixed. Am I wrong? Is not this some brilliant studio work as well? There is so much going on in the background and it all comes together so well.
@@Bmwguy2011 Yes, it is perfectly arranged and produced. Not just a great song, but a great "record," as they used to call them. Perfection in every way.
I’m 61 years old and even as a kid I loved this song.. I am not really a fan of country music, tbh, but this song does something to my soul. I just love Glen Campbell.. May he Rest In Peace..
I was very little and I can't remember where I heard the song but I just loved it. There is something about it that just affects me like no other song. I think the music is the sound of loneliness but I don't really hear sadness. Just a man doing his duty and thinking about home. It's just beautiful.
Please, let's also give accolades to Jimmy Webb for his outstanding songwriting. On every level, this song is perfectly imagined and actualized. The beautiful melody and chord progression are the perfect container for the excellent lyrics. I was in high school when it came out, just starting my own path of songwriting. I did then, and still do, consider this one of the most brilliant compositions to emerge from 1960s pop music. As for Glen Campbell, he threw his heart into it. That challenging octave leap at the end of the refrain is delivered with technical proficiency and ease, and energized by deep soulfulness. I've heard the song hundreds of times and it still takes my breath away. There are songs that make every songwriter think, "I wish I had written that". This is one of them.
Thank you so much for reacting to this great legend. I grew up listening to his music. Glen Campbell was one of the most talented entertainers & guitarist in the world. He had a lot of hits such as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "Rhinestone Cowboy", & "Southern Nights". Sadly he got Alzheimer's later in life. The last song he recorded was "I'm Not Gonna Miss You".
Glenn Campbell had success before this song, but he said when he first heard the playback of it in the recording studio, he knew it would be a huge number one hit, and it was. He was known mostly as great guitarist who was extremely popular on other peoples songs in the 60’s, but he became popular himself as a country artist. This song was huge in 1968 because it was one of the first times a country artist had a number one song on the pop charts.
My dad was a lineman (electrical). He spent many, many hours working over-time. Anytime my siblings and I hear this song it’s hits us right in the heart. Anytime it came in the radio while riding in his truck he would turn it up and sing along.
When Glenn Campbell was the rage of America, I was in elementary school; my Mom loved Glenn; and so did my Dad - who himself was a musician, guitar player mostly, singer and leader of the band; we lived in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the TX border. Yes, this song (and By the Time I get to Phoenix) brings back memories of our family together at that time; I'm now 70 and love this song more than ever!...Loved Glenn & his Family...Debra
I was taking organ lessons in the early 1970s. When I had to pick a song for a recital in 1973 when I was 10 I picked this song. I remember I had to memorize it and perform it in front of people. I also remember hearing it on the radio and liking it alot. Thanks Doug.
This song reminds me so much of my dad. He was a telephone lineman when this song came out (I was a preschooler). He’s been gone 29 years and I miss him every day
Glen was such a great singer that his guitar playing seems almost incidental to a lot of people but the fact is, he was one of the best guitar players in the country, possibly the world. He toured with the Beach Boys for a while and he was chosen to play in countless recording sessions by singers both in and out of the country music world. Wichita Lineman was released in 1968 so I was in my third year of college. I purchased this album and one benefit to having an album is that you also get a bunch of great songs that for some reason never make it on the radio so the only way you will ever hear them is if you have purchased the album. One beautiful and poignant song that is on this album but that I have never heard on the radio is "You Better Sit Down, Kids". I have been watching a lot of videos on YT that show interaction between a baby or little kid and Daddy and I ALWAYS think of how common divorce is in this country now and what a tragedy it is that so many children are separated from the daddy they love because mommy and daddy can't get along. "You Better Sit Down, Kids" is a daddy telling his children that he and their mother are divorcing and he is going away. In the chorus he is giving advice to his children on how they should behave once he is gone and it's like he's rushing to tell them all the things he wants them to know before he leaves so the chorus is sung about twice as fast as the verses. Anyway, that's the way I interpret the reason the chorus is so fast. My husband had Alzheimer's and he could clearly remember everything that had happened when he was in the Navy, and though he had been retired for about three decades, he thought he was still in. Glen also had Alzheimer's and when he died his memory was pretty well gone but like my husband, he had one area of his life that was crystal clear and that was his music. He could still play the guitar and sing even when that was pretty much all he could do. He was a tremendous talent.
@@markalumbaugh2756 I saw that as well. I loved that his children came together to help him continue performing after his Alzheimers diagnosis. It was testament to what a great Father he was to them.
So good on guitar that Eddie Van Halen asked Alice Cooper, Glens good friend to introduce them so he could get some lessons on alternate picking. Glen was one of the best players ever!
Listened to this in the car on the radio on rural roads in Wisconsin with my Dad after he picked me up from gymnastics practice. Those car rides were a perfect time to listen to music together without talking. Just listening together and admiring the same views.
I believe this to be the finest song ever written. Where was I when I first heard it? I was four years old and playing at the neighbors. My friend's mom had a lovely voice and was singing along with the radio. It was heaven and my life has never been better than that time.
A highlight for me was Glen Campbell's supremely melodic 6-string bass solo- it creates a stamp of identity that remains iconic. A certain wistful sadness in the lyric and vocal performance- thanks for presenting your reaction to this wonderful song.
1968? I was a high school junior. Glen’s version of this mellow song, full of yearning, echoed some of my own feelings at that time. Glen had the smoothest voice. Good memories!
Thank you for posting this song. What a talented man Glen was; not only a singer and guitarist, but also a studio musician who played for other legends (Elvis, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., etc. just to name a few). I am old enough to remeber where I was when many of his songs came out; l remember hearing his songs being played on the radio while getting ready to go to elementary school.
When I was growing up, Glen Cambell had a TV show. My mom and I watched it together. Neither of us were interested in country music. My mom grew up in the Bronx, me in Manhattan and Long Island. But, Glen's music and lyrics touched both of us. I had forgotten about that. My mom died years ago. We had our differences. But, remembering listening to Glen Campbell brought back some good memories. Thanks. Always loved this song.
The magic of the songwriting of Jimmy Webb, combined with the wonderful vocals of Glen Campbell takes me back to the late 1960's. I was in the 6th grade, Glen Campbell had a weekly TV show that I never missed, and also had a bit part in the mega hit Western movie called "True Grit", which John Wayne won the Academy award for best male actor. Glen sang the song for the movie "True Grit" as well. As for the song "Wichita Lineman", the lyrics are phenomenal! The line in particular that comes to my mind is, "And I Need You More Than Want You", wow... what great lyrics! Of the Jimmy Webb songs that Glen Campbell did this is my favorite, with "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" a very close second, because it's such a great contemporary ballad! At the time Glen Campbell was also considered a Pop Music Artist as well, and not just Country music. The Jimmy Webb songs that Glen Campbell did, got a huge a amount of air play at that time of AM radio! Let's also not forget Glen Campbell was a master guitar player! As good as the Webb/Campbell songs are, I believe "Gentle On My Mind" is Glen Campbell's BEST song, considered at the time both Pop and Country!
