Right or Wrong (Wanda Jackson song)

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"Right or Wrong"
Single by Wanda Jackson
from the album Right or Wrong
B-side"Funnel of Love"[1]
ReleasedApril 1961
RecordedOctober 28, 1960
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.[2]
GenreCountry, Nashville Sound
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Wanda Jackson
Producer(s)Ken Nelson
Wanda Jackson singles chronology
"Little Charm Bracelet"
(1961) 		"Right or Wrong"
(1961) 		"In the Middle of a Heartache"
(1961)

"Right or Wrong" or "Right or Wrong (I'll Be with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Wanda Jackson, an American country, rock, and Christian music artist. Originally, the song was a major country and pop hit for Jackson in 1961. A second version was released in 1964 that became popular by American pop artist, Ronnie Dove.

Wanda Jackson version[edit]

The song was recorded at the Bradley Film and Recording Studio on October 28, 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States and was produced by Ken Nelson. It was one of Jackson's first recording sessions in Nashville.[2] "Right or Wrong" was officially issued as a single in April 1961, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country and Western Sides chart. It also reached number twenty nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her second top-forty single on that list. Thirdly, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, her first entry on to the chart. "Right or Wrong" became the second top-ten country single of Jackson's career.[3]

"Right or Wrong" is associated with Wanda Jackson's "comeback" into mainstream country music. After a series of rock and roll-styled singles during the late 1950s, Jackson ultimately reverted to country and claimed to have lost her "rock" audience. She explained her reasoning to this switch in the book, Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music, stating, "Then country music began comin' back, and I had written a ballad called 'Right or Wrong' and it became a big hit...I think that when I went back to country I lost my rock and roll fans."[4]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Australia Top 100 Singles (Kent Music Report)[5] 33
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 29
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] 9
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 9

Ronnie Dove version[edit]

"Right or Wrong"
Single by Ronnie Dove
from the album Right or Wrong
B-side"Baby, Put Your Arms Around Me"
ReleasedOctober 1964
RecordedSeptember 1964
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.[9]
GenrePop
LabelDiamond
Lyricist(s)Wanda Jackson
Producer(s)Phil Kahl, Ray Vernon
Ronnie Dove singles chronology
"Say You"
(1964) 		"Right or Wrong"
(1964) 		"Hello Pretty Girl"
(1964)

In 1964, American performer Ronnie Dove recorded a cover of Jackson's composition. The song was recorded at the RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in September 1964.[9]

According to Ronnie, Elvis Presley sat in on the session and advised him to add the high note at the end of the song.[10]

Dove's version was officially released as a single in October 1964 and it peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song became Dove's first major hit as a recording artist, leading to a string of successful top-twenty hits on the Hot 100 during the 1960s.[3]

The song also became a surprise R&B hit, making it in the top five of Cashbox's R&B chart. It was his only charting record on the R&B chart.

He re-recorded the song in 1976 for Melodyland Records.

Charts[edit]

Chart (1964) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 14
U.S. Cashbox R&B[11] 4

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Wanda Jackson Full Discography" (PDF). Wanda Jackson Official Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Wanda Jackson discography, part one". Praguefrank's Country Music. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  3. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 440. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
  4. ^ Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press. 2002. pp. 201–04. ISBN 0-8265-1432-4.
  5. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
  6. ^ "Wanda Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Wanda Jackson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "Wanda Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Ronnie Dove discography". Praguefrank's Country Discographies. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Retro Baltimore: '60s pop star Ronnie Dove still in love with music — and his fans still in love with him". 16 September 2021.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 170.
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