Written by Kris Kristopherson and recorded by, well, just about everyone.

Sammi Smith’s version was a huge hit for her on the Country, Pop, and Easy Listening charts as well as being a hit in Europe and Canada.

“I’d be a legend in my time”, as opposed to me, who is a legend in my own mind.

Song by Tommy Duncan with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Duncan was better known as a blues singer before he joined Wills’ band which was better known for Texas Swing. In fact Wills pretty much invented Texas Swing.

From 1936, “Trouble in Mind”.

Charlie Pride “The Easy Parts Over Now”. I can’t quite explain the video with the song, in fact I can’t even start to explain it. Fortunately you don’t need the video to enjoy the song.

Music for a rainy crappy Wednesday from one of the richest voices in country music. His career started in the 1940s and he’s still singing today.

Larry Gatlin composed and recorded it.

In 1976 Elvis Presley recorded it,

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Then in the 2000′s, because it’s easily rewritten for singers of either gender, Amber Digby recorded it.

Same song, three different artists, three different arrangements.  Larry Gatlin wrote it and performed it in a very much country (but not Nashville) style. Elvis was not noted as a country singer, yet here is an unarguably country song done in very much the Nashville style. Finally, Amber Digby covered it in country – honky tonk style with Texas fiddle and Steel Guitar.

More and more I’m convinced that what musical genre a song belongs to depends much more on how it is arranged and produced than what the lyrics or even original score are.

Jack Greene

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Over 30 albums (or whatever we call them these day), including one being released this month, more hit singles than you can count, almost as many awards and yet she’s not in the Country Music Hall of Fame. What’s up with that? She’s still performing, still recording.

Here is her first #1 Country hit, which also set the still standing record for most weeks at #1 by a female country artist.

“Once A Day”, written by the great Bill Anderson and sung by the great Connie Smith,

And a later version, which I think shows how her voice matured over the years.

And finally, a different song. Also written by Bill Anderson with Bette Anderson, it reached #5 on the Billboard top C0untry charts in 1965. “I can’t remember”.

In search of material to post and trying to get back to posting some of the country music I like. I’m going to try to post something every Wednesday.