Thank you for reacting to this song. I first heard the song when I was a little girl courtesy of an uncle. I've always found a haunting quality to the song. Thanks again!
Lineman is top 100 song of the 20th century. So glad you let the whole song play. Yeah! I see you feel the ending. It's purely heroic. Jimmy Webb was inspired to write this tune when he saw a man up on those tall telephone transmission lines. Suggestion: For the Love of You: Isley Brothers
Glen was my Mom’s favorite performer and I happily took her to see him play five or six times starting in 1989. The man was a BEAST on the guitar and a consummate entertainer. IMO, this and Galveston are two of the greatest pop/country songs ever recorded. Campbell and Jimmy Webb made true musical magic together.
I heard this 10 years ago recovering from lung cancer and I felt so much peace and peaceful and I’ve loved this song ever since. Glen is a great artist period.
The live performance on YT of "Gentle On My Mind" really showcases his guitar prowess. My earliest memory of him was when I was a young child hearing him on the radio singing "Rhinestone Cowboy". The nice thing about getting older is slowing down and taking the time to appreciate this music so it's nice to know I'm not the only one.
If you are referring to the one where he plays with the Sioux Falls, South Dakota orchestra, then all I have to say is YES! That was a great rendition. And "Galveston" was absolutely amazing, especially his guitar solo. Campbell was not just a great singer, he was one of the finest guitarists who ever lived. I hope this gent will look that up, it is worth the time.
Gentle on my mind is one of my favorites. I listen when I want to take a moment and remember my mom. I will always remember going to the Glenn Campbell museum in Nashville with her. My best friend and I will always miss her.
And at last you have hit on what I am pretty sure I consider the finest single ever recorded. Out of all my thousands of records, I do answer with this one when asked what the best record ever is. That thump thump thump bass intro you hear was designed and played by perhaps the most famous electric bass player of all time, Carol Kaye, and that’s her walking throughout the whole record. Glen played that iconic bass bridge solo on a Danelectro Longhorn loaned to him by Kaye, and it was later stolen from her car - so that guitar is floating around somewhere with an owner who is oblivious to the fact that his instrument made that iconic sound. Other songs with similar bridges are Galveston and the theme to the film, True Grit in which he “acts.” (Good grief… lol) Writer Jimmy Webb himself was on organ and I’m pretty sure it was Al De Lory who arranged those strings. The Wichita Lineman was a powerline worker, and that screaming you hear in the strings was designed to mimic what you hear when you stand underneath a high-load powerline. That sound is what you get when you combine wind with power vibrations. Anyway, Campbell was a session musician for many rock and country acts during mainly the ‘60s, among them The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and a few others. Booker T and the MGs were the band (and Steve Cropper was the writer) on Redding’s Sittin’ On The Dock, and they were all dear friends of Glen’s so if made it that much easier to get the rights to cover it. And as far as Carol Kaye, that’s her on Stevie Wonder’s I Was Made To Love Her among many, many recognizable others. They really helped shape the sound of the ‘60s, this lot that became known as “The Wrecking Crew “ with Campbell, Kaye, Hal Blaine on drums and several others whose names escape me. I could go on forever here but I’ll just close it out for now by saying that if you start running across Campbell shredding on his own hits, you’ll start to wonder if the man actually invented shredding. Absolutely flawless. Find a stage performance he did with Steve Wariner on Galveston and just watch him let it rip on that bridge. Nah, Glen Campbell can’t be summed up in this short thread. No way in hell.
Well, it’s my top favorite anyway. Doesn’t mean it’s the best… lol. More Glen Campbell is definitely worth it though. Galveston is actually a Vietnam war protest song, something you wouldn’t expect the average country fan to really embrace but embrace it they (and we) did. Then there’s his version of an old Conway Twitty song called It’s Only Make Believe, there’s Gentle On My Mind, Try A Little Kindness, Where’s The Playground Susie, Country Boy, You Got Your Feet In LA, something I play a lot when my movie industry life kicks in, the ever popular Rhinestone Cowboy, and then there’s an early hit of his that goes back to 1966 I think, before he got together with Webb, called Guess I’m Dumb. It was written by Brian Wilson and you can really hear the Wilson Brothers, Mike Love and Al Jardine back there behind him being Beach Boys.
In his later years, Glen had a most unlikely golf buddy he played with often. It was classic shock-rocker Alice Cooper. There's a great interview floating around with Cooper done after Glen's passing. It's well worth a watch. ;-)
I was probably 10 -12 years old. One of those “first time you hear it I loved it” songs for me. As were many of his songs. Lyrics are wonderful as are melodies. Now at 62, many of his songs make tears appear. Nice presentation.
I was a little girl when this song came out, and my dad was a big Glen Campbell fan. We had this album and it played a lot in our house. I loved "Dreams of an Everyday Housewife" especially. Mr. Campbell had a great variety show, too - he was a great entertainer!
What makes this and Galveston so great is the orchestra playing and the bass guitar solo. Both those songs are among the greatest music Jimmy Webb ever wrote and Glen ever sang!
Such a hauntingly beautiful song. I was 7 when it came out. And loved it, flash forward I’m 60. And I understand this beautiful love song. By a Dreamer. And that Car Kay on bass, along with the wrecking crew. Ty for sharing this lost gem ❤️
I was nine years old and growing up in LA. My mom and dad were friends with a lot of the musicians who played this track, including Glen Campbell, who played guitar in my living room. Great memories. We didn’t really realize all this music was going to be timeless. Lots of it is timeless because of Jimmy Webb.
I was in eighth grade or freshman in high school. I love the hook of the song. I wanted someone to say he needed me more than wanted me. Great song. May he RIP.
Glen did a fine version of John Hartford's, Gentle on My Mind. Possibly,... the G.O.A.T. of all songs written. By all accounts, he was a fine human being and a great talent.
I've worked with Alzheimer's patients and I hate that effing disease. I'm saddened that he and his family had to endure that. I agree with you, I love Gentle on my Mind.
It's nice to see someone who appreciates John Hartford, especially the genius of Gentle on my mind. On the list as one of the greatest songs ever written.
An LA country DJ told a funny story about an old lady who kept calling and requesting a song "It's Snowing" by Glen Campbell. DJ looked all over and couldn't figure out what she was talking about. Then one day he was playing Gentle on My Mind and the old lady called and said he was playing "It's Snowing"...the opening lyrics are "It's Knowing" ha ha
I was a child, the song made me sad well before I had the life experience to know the emotional reference. The music makes it all the more haunting. Thanks for covering this classic.
