Song:Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
Album:42 Ultimate Hits
Most music fans are familiar with Kenny Rogers' country pop crossover hits of the 70s and 80s. But he had success before that as Kenny Rogers & The First Edition and he had been around music for several years before that. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town was one of two big hit by The First Edition. He was born Aug. 