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Wichita Lineman

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This article is about the song. For the album, see Wichita Lineman (album). For the horse, see Wichita Lineman (horse).

"Wichita Lineman"
Song
B-side"Fate of Man"

"Wichita Lineman" is a song written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1968. It was first recorded by American country music artist Glen Campbell with backing from members of The Wrecking Crew[1] and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks. In addition, the song also topped the American country music chart for two weeks, and the adult contemporary chart for six weeks.[2] It was certified gold by the RIAA in January 1969.[3] The song reached #7 in the UK. In Canada, the single also topped both the RPM national and country singles charts.[4][5]

In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" ranked "Wichita Lineman" at #195.[6] It has been referred to as "the first existential country song".[7] British music journalist Stuart Maconie called it "the greatest pop song ever composed";[8] and the BBC referred to it as "one of those rare songs that seems somehow to exist in a world of its own – not just timeless but ultimately outside of modern music".[9]

"Wichita Lineman" was featured in series 12 of BBC Radio 4's Soul Music, a documentary series featuring stories behind pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.[10]

Background and content

Jimmy Webb's inspiration for the lyric came while driving through Washita County in rural southwestern Oklahoma. At that time, many telephone companies were county-owned utilities, and their linemen were county employees. Heading westward on a straight road (arguably Country Road 152) into the setting sun, Webb drove past a seemingly endless line of telephone poles, each looking exactly the same as the last. Then, in the distance, he noticed the silhouette of a solitary lineman atop a pole. He described it as "the picture of loneliness". Webb then "put himself atop that pole and put that phone in his hand" as he considered what the lineman was saying into the receiver.[11] Glen Campbell added in a statement to the Dallas Observer that Webb wrote the song about his first love affair with a woman who married someone else.[11]

The musicians used on the recording included Campbell, Al Casey and James Burton (guitar), Carol Kaye (bass), Jim Gordon (drums), Jimmy Webb and Al De Lory (piano).[12] The orchestral arrangements were by De Lory.[13][14]

The lyrics describe the loneliness that a telephone or electric power lineman feels while he works and his longing for an absent lover.[15]

The phrase "singing in the wire" can refer to the sonic vibration commonly induced by wind blowing across small wires and conductors, making these lines whistle or whine like an aeolian harp.[citation needed] It could also, or even simultaneously, refer to the sounds that a lineman might hear when attaching a telephone earpiece to a long stretch of raw telephone or telegraph line, i.e., without typical line equalisation and filtering.[16] In the recording, a notable feature of the orchestral arrangement is the effort of the violins and keyboards to mimic these ethereal sounds and morse code, and the lyric "I can hear you through the whine" further alludes to them.[citation needed]

Structure

The song consists of two verses, each divided into two parts. The first part is in the key of F major, while the second is written in D major. D represents the relative minor position to F, so a D minor (as opposed to major) section would be expected. The fact that it is nevertheless set in D major arguably contributes to the unique and appealing character of the song.

The lyrics follow the key dichotomy, with the first part of each verse (F major) handling issues related to a lineman's job (e.g. "searching for another overload", "if it snows, that stretch down South won't ever stand the strain", whereas the second part (D major) dwells on the lineman's romantic thoughts. Set off against the F major of the first part, the D major of the second part sounds distinctively mellow, which is consistent with its content.

Cover versions

Many adult MOR ("middle of the road") artists, including Tom Jones, Johnny Mathis, Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, Bobby Goldsboro, and Engelbert Humperdinck, have covered the song, most of them shortly after the original version was a hit. There were also many instrumental versions, including a notable one by José Feliciano. The song has also been covered by The Meters, These Animal Men, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Kool & The Gang, Urge Overkill, Naked Prey, Freedy Johnston, Optiganally Yours, Dennis Brown, Shawn Lee, Scud Mountain Boys, Blueground Undergrass, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, James Taylor, R.E.M., The Clouds, Earl Van Dyke, King Harvest, Friends of Dean Martinez, Johnny Cash, B.E.F., Hussey-Regan, Stray Dog, Cassandra Wilson and Torun Eriksen. Jazz pianist Alan Pasqua developed an arrangement of the song for jazz trio that appears on his album My New Old Friend and Peter Erskine's album The Interlochen Concert.

Other covers of the song include Wade Hayes, who released a version in August 1997[17] that peaked at number 55 on the U.S. country music charts. It was to have been included on an album entitled Tore Up from the Floor Up, but due to its poor chart performance, the album was delayed. That album was finally released in 1998 as When the Wrong One Loves You Right, with the "Wichita Lineman" cover excluded.[18] A stripped-down version of the song also appears on Villagers 2016 album "Where Have You Been All My Life" with a simple piano accompaniment. A German cover version was Thomas Fritsch's "Der Draht in der Sonne" (English: the wire in the sun), also sung by Katja Ebstein.[19]

A song by The KLF called "Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard" appeared on Chill Out (1990) with reference to the track.

Country band Restless Heart recorded and released "Wichita Lineman" on February 29, 2016 to country radio. A video is also scheduled to release.

Chart performance and sales

Chart successions

Preceded by US Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single
(Glen Campbell version)
14 December 1968 (6 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by US Billboard Hot Country Singles
number-one single
21 – 28 December 1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Canadian RPM 100
number-one single
16–23 December 1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Canadian RPM Country Tracks
number-one single
13 – 20 January 1969 		Succeeded by
"I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am"
by Merle Haggard

References

  1. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin’s Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 43.
  3. ^ RIAA searchable database
  4. ^ The RPM 100, Library and Archives Canada, December 16, 1968
  5. ^ RPM Country Chart, Library and Archives Canada, January 13, 1969
  6. ^ "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  7. ^ Dylan Jones: If You Ask Me
  8. ^ Maconie, Stuart (2004). Cider With Roadies (1st ed.). London: Random House. p. 303. ISBN 0-09-189115-9.
  9. ^ "Wichita Lineman". BBC Radio 2. April 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Soul Music - Wichita Lineman". BBC Radio 4. August 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  11. ^ a b Robert Wilonsky (2 November 2006). "Power Lines : Jimmy Webb wrote one of the greatest songs ever. Just don't tell him that". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  12. ^ "Phonograph Recording Contract" (PDF). American Federation of Musicians. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  13. ^ Betts, Stephen L. (26 February 2016). "Hear Restless Heart's Shimmering Tribute to Glen Campbell". Rolling Stone. New York City. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  14. ^ Cole, George (30 September 2010). "Elton John, the Beach Boys and the fine art of pop alchemy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  15. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (26 August 2011). "Glen Campbell: One last love song". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  16. ^ What to do if you hear radio communications on your telephone, Missouri Public Service Commission
  17. ^ "Wichita Lineman by Wade Hayes". CMT. 26 August 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Wade Hayes' "Wrong" Is Just Right for Him". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 28 November 1997. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  19. ^ Discover the Original: Der Draht in der Sonne, coverinfo.de
  20. ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 12 February 1969". Poparchives.com.au. 12 February 1969. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  21. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  22. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  23. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  24. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  25. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
General
  • The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
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