I was a little girl when I first heard this song. Like all country music songs it told a story, this one about a man working as a lineman and thinking throughout his day about someone very dear to him. Now that I'm (much) older, I appreciate the story differently; I married a mechanic who goes to work every day and comes home to me every night for the last 42 years. This simple song holds a deeper message, Glen's voice takes you right to it.
Great song & thanks Glen Campbell! I driven many miles on highways, routes & country roads. Whenever it came on the radio the song reminded me of simpler, kinder people and reflective times while traveling. When you stopped for gas, food or reached your destination there were usually Everyday People(Sly Stone song) performing their duties. The Wichita Lineman was still on the line to keep everyone connected. The beautiful melody & arrangements gives a calm & nostalgic affect today at 67 every time I here this song! The Dells did a version and added a soulful side to this great song! The great thing about technology is we can listen to them both…big smile DJ PJ
A few years ago, I was listening to an interview, I think on NPR, that talked about Glen Campbell playing for a Frank Sinatra recording. Campbell was so enthralled with Sinatra, that Frank was worried he was gay. 😂
This song takes me back to when I was a kid. One of the best songs ever recorded. Very simple, full of feeling. I was only 8 but still listen to this day.
I just get chills when I hear this. Sometimes it is too much. The memories. :) I was just a little kid, and came home to my Mum singing it. I miss her.
Believe it or not when this song came out I had just gotten out of my 3 years in the Army, and my first job was Lineman for Southern Bell in Miami Florida. I was constantly being teased about it because of the song, just bad timing I guess. :) The good news was that girls at that time seemed to be intrigued and strangely attracted to guys in that particular profession.
I was in the back of my parents car on a trip to Washington DC, and remember my Dad singing along. Honestly, I have never met anyone who does not like/love this song. It may just be the best song ever written.
this is such a beautiful song... glen's voice & the instruments are hauntingly beautiful... first heard this when my dad listening to this song... the intro got me instantly & fell in love with the song... this song always reminds me of my dad... this made me cry a bit... many thanx for featuring this song
I was a junior in high school and was stunned by the power and beauty of this song, Glen's passionate vocal, and the instrumental arrangement. Jimmy Webb's songwriting reputation was burgeoning and Wichita was another mark of his prowess. Wichita is easily in the top 5 of the best songs of the 60's. Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon are arguably the two best song writers of that era. One final note: Webb cleverly employs metaphor of the Lineman's trial with the love of his life noting the strain and fragility of their relationship ("and if it snows that stretch down south can never stand the strain"). The Lineman's love for her is everywhere such as "I can hear her through the whine." Thank you for showcasing this classic.
This song brings back so many memories of my childhood. My dad loved this song! All the elders of my family live on every time I hear this song. Great song choice.Thanks for playing this
Glen was a monumental star in the 1960s and 1970s whose recordings crossed over frequently on to the pop chart and were huge hits (e.g., "Galveston", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" in the 1960s, "Summer Nights" and "Rhinestone Cowboy" in the 1970s). He was a highly skilled guitarist with an instantly identifiable voice who even performed for a time with the Beach Boys. "Wichita Lineman" is a classic of classics.
I was pre-K when Wichita Lineman came out, but Rhinestone Cowboy was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. I liked him acting with John Wayne in True Grit too.
I was 7, but my parents loved Glen...as I grew up I started to realize just how talented this man was. I remember watching him direct the orchestra as he played guitar and sang. A true artist!
What a beautiful melody. Lyrics are great, too. An all time classic. I was eight years old, BTW. I watched the Glen Campbell Good Time Hour on Sunday night back then. Glen was so talented.
Search up the "wrecking crew" and you'll see that Glenn Campbell was one the most recorded artists of all time. That association of studio musicians did a lot of the most recogniseable music that we all remember from the 1960's. (the Beach Boys, etc.)
I was pure R&B and Funk growing up. When this song came out my Mother asked me to get her the 45 (aging myself here) and we would just sit together and listen to it. A great memory for me.
he was Really Good at fretting, not just picking. I think only Charlie Parker could have pushed him. He's also an Alzheimer's Hero and guitar playing was the last thing to go
I love the strings in this. Nashville at that time seemed to be all into the orchestral stuff. This is my fave of Glenn's songs. I was in 7th grade, I think, when this song came out. Or maybe 6th grade.
I was five years old when this song was recorded. But, in our household we grew up listening to greats like Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Elvis Presley, Buck Owens, etc. Although I was young when many of their songs were recorded, they are etched in my mind and I sing along with them effortlessly.
My all time favorite Glen Campbell song. Thanks for featuring it. I was in elementary school. My family had the album, and it was in frequent rotation on the stereo along with Bobbie Gentry, Bobby Goldsboro, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Vicki Carr, Dean Martin, Roy Orbison, to name just a few.
I was a little kid and I could sing every song on this album because my Dad wore the vinyl out. This has been one of my favorite songs of all time. Annie Lennox (who is a GODDESS) loves this song too. Thanks for giving it a listen. ❤️🎶
I know this song from it being an AM radio staple. There was such a mix of different music on AM. That's why those of us who listened seem to like a lot of different styles. A lot of those radio hits were massive and Glenn was certainly a cross over star. I never knew he was a country music star until much later in my life.
Was in my twenties starting my adult life. Raised listening to Classical, African, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Soul, Salsa and loved the British Invasion. Oh, and let’s not forget Folk. Love all kinds of music. Glenn, John Denver, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Odetta, K.D.Lang, The Seekers, which I recently rediscovered. Great songs lovely melodies. All excellent vocalists. This younger generation doesn’t know what they’re missing.
PJ, this and two others songs were written by the great Jimmy Webb, knowing he wanted Glen to record. Galveston (a young man leaving for the Vietnam War) By the time I get to Phoenix (Lineman - was very young. As with many songs, I would cry when I heard it. Never understood why music made me cry. I now understand…I was a very sad child and melodies would bring on the tears)
I am a huge Glen Campbell fan since my childhood years in the 60's. Ironically, after moving to Phoenix in 1999, I met Glen through my work in the golf business and saw him on many occasions. He was a genuinely nice man who learned a lot from some of his mistakes earlier in his life. His live shows really showcased his talents. He was an exceptional singer and musician. RIP, Glen, you will forever be an icon in the music industry.
When this song came out I was a 16 year in a country western show. Glen came up to me and said "Hi I'm Glen Campbell" as if I didn't know who he was. What a talent and Gentlema. So lucky to here him perform.
Glenn Campbell was a studio musician before he went solo...he was a part of the Wrecking Crew...the LA..sound behind the Beach Boys...but before that he was in Summer Wind by the chairman of the board..Frank Sinatra. Gentle on My Mind..and Southern NIGHTS..are must hears! great. Ps...he co starred side by side with John Wayne..True Grit.
