"Carolina in the Pines" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Michael Martin Murphey. It was released in August 1975 as the second and final single from the album Blue Sky - Night Thunder. It peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and number 25 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart in late 1975.[1] The song was re-recorded with John McEuen on banjo and released in May 1985 from his compilation album The Best of Michael Martin Murphey. The re-release peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 11 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart in mid-1985. Bluegrass band The Special Consensus recorded the song on their 2002 album, Route 10.
| "Carolina in the Pines" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Michael Murphey | ||||
| from the album Blue Sky – Night Thunder | ||||
| B-side | "Without My Lady There" | |||
| Released | August 4, 1975 (original release) May 6, 1985 (re-release) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Murphey | |||
| Producer(s) | Bob Johnston | |||
| Michael Murphey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
edit"Carolina in the Pines" addresses Martin's wife whose actual name was Caroline: "I tried to write a love song about my wife without trying to relegate her to a secondary position as a supporter of me. I tried to make it about her as an individual. That's what [she and I] try to do in life."[2] Caroline Hogue was the second of Murphey's five wives: the couple had married in 1973 and would divorce in 1978.
Critical reception
editBillboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it "a countryish tune in a distinct John Denver vein."[3]
Personnel
edit- Michael Murphey – vocals
- Jac Murphy – piano
- John McEuen - banjo
Chart performance
editOriginal release
edit| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 4 |
Re-release
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 9 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 11 |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Daily News: 16. July 6, 1975.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Billboard, August 16, 1975
- ^ "Michael Martin Murphey Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.