The Champs--Tequila (1958)

     The Champs were not even a group. They came together as a studio backup group to Dave Burgess, who had recorded the A side, ("Train to Nowhere") with the The Daniel Flores trio. There was some studio time, and it was during that time that the group came up with an impromptu riff that was developed into a song. This song was put on the "B" side of the record, and soon after it's release became a hit on Gene Autry's, Challenge Records. 
     Wanting to capitalize on the success of the record, they took the name "The Champions" (named after  Gene Autry's horse), then shortened to "The Champs". As the new band hit the road things did not jell, and some changes were soon made to the group, with Jimmy Seals (sax) and Dash Crofts (drums) being added to the mix. Both stayed with the group for a few years, and later made a name for themselves as the 70's soft rock group, Seals & Crofts.
     The song shot up to #1 for five weeks in the spring of 1958, and although hitting the charts 7 more times, with three of them reaching the top 10, nothing compared to the success of  "Tequila!". The group folded in 1965 for good, but not before having Glen Campbell, and for a very short time Delaney Bramlett  passing through.  

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Music Review: Glen Campbell--Ghost on the Canvas (2011)

Take this link to my review of this CD: www.associatedcontent.com/article/8725163/music_review_glen_campbellghost_on.html?cat=37

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Glen Campbell--Rhinestone Cowboy (1975)

     One of the things that can happen as one gets older is something I call generational arrogance. It's usually caused by an assumption that just because people of my age group knows something, that everyone (including anyone younger than us) ought to know it too. However after running into a few people who had no idea who he was, I found myself surprised that after over 250 blogs this year, that this song hadn't come up on my list of things to do. After just releasing his highly acclaimed album just a few weeks ago and heading off into retirement, it's time to remind folks that at one time, there wasn't a singer who was hotter on the pop or country charts than Glen Campbell

      I don't want to write a bio about him, but let's go over a few things that you might not know. First of all, he moved to California from Arkansas in the late 50's to be a guitar player and session man. He can first be heard on the 1959 hits, "Tequila" by the Champs. His distinctive guitar style moved him up quickly and soon became part of a group of  top session players called "The Wrecking Crew" who performed on a number of "A" list performers. He replaced Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys on the 1964/65 tour after Wilson had a nervous breakdown and retired from performing on stage. In fact, Glen was invited to join the Boys, but turned the opportunity down which eventually went to Brian Johnston.

      He had a few solo releases in the early/mid 60's, but it was his breakthrough single, "Gentle On My Mind" that put him on the map. It was his later hits, "By the Time I Get To Phoenix, Galveston, and Wichita Lineman, all written by Jimmy Webb that pushed him into superstar territory. He had his own television show for several years as well. Campbell's last burst on the pop charts was in the middle 70's, when several songs reached the top 10. The first one of those, become somewhat of a signature song.

      Larry Weiss wrote Rhinestone Cowboy and recorded it on his own album, "Black and Blue" in 1974. His version didn't make a dent, however a cover version later that year by Neil Diamond saw some action on the Adult Contemporary charts. Campbell first heard the song while on tour and was very impressed, as were the folks of Capitol. He would have another #1 within a year ("Southern Nights") and would have success on the country charts all the way up to the mid-80's.

 
   
 

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The Songs of Jimmy Webb...

     The late 60's belonged to Jimmy Webb. 

      His first big break was when Johnny Rivers signed him to a publishing deal and recorded his song, "By the time I get to Phoenix" in 1966. The next year Rivers was producing an album for a new group called The Fifth Dimension and turned to Webb for some songs. One of them became a breakthrough hit for the group and was the first real success for Jimmy. Later that year, Glen Campbell covered "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and was a hit for Campbell and has become a musical standard and began a long and fruitful musical relationship between the two.

     1968 was the year that propelled Webb into the rare status of a songwriting superstar. MacArthur Park and Wichita Lineman were great songs which earned him Grammy awards to add to the 8 that he won the year before. Lineman especially is an amazing piece of work with one of my favorite lines in a song ("I need you more than want you/and I want you for all time..."). It also established Glen Campbell as the best interpreter of his music. The hit Galveston in 1969 solidified that position.

     The following years never reached those dizzying heights although Webb has continued to win awards, write songs, and had also recorded a group of albums that have had great critical (if not chart) success over the last 45 years. Almost all songwriters in the rock era have reached star status for the interpretation of their own music. Webb has achieved superstar status solely on his writing ability....

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