One of the most beautiful love songs - ever! Yeah dude, I was a junior in high school in 1968, and there has never been a better writer of love songs than Jimmy Webb.
My first LP as a teenager. Finest album I've ever owned. Such beautiful orchestration, such a silky voice, takes ALL of us back to our country roots. 🥲
I really got on the Glen Campbell bandwagon in my early 40s, at present 53, and it just does something to me that brings forth all kinds of emotions, good and sad, but never bad. With the alzheimers diagnosis my heart broke cause he would not remember and continue to bring out those feelings with newer music that would give us older folk a tune that we could relate to as he got older. Thanks for giving Glen a listen and yessir you have heard a legend. God Bless to you and yours! LOL as to where I was, being born 10/03/68 you got to figure date and time!
Glen Campbell was popular with all groups of music lovers in this period. There are few if any that can play the guitar as he does. A well-rounded individual loved by all.
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There was a brief period in the 1960s and early 70s when popular music encompassed across the board. Hence, cross-overs. There were standards like Sinatra, soul music, country and rock and roll like Jefferson Airplane. As time moved on, music became more segregated into marketing segments--but at one time one could listen to the radio and hear the likes of the stanards like Dean Martin, country like Glen Campbell and soul like the Temptations as well as Rock and Roll like the Beatles all in the same Top Ten line up for the week. Glen was a cross over from country to the pop charts...
Today it seems as though music is sliced and diced in to smaller and smaller genres and marketing niches for good or ill. I can easily forgive DJ Pj-Roc for never hearing Glen Campbell, especially if he is a younger man unexperienced in hearing pop music that was expereinced throughout the country and encompassed many different genres. We shared a musical tapestry while at the same time we also enjoyed our particular genres. That shared experience--that tapestry--has been yanked away from us and is just one of the many instances of created divisions in this country.
In a sense we are all the working man that Glen sings about up there on the pole in the summer Kansas heat as the ribbon of highway stretches out beyond the horizon.
Yes, like "Rose Garden" 1971 by Lynn Anderson, love that song by her, great voice, same with Ode to Billie Joe ( 1967) by Bobbie Gentry and Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley ( 1968)
Well said
Well said.
Beautifully put sir. I completely agree
I can't disagree with a single sentence in your elegant description of the times and the music.
Your words provided the perfect context for a society truly connected through music and culture.
When I hear this song, it takes me back to my childhood. I'm about 8-9 yrs old, we traveled a lot between the states visiting family, vacations, etc. My dad liked to drive at night, my mom beside him in the passenger seat, nodding off, my younger twin sisters asleep next to me in the back. I have a very clear memory of a cool night, my 6 yr old sister's head resting against my shoulder, the light of the moon shining on her blond hair, she smelled of baby shampoo and talcum powder. We were under a jet black sky dotted with stars and a full moon. My Dad was driving as the telephone poles clocked by. This song playing on our car stereo. I felt safe, happy, loved. Good times, approximately 53 yrs, or so, ago. I will play this song just to visit this precious moment in time. Although bittersweet and makes me cry, so worth it just to linger there for a few minutes one more time .
Me too 😢
What a sweet memory. That was my childhood too. My sister and I. Just add four little brothers! We all felt peaceful and safe. The Peace only God can give.
Wonderful memories . Thank for sharing with us. It’s easy to see that was a comforting time in your life. With sweet memories like that are a reflection of you being a nice person inside. Hopefully we all have more wonderful memories still to come.
Wow...u aptly descibed the memories of so many during that time.
Your reply, starting with “I have a very clear memory……one more time” would be a great intro to a book/story, very clear image. Congrats!
Glen was a monster guitar player. Great vocal. May he rest in peace. God bless and thanks for giving the man the respect that he deserves.
One of the greatest lines ever written,"And I Need You More Than Want You."thank you Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell. 1968, I was 7 years old but this song still affected me.
No. It’s the GREATEST line ever written. I get tears every time I hear it.
I agree. I just posted the words on facebook. It is right there with "Objects in the rear view mirror might appear closer than they are." I was 8 when this came out. My parents played it often and I was in love. Still brings tears. His version with Stone Temple Pilots is amazing. What goes around, comes around. Talent is forever.
And I want you for all time. Funny, when this video came to that line, I thought this has to be my top favorite line of a song ever, and then I read your comment. 😎
It’s the soundtrack of my childhood.
Best line ever, says it all!
This hit the Top 40 in early 1969, I was in 5th grade at Assumption Catholic School in Houston, TX....we listened to it on KILT-AM 610 Radio...a great time to be growing up in America....AM Radio ruled!!!
I was 5 yo, when this came out. I grew up listening to Glen Campbell, one of my favorite older country music artists. Such talent!
Glen Campbell was a multi-talented American treasure. Thanks for giving him a listen.
What a simple yet beautiful song
When Wichita Lineman was released, I was a junior high adolescent, and even though I was young, this song struck me so deeply with its longing quality and hauntingly stunning melody. I grew up in NYC but with Wichita Lineman, I could feel and envision the wide expanse of a cold, windy midwestern road, and that lonesome Lineman going about his work. It still takes me to a very special place emotionally, all these years later. I'm a fan of Jimmy Webb's storytelling songwriting and beautiful chord structures.
Cool!🙂👍
Yes, I'm with you. Glen killed it with this recording, but the real artist was the songwriter, Jimmy Webb. Gorgeous chord progression, melody, and lyrics.
I've lived mostly in the south, but when this song came out, I was in junior high in Flushing NY. Whenever I hear it, it takes me back there.
... And I was a Jr. High kid living in small town America with roads that went on for miles and miles. Grew up in a town that was so small it had no stop lights. I'd walk around all day with a transistor radio to my head listening to music just like this, dreaming of a world out there in places like NYC that seemed like Oz to me.
@@markwood5486 from different parts of the country we shared in a common love of music! I know exactly how you feel, as that's how I felt about the world outside my boundaries too...imagination and wonder! Cheers!
One of the greatest pop songs ever written. Gorgeous arrangement. Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell made up one of the finest collaborations of singer and songwriter in modern music history. They did many brilliant songs together.
I heard an interview with Glen where he asked Jimmy Webb for a song for the album he was working on. This was it, but Jimmy mentioned the song lyrics were not complete. He couldn’t work on it as he had other obligations. Glen went into the studio and recorded it anyway. Instead of a third verse, he used a baritone guitar borrowed from bassist Carol Kaye (look up The Wrecking Crew).
Glen could absolutely shred guitar!
Agreed100%
Might I ask you: after listening to this song 200 times consecutively, I’ve concluded that it was perfectly arranged and mixed. Am I wrong? Is not this some brilliant studio work as well? There is so much going on in the background and it all comes together so well.
@@Bmwguy2011 Yes, it is perfectly arranged and produced. Not just a great song, but a great "record," as they used to call them. Perfection in every way.
This song, as well as other iconic recordings by Glen, are part of thousands of people's life soundtrack.
I’m 61 years old and even as a kid I loved this song.. I am not really a fan of country music, tbh, but this song does something to my soul. I just love Glen Campbell.. May he Rest In Peace..
I was very little and I can't remember where I heard the song but I just loved it. There is something about it that just affects me like no other song. I think the music is the sound of loneliness but I don't really hear sadness. Just a man doing his duty and thinking about home. It's just beautiful.
Please, let's also give accolades to Jimmy Webb for his outstanding songwriting. On every level, this song is perfectly imagined and actualized. The beautiful melody and chord progression are the perfect container for the excellent lyrics. I was in high school when it came out, just starting my own path of songwriting. I did then, and still do, consider this one of the most brilliant compositions to emerge from 1960s pop music. As for Glen Campbell, he threw his heart into it. That challenging octave leap at the end of the refrain is delivered with technical proficiency and ease, and energized by deep soulfulness. I've heard the song hundreds of times and it still takes my breath away. There are songs that make every songwriter think, "I wish I had written that". This is one of them.
Stella, you are spot on; the chord progression is great, but the fact that the melody never repeats from one line to the next is beyond impressive...
I heard it was one of Bob Dylan's favourites
Thank you so much for reacting to this great legend. I grew up listening to his music. Glen Campbell was one of the most talented entertainers & guitarist in the world. He had a lot of hits such as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "Rhinestone Cowboy", & "Southern Nights". Sadly he got Alzheimer's later in life. The last song he recorded was "I'm Not Gonna Miss You".
Really need to listen to I'm Not Gonna Miss You. Excellent song. Glen Campbell fading away and still at his best.
easily my favorite male country singer of all time....
Oh, we still play his "Glen Campbell For Christmas" record every year! R.I.P. to such an icon!
Glenn Campbell had success before this song, but he said when he first heard the playback of it in the recording studio, he knew it would be a huge number one hit, and it was. He was known mostly as great guitarist who was extremely popular on other peoples songs in the 60’s, but he became popular himself as a country artist. This song was huge in 1968 because it was one of the first times a country artist had a number one song on the pop charts.
My dad was a lineman (electrical). He spent many, many hours working over-time. Anytime my siblings and I hear this song it’s hits us right in the heart. Anytime it came in the radio while riding in his truck he would turn it up and sing along.
When Glenn Campbell was the rage of America, I was in elementary school; my Mom loved Glenn; and so did my Dad - who himself was a musician, guitar player mostly, singer and leader of the band; we lived in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the TX border. Yes, this song (and By the Time I get to Phoenix) brings back memories of our family together at that time; I'm now 70 and love this song more than ever!...Loved Glenn & his Family...Debra
I was taking organ lessons in the early 1970s. When I had to pick a song for a recital in 1973 when I was 10 I picked this song. I remember I had to memorize it and perform it in front of people. I also remember hearing it on the radio and liking it alot. Thanks Doug.
This song reminds me so much of my dad. He was a telephone lineman when this song came out (I was a preschooler). He’s been gone 29 years and I miss him every day
Glen was such a great singer that his guitar playing seems almost incidental to a lot of people but the fact is, he was one of the best guitar players in the country, possibly the world. He toured with the Beach Boys for a while and he was chosen to play in countless recording sessions by singers both in and out of the country music world. Wichita Lineman was released in 1968 so I was in my third year of college. I purchased this album and one benefit to having an album is that you also get a bunch of great songs that for some reason never make it on the radio so the only way you will ever hear them is if you have purchased the album. One beautiful and poignant song that is on this album but that I have never heard on the radio is "You Better Sit Down, Kids".
I have been watching a lot of videos on YT that show interaction between a baby or little kid and Daddy and I ALWAYS think of how common divorce is in this country now and what a tragedy it is that so many children are separated from the daddy they love because mommy and daddy can't get along. "You Better Sit Down, Kids" is a daddy telling his children that he and their mother are divorcing and he is going away. In the chorus he is giving advice to his children on how they should behave once he is gone and it's like he's rushing to tell them all the things he wants them to know before he leaves so the chorus is sung about twice as fast as the verses. Anyway, that's the way I interpret the reason the chorus is so fast.
My husband had Alzheimer's and he could clearly remember everything that had happened when he was in the Navy, and though he had been retired for about three decades, he thought he was still in. Glen also had Alzheimer's and when he died his memory was pretty well gone but like my husband, he had one area of his life that was crystal clear and that was his music. He could still play the guitar and sing even when that was pretty much all he could do. He was a tremendous talent.
Great stuff! Thank you.
I remember an interview with his daughter. She said that his guitar playing remained excellent even as he declined
@@markalumbaugh2756 I saw that as well. I loved that his children came together to help him continue performing after his Alzheimers diagnosis. It was testament to what a great Father he was to them.
So good on guitar that Eddie Van Halen asked Alice Cooper, Glens good friend to introduce them so he could get some lessons on alternate picking. Glen was one of the best players ever!
Yes. A top notch studio guitarist.
Listened to this in the car on the radio on rural roads in Wisconsin with my Dad after he picked me up from gymnastics practice. Those car rides were a perfect time to listen to music together without talking. Just listening together and admiring the same views.
I believe this to be the finest song ever written. Where was I when I first heard it? I was four years old and playing at the neighbors. My friend's mom had a lovely voice and was singing along with the radio. It was heaven and my life has never been better than that time.
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time..." One of the greatest song lyrics ever.
A highlight for me was Glen Campbell's supremely melodic 6-string bass solo- it creates a stamp of identity that remains iconic. A certain wistful sadness in the lyric and vocal performance- thanks for presenting your reaction to this wonderful song.
Carol Kaye, go to bass player for The Wrecking Crew, the Capitol Records studio band Glen Campbell was part of, wrote and played the bass intro.
1968? I was a high school junior. Glen’s version of this mellow song, full of yearning, echoed some of my own feelings at that time. Glen had the smoothest voice. Good memories!
Thank you for posting this song. What a talented man Glen was; not only a singer and guitarist, but also a studio musician who played for other legends (Elvis, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., etc. just to name a few). I am old enough to remeber where I was when many of his songs came out; l remember hearing his songs being played on the radio while getting ready to go to elementary school.
When I was growing up, Glen Cambell had a TV show. My mom and I watched it together. Neither of us were interested in country music. My mom grew up in the Bronx, me in Manhattan and Long Island. But, Glen's music and lyrics touched both of us. I had forgotten about that. My mom died years ago. We had our differences. But, remembering listening to Glen Campbell brought back some good memories. Thanks. Always loved this song.
