"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" is a song written by Glenn Martin and Dave Kirby, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in February 1970 as the first single from the album Charley Pride's 10th Album. The song was Pride's third number one in a row on the country charts. The single spent two weeks at number one and a total of 16 weeks on the country chart.[2]
| "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Charley Pride | ||||
| from the album Charley Pride's 10th Album | ||||
| B-side | "Things Are Looking Up" (U.S.) "Wings of a Dove" (Intl.) | |||
| Released | February 1970 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Countrypolitan[1] | |||
| Length | 2:13 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Glenn Martin Dave Kirby | |||
| Producer(s) | Jack Clement | |||
| Charley Pride singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
editThe narrator has left a toxic relationship with his wife/girlfriend and is hitchhiking along Route 66 on a cold and stormy day. He is hoping for a ride to San Antonio or Phoenix, but will be satisfied with any destination "as long as I can forget I've ever known her."
Background
editPride's manager, Jack D. Johnson, was given a demonstration tape of this song and rewrote it, changing the chords, lyrics, and arrangement to better fit his client, Charley Pride. Pride recorded and made this rewrite his third number-one hit. Jack did not take songwriter's credit, as he was working for the success of his client. Jack wrote other songs, including "Too Hard To Say I'm Sorry", also sung by Charley Pride, cowritten with Jack Clement.
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 56 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 70 |
Cover Versions
edit- Nancy Sinatra recorded a version of the song which was featured on the B-side of her 1971 single, "Hook And Ladder". The song was included on her 2009 digital only collection, Cherry Smiles – The Rare Singles.
- The song was also a popular part of the repertoire of legendary Texas musician and San Antonio native, Doug Sahm, who recorded it in 1973 for his album Doug Sahm and Band, then again in 1991 with his group, the Texas Tornados.
- Bengt Palmers wrote lyrics in Swedish, Kan ingen tala om för mig när tåget går? ("Can anybody tell me when the train departs"), allowing Siv-Inger Svensson to score a Svensktoppen hit for six weeks during 10 February – 17 March 1974 period, peaking at fourth place.[6]
- In 2008, Swedish dansband Drifters covered the song with these lyrics on the cover album Tycker om dig: Svängiga låtar från förr.
Popular culture
edit- In his live 1994 album from The Birchmere in Virginia titled "Night After Night", Jerry Jeff Walker tips his hat to Charley Pride with a riff on Sangria Wine " with the lines- "Is Anybody Goin to San Antone or Phoenix, Arizona? Anyplace is all right as long as I don't have to go to Waco."
References
edit- ^ "Explore the Sub-Genres and Evolution of Country Music". WNPT. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
Charley Pride's tracks during this time period are a great example of the genre [Countrypolitan]. His song, "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" opens with smooth up-tempo strings, the verse and chorus of the song are backed by melodic vocals. The lyrics are traditional country.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 276.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 239. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Charley Pride Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Charley Pride Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ Svensktoppen – 1974
 | This 1970s country song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |