"Walking the Floor Over You" is a country music song written by Ernest Tubb, recorded on April 26, 1941 in Fort Worth, Texas,[1] and released in the United States that year.[2]
| "Walking the Floor Over You" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Ernest Tubb | |
| B-side | "I'm Missing You" |
| Released | May 28, 1941 |
| Recorded | April 26, 1941[1] |
| Studio | Fort Worth, Texas[1] |
| Genre | Honky-tonk |
| Length | 2:37 |
| Label | Decca 5958[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Ernest Tubb |
| "Walking the Floor Over You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Pat Boone | ||||
| from the album Pat Boone's Golden Hits Featuring Speedy Gonzales | ||||
| A-side | "Spring Rain" | |||
| Released | 1960 | |||
| Recorded | 1960 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | Dot | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ernest Tubb | |||
| Pat Boone singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The original version included only Tubb's vocals and acoustic guitar accompanied by "Smitty" Smith on electric guitar. Tubb later re-recorded the song with his band, the Texas Troubadours.[2]
The original single became a hit, reaching the number-23 spot[3] in the charts in 1941 but eventually the song sold over a million copies. Critic David Vinopal called "Walking the Floor Over You" the first honky tonk song that launched the musical genre itself.[4] Tubb's version is heard on the soundtrack of the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter.[5]
In 1998, the 1941 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[6]
In 2022, the single was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[7]
Other recordings
editErnest Tubb himself re-recorded the song several times during his career, with those versions recorded in 1944, 1959, 1963, and 1977. Additionally, Tubb recorded another version with Merle Haggard in 1979; that version reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that fall.
- Bing Crosby recorded the song for Decca Records on May 27, 1942, with Bob Crosby's Bob Cats.[8]
- Georgia Gibbs recorded the song as "I'm Walking the Floor Over You" in 1957 and it charted briefly in the Billboard Hot 100 in the number-92 spot.
- Pat Boone recorded the song in 1959, and it had a modest success reaching number 44 in the Billboard Hot 100,[9] and #39 in the UK charts[10] in 1960.
- Patti Page included the song on her album Patti Page Sings Country And Western Golden Hits (1961)[11]
- Teresa Brewer included the song on her album Songs Everybody Knows (1961)[12]
- Glen Campbell included the song on his album Too Late to Worry – Too Blue to Cry (1963).
- Mississippi John Hurt performed a cover of the song in his recordings for the Library of Congress in 1963.[13]
- George Hamilton IV recorded the song for his album Mister Sincerity ..... A Tribute To Ernest Tubb (1965).[14]
- Brook Benton recorded the song for his album My Country in 1966.[15]
- Merle Haggard recorded the song for his album Strangers in 1965.
- Sandy Denny recorded the song during sessions for her album The North Star Grassman and the Ravens (1971).[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Decca matrix 93673. Walking the floor over you / Ernest Tubb". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
- ^ a b Allmusic entry for Walking the Floor Over You Retrieved 14 May 2012
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 423. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Vinopal, David. "Ernest Tubb Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
- ^ Ulaby, Neda (13 April 2022). "The Library of Congress adds 25 titles, including Alicia Keys and Ricky Martin". NPR. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "A Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 99.
- ^ British Hit Singles & Albums. London, UK: Guinness World Records Ltd. 2005. p. 74. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- ^ "Patti Page – Patti Page Sings Country And Western Golden Hits". Discogs.com. 1961. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Teresa Brewer With Chorus And Orchestra Directed By Dick Jacobs – Songs Everybody Knows". Discogs.com. 1961. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Mississippi John Hurt – D.C. Blues: The Library Of Congress Recordings, Volume 2". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ "George Hamilton IV – Mister Sincerity ..... A Tribute To Ernest Tubb". Discogs.com. 1965. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Brook Benton – My Country". Discogs.com. 1966. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ Clinton Heylin. No More Sad Refrains - The Life and Times of Sandy Denny. London, Helter Skelter, 2002. ISBN 1-900924-35-8 p138.
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