The magic of the songwriting of Jimmy Webb, combined with the wonderful vocals of Glen Campbell takes me back to the late 1960's. I was in the 6th grade, Glen Campbell had a weekly TV show that I never missed, and also had a bit part in the mega hit Western movie called "True Grit", which John Wayne won the Academy award for best male actor. Glen sang the song for the movie "True Grit" as well. As for the song "Wichita Lineman", the lyrics are phenomenal! The line in particular that comes to my mind is, "And I Need You More Than Want You", wow... what great lyrics! Of the Jimmy Webb songs that Glen Campbell did this is my favorite, with "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" a very close second, because it's such a great contemporary ballad! At the time Glen Campbell was also considered a Pop Music Artist as well, and not just Country music. The Jimmy Webb songs that Glen Campbell did, got a huge a amount of air play at that time of AM radio! Let's also not forget Glen Campbell was a master guitar player! As good as the Webb/Campbell songs are, I believe "Gentle On My Mind" is Glen Campbell's BEST song, considered at the time both Pop and Country!
Just found your channel. You’re well dressed, well groomed, well spoken and you present the artists with so much respect. You’ve got a new fan!
Thanks. But, not always well dressed or well groomed.
Ditto on his presentation
I was thinking maybe this fellow could pick up where Kevin Samuels left off.
@@DjPjrocReacts911 LoL 🤣 I'm so glad you weren't wearing underwear 🩳 alone on this video 🤣
This is my favorite song by him. I’ve loved him since I was a kid in the early seventies
I have had a “crush” on Glen since I was 4. I vividly remember that and that was over 50 years ago😂 Outstanding musician! 🌻
When he sings “and I need you more than want you , and I want you for all time “ my heart sinks, that’s true love
That is a hook line for sure. It always gets me as well. So poignant.
My wife and I had that lyric made into a decorative wall hanging. Etched on glass with a faded barn wood border. It's a deep meaning.
Brings back memories from my childhood. I wish I could go back. Beautiful voice and he smoked on guitar. One of the greats. RIP, Mr. Campbell.
I was in high school when this came out. Glen Campbell is amazing . We had this album and played it all the time. It’s a great album.
I still get goosebumps wherever I hear this song. I was 5 years old when it first came out.
Thank you for reacting to this song. I first heard the song when I was a little girl courtesy of an uncle. I've always found a haunting quality to the song. Thanks again!
Lineman is top 100 song of the 20th century. So glad you let the whole song play. Yeah! I see you feel the ending. It's purely heroic. Jimmy Webb was inspired to write this tune when he saw a man up on those tall telephone transmission lines. Suggestion: For the Love of You: Isley Brothers
Glen was my Mom’s favorite performer and I happily took her to see him play five or six times starting in 1989. The man was a BEAST on the guitar and a consummate entertainer. IMO, this and Galveston are two of the greatest pop/country songs ever recorded. Campbell and Jimmy Webb made true musical magic together.
I heard this 10 years ago recovering from lung cancer and I felt so much peace and peaceful and I’ve loved this song ever since. Glen is a great artist period.
You okay now right ? 👋
The live performance on YT of "Gentle On My Mind" really showcases his guitar prowess. My earliest memory of him was when I was a young child hearing him on the radio singing "Rhinestone Cowboy". The nice thing about getting older is slowing down and taking the time to appreciate this music so it's nice to know I'm not the only one.
We are on to something here Mike.
If you are referring to the one where he plays with the Sioux Falls, South Dakota orchestra, then all I have to say is YES!
That was a great rendition. And "Galveston" was absolutely amazing, especially his guitar solo.
Campbell was not just a great singer, he was one of the finest guitarists who ever lived. I hope this gent will look that up, it is worth the time.
Rhinestone Cowboy was my favorite as a kid and my first record I bought with my own money when I was 6-7 years old. 👍
Gentle on my mind is one of my favorites. I listen when I want to take a moment and remember my mom. I will always remember going to the Glenn Campbell museum in Nashville with her. My best friend and I will always miss her.
He isn’t only the best singer he is so handsome. Love him
And at last you have hit on what I am pretty sure I consider the finest single ever recorded. Out of all my thousands of records, I do answer with this one when asked what the best record ever is. That thump thump thump bass intro you hear was designed and played by perhaps the most famous electric bass player of all time, Carol Kaye, and that’s her walking throughout the whole record. Glen played that iconic bass bridge solo on a Danelectro Longhorn loaned to him by Kaye, and it was later stolen from her car - so that guitar is floating around somewhere with an owner who is oblivious to the fact that his instrument made that iconic sound. Other songs with similar bridges are Galveston and the theme to the film, True Grit in which he “acts.” (Good grief… lol) Writer Jimmy Webb himself was on organ and I’m pretty sure it was Al De Lory who arranged those strings. The Wichita Lineman was a powerline worker, and that screaming you hear in the strings was designed to mimic what you hear when you stand underneath a high-load powerline. That sound is what you get when you combine wind with power vibrations. Anyway, Campbell was a session musician for many rock and country acts during mainly the ‘60s, among them The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and a few others. Booker T and the MGs were the band (and Steve Cropper was the writer) on Redding’s Sittin’ On The Dock, and they were all dear friends of Glen’s so if made it that much easier to get the rights to cover it. And as far as Carol Kaye, that’s her on Stevie Wonder’s I Was Made To Love Her among many, many recognizable others. They really helped shape the sound of the ‘60s, this lot that became known as “The Wrecking Crew “ with Campbell, Kaye, Hal Blaine on drums and several others whose names escape me. I could go on forever here but I’ll just close it out for now by saying that if you start running across Campbell shredding on his own hits, you’ll start to wonder if the man actually invented shredding. Absolutely flawless. Find a stage performance he did with Steve Wariner on Galveston and just watch him let it rip on that bridge. Nah, Glen Campbell can’t be summed up in this short thread. No way in hell.
Mike drop stuff! The finest single ever recorded, no higher praise. We will keep digging! Thanks brother.
Well, it’s my top favorite anyway. Doesn’t mean it’s the best… lol. More Glen Campbell is definitely worth it though. Galveston is actually a Vietnam war protest song, something you wouldn’t expect the average country fan to really embrace but embrace it they (and we) did. Then there’s his version of an old Conway Twitty song called It’s Only Make Believe, there’s Gentle On My Mind, Try A Little Kindness, Where’s The Playground Susie, Country Boy, You Got Your Feet In LA, something I play a lot when my movie industry life kicks in, the ever popular Rhinestone Cowboy, and then there’s an early hit of his that goes back to 1966 I think, before he got together with Webb, called Guess I’m Dumb. It was written by Brian Wilson and you can really hear the Wilson Brothers, Mike Love and Al Jardine back there behind him being Beach Boys.
How could you forget "By the time I get to Phoenix"?
