Cotton Fields
"Cotton Fields" is a song written by Huddie Ledbetter, more commonly known as Lead Belly. It has been covered by Bill Monroe, Harry Belafonte (1958), The Highwaymen (1961), Johnny Cash (1962), Buck Owens (1963), Odetta (1963), Unit 4+2 (1965), The Robert De Cormier Singers (1966), The Beach Boys (1969-1970), Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969), Frantic Flintstones, and Buckwheat Zydeco (1994).
The song mentions that the fields are "down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana". This is geographically impossible.
Beach Boys version
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"Cotton Fields" was covered by the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 under the title of "Cottonfields" with Al Jardine on lead vocals. The song was recorded on November 18, 1968.
Dissatisfied with Brian Wilson's arrangement, Al Jardine later led the group to record a more folk-rock style version. The remake was recorded on August 15,1969 with Orville "Red" Rhodes on steel pedal guitar. Released as the renamed "Cottonfields", this remake, while not a hit in the U.S., was a top ten song around the world in the Spring and Summer of 1970. It was the group's last single for Capitol Records and the last released in mono. Because of its popularity, it was placed on the international release of the group's Sunflower album.
Details
- Album: 20/20
- Time: 2 min 21 sec (album version)
- Time: 3 min 05 sec (single version)
- Produced by: The Beach Boys
Performers
- Al Jardine: Lead Vocals
See also
Cover versions
- Odetta on her 1963 album One Grain Of Sand
- The Beach Boys on their (1969) album 20/20 under the title of "Cotton Fields" and a (1970) single and on their international issue of Sunflower under the title of "Cottonfields".
- Creedence Clearwater Revival on their (1969) album Willy and the Poor Boys
- The Pogues on their (1989) album Peace and Love (while this version references the original in its lyrics, the song itself is not a cover per se)
- Harry Dean Stanton, in once scene of the film Cool Hand Luke, plays a sped-up version.