Just too many to think of. I also figured enough of the others would mention it… (nah, that’s just an excuse.). Hahaha 😝
Just too many to think of. I also figured enough of the others would mention it… (nah, that’s just an excuse.). Hahaha 😝
In his later years, Glen had a most unlikely golf buddy he played with often. It was classic shock-rocker Alice Cooper. There's a great interview floating around with Cooper done after Glen's passing. It's well worth a watch. ;-)
It's a great tribute by Cooper.
@@JoeHaynie_VJ Pat Boone also played golf with A.C.
In the local golf course clubhouse, there’s a quote on the wall from Alice Cooper.
It was a common but profound bond of faith which bound Alice (Vincent) and Glen.
I was probably 10 -12 years old. One of those “first time you hear it I loved it” songs for me. As were many of his songs. Lyrics are wonderful as are melodies. Now at 62, many of his songs make tears appear. Nice presentation.
I was a little girl when this song came out, and my dad was a big Glen Campbell fan. We had this album and it played a lot in our house. I loved "Dreams of an Everyday Housewife" especially. Mr. Campbell had a great variety show, too - he was a great entertainer!
We will do more G C
What makes this and Galveston so great is the orchestra playing and the bass guitar solo. Both those songs are among the greatest music Jimmy Webb ever wrote and Glen ever sang!
Such a hauntingly beautiful song. I was 7 when it came out. And loved it, flash forward I’m 60. And I understand this beautiful love song. By a Dreamer. And that Car Kay on bass, along with the wrecking crew. Ty for sharing this lost gem ❤️
I was nine years old and growing up in LA. My mom and dad were friends with a lot of the musicians who played this track, including Glen Campbell, who played guitar in my living room. Great memories. We didn’t really realize all this music was going to be timeless. Lots of it is timeless because of Jimmy Webb.
I was in eighth grade or freshman in high school. I love the hook of the song. I wanted someone to say he needed me more than wanted me. Great song. May he RIP.
Glen did a fine version of John Hartford's, Gentle on My Mind. Possibly,... the G.O.A.T. of all songs written. By all accounts, he was a fine human being and a great talent.
I've worked with Alzheimer's patients and I hate that effing disease. I'm saddened that he and his family had to endure that. I agree with you, I love Gentle on my Mind.
He also did a great cover of "Pretty Woman ", live!
It's nice to see someone who appreciates John Hartford, especially the genius of Gentle on my mind. On the list as one of the greatest songs ever written.
One of my favorite of Campbell's
An LA country DJ told a funny story about an old lady who kept calling and requesting a song "It's Snowing" by Glen Campbell. DJ looked all over and couldn't figure out what she was talking about. Then one day he was playing Gentle on My Mind and the old lady called and said he was playing "It's Snowing"...the opening lyrics are "It's Knowing" ha ha
Great song that brings back many memories. I was just a child but I remember it like it was yesterday. Thank you for covering this classic.
I was a child, the song made me sad well before I had the life experience to know the emotional reference. The music makes it all the more haunting.
Thanks for covering this classic.
I was a little girl when I first heard this song. Like all country music songs it told a story, this one about a man working as a lineman and thinking throughout his day about someone very dear to him. Now that I'm (much) older, I appreciate the story differently; I married a mechanic who goes to work every day and comes home to me every night for the last 42 years. This simple song holds a deeper message, Glen's voice takes you right to it.
Great song & thanks Glen Campbell! I driven many miles on highways, routes & country roads. Whenever it came on the radio the song reminded me of simpler, kinder people and reflective times while traveling. When you stopped for gas, food or reached your destination there were usually Everyday People(Sly Stone song) performing their duties. The Wichita Lineman was still on the line to keep everyone connected. The beautiful melody & arrangements gives a calm & nostalgic affect today at 67 every time I here this song! The Dells did a version and added a soulful side to this great song! The great thing about technology is we can listen to them both…big smile DJ PJ
Glen had a great voice, but he was also a session guitarist. You have to hear him play, it's spectacular
A few years ago, I was listening to an interview, I think on NPR, that talked about Glen Campbell playing for a Frank Sinatra recording. Campbell was so enthralled with Sinatra, that Frank was worried he was gay. 😂
He was an amazing guitarist.
@@joanneharper9090 so 50 years later, Frank had him whacked. Frank doesn’t forget.
Few could match Glenn for pure guitar prowess.
McArthur Park with Boston Pop is incredible. His vocals and guitar instrumental smashed that song.
This song takes me back to when I was a kid. One of the best songs ever recorded. Very simple, full of feeling. I was only 8 but still listen to this day.
I just get chills when I hear this. Sometimes it is too much. The memories. :) I was just a little kid, and came home to my Mum singing it. I miss her.
High School.. and the line I need you more than want you, and I need you for all time…...expresses love like no other still to this day
Look up Glen Campbell and Roy Clark play Ghost Riders Riders in the sky. Two of the best guitar pickers together. Great instrumental.
Absolutely right
@@markalumbaugh2756 3rd this recomendation.
That video is my most favorite. I play that at least once a week. Amazing talent that most will never know. Legendary performers.
Check out Glenn's cover of Classical Gas.
I also recommend Glen playing Witchita lineman on the Jools Holland show. The guitar solo is amazing.
Believe it or not when this song came out I had just gotten out of my 3 years in the Army, and my first job was Lineman for Southern Bell in Miami Florida. I was constantly being teased about it because of the song, just bad timing I guess. :) The good news was that girls at that time seemed to be intrigued and strangely attracted to guys in that particular profession.
Good stuff!
See comment above! Lol
Thank you for your service and welcome home!
It made guys who did that job seem as romantic as old time cowboys...
It was the poles.
I was in the back of my parents car on a trip to Washington DC, and remember my Dad singing along. Honestly, I have never met anyone who does not like/love this song. It may just be the best song ever written.
this is such a beautiful song... glen's voice & the instruments are hauntingly beautiful... first heard this when my dad listening to this song... the intro got me instantly & fell in love with the song... this song always reminds me of my dad... this made me cry a bit... many thanx for featuring this song
I was a junior in high school and was stunned by the power and beauty of this song, Glen's passionate vocal, and the instrumental arrangement. Jimmy Webb's songwriting reputation was burgeoning and Wichita was another mark of his prowess. Wichita is easily in the top 5 of the best songs of the 60's. Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon are arguably the two best song writers of that era. One final note: Webb cleverly employs metaphor of the Lineman's trial with the love of his life noting the strain and fragility of their relationship ("and if it snows that stretch down south can never stand the strain"). The Lineman's love for her is everywhere such as "I can hear her through the whine." Thank you for showcasing this classic.
This song brings back so many memories of my childhood. My dad loved this song! All the elders of my family live on every time I hear this song. Great song choice.Thanks for playing this
Glad you enjoyed it
Glen was a monumental star in the 1960s and 1970s whose recordings crossed over frequently on to the pop chart and were huge hits (e.g., "Galveston", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" in the 1960s, "Summer Nights" and "Rhinestone Cowboy" in the 1970s). He was a highly skilled guitarist with an instantly identifiable voice who even performed for a time with the Beach Boys. "Wichita Lineman" is a classic of classics.
Thanks for doing this in Glen Campbell's honor. Great song. I'm 62 years old, and remember this well. Very kool for you to post this..thanks..
I was pre-K when Wichita Lineman came out, but Rhinestone Cowboy was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. I liked him acting with John Wayne in True Grit too.
GREAT STUFF!! I think I remember crying the 1st time I heard 'Wichita Lineman" when I was 12(?)! An ALL TIME CLASSIC!!!
I was in elementary school when this song was released. It brings back wonderful memories of my childhood, and a nostalgic tear to my eye.
I was 7, but my parents loved Glen...as I grew up I started to realize just how talented this man was. I remember watching him direct the orchestra as he played guitar and sang. A true artist!
To me, "Wichita Lineman" and Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" have the most beautiful instrumental music of all time.
Glen Campbell painted a picture with every song. His talent was massive and he will always be one of the greatest in my book.
I grew up to this song and his music. Born in 1969. Love him forever.
What a beautiful melody. Lyrics are great, too. An all time classic. I was eight years old, BTW. I watched the Glen Campbell Good Time Hour on Sunday night back then. Glen was so talented.
Thank you for playing Glen Campbell! So much to explore.! Legendary 🇺🇸🤠🥞
Search up the "wrecking crew" and you'll see that Glenn Campbell was one the most recorded artists of all time. That association of studio musicians did a lot of the most recogniseable music that we all remember from the 1960's. (the Beach Boys, etc.)
Glen was in True Grit with John Wayne. Had a song on the movie. One of the BEST guitarists EVER
My favorite movie of all time!
I was pure R&B and Funk growing up. When this song came out my Mother asked me to get her the 45 (aging myself here) and we would just sit together and listen to it. A great memory for me.
I do agree with a previous poster...
Mr. Campbell was a top notch guitar picker. Absolutely one of the best in country music and all genres.
he was Really Good at fretting, not just picking. I think only Charlie Parker could have pushed him. He's also an Alzheimer's Hero and guitar playing was the last thing to go
I love the strings in this. Nashville at that time seemed to be all into the orchestral stuff. This is my fave of Glenn's songs. I was in 7th grade, I think, when this song came out. Or maybe 6th grade.
I was five years old when this song was recorded. But, in our household we grew up listening to greats like Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Elvis Presley, Buck Owens, etc. Although I was young when many of their songs were recorded, they are etched in my mind and I sing along with them effortlessly.
Good stuff.
My all time favorite Glen Campbell song. Thanks for featuring it.
I was in elementary school. My family had the album, and it was in frequent rotation on the stereo along with Bobbie Gentry, Bobby Goldsboro, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Vicki Carr, Dean Martin, Roy Orbison, to name just a few.
I'm a 49 year old Black man, and that is a fine song
Welcome brother. Good to have you on board
I was in my car enjoying his song. Wow. Great song. 👍. Made my day. Life is good,, I was thinking. Thanks for the video.
I was a little kid and I could sing every song on this album because my Dad wore the vinyl out. This has been one of my favorite songs of all time. Annie Lennox (who is a GODDESS) loves this song too. Thanks for giving it a listen. ❤️🎶
I was a little girl and my Mother loved Glen Travis Campbell and she has this album still to this day. Every song on here is a Master piece !!!
I know this song from it being an AM radio staple. There was such a mix of different music on AM. That's why those of us who listened seem to like a lot of different styles. A lot of those radio hits were massive and Glenn was certainly a cross over star. I never knew he was a country music star until much later in my life.
Ditto! Your experience was my experience!!
Well said Mary! It exposed us to so many artists and genres.
Was in my twenties starting my adult life. Raised listening to Classical, African, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Soul, Salsa and loved the British Invasion. Oh, and let’s not forget Folk. Love all kinds of music. Glenn, John Denver, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Odetta, K.D.Lang, The Seekers, which I recently rediscovered. Great songs lovely melodies. All excellent vocalists. This younger generation doesn’t know what they’re missing.
PJ, this and two others songs were written by the great Jimmy Webb, knowing he wanted Glen to record.
Galveston (a young man leaving for the Vietnam War)
By the time I get to Phoenix
(Lineman - was very young. As with many songs, I would cry when I heard it. Never understood why music made me cry. I now understand…I was a very sad child and melodies would bring on the tears)
And Up, Up And Away by the 5th Dimension.
I am a huge Glen Campbell fan since my childhood years in the 60's. Ironically, after moving to Phoenix in 1999, I met Glen through my work in the golf business and saw him on many occasions. He was a genuinely nice man who learned a lot from some of his mistakes earlier in his life. His live shows really showcased his talents. He was an exceptional singer and musician. RIP, Glen, you will forever be an icon in the music industry.
I was in elementary school, and my mom played this album a lot. Great music.
When this song came out I was a 16 year in a country western show. Glen came up to me and said "Hi I'm Glen Campbell" as if I didn't know who he was. What a talent and Gentlema. So lucky to here him perform.
Glenn Campbell was a studio musician before he went solo...he was a part of the Wrecking Crew...the LA..sound behind the Beach Boys...but before that he was in Summer Wind by the chairman of the board..Frank Sinatra.
Gentle on My Mind..and Southern NIGHTS..are must hears! great.
Ps...he co starred side by side with John Wayne..True Grit.
One of the most beautiful love songs - ever! Yeah dude, I was a junior in high school in 1968, and there has never been a better writer of love songs than Jimmy Webb.
My first LP as a teenager. Finest album I've ever owned. Such beautiful orchestration, such a silky voice, takes ALL of us back to our country roots. 🥲
I really got on the Glen Campbell bandwagon in my early 40s, at present 53, and it just does something to me that brings forth all kinds of emotions, good and sad, but never bad. With the alzheimers diagnosis my heart broke cause he would not remember and continue to bring out those feelings with newer music that would give us older folk a tune that we could relate to as he got older. Thanks for giving Glen a listen and yessir you have heard a legend. God Bless to you and yours! LOL as to where I was, being born 10/03/68 you got to figure date and time!
“The Wichita Lineman is still on the Line.”
As nice a double entendre as there can be. Love it
He also did a great job in playing Texas Ranger Lebeuf (sp) in True Grit next to John Wayne. Truly one of the greatest western movies of all time.
Gentle on my mind is another great song! Love what you're doing!
Glen Campbell was popular with all groups of music lovers in this period. There are few if any that can play the guitar as he does. A well-rounded individual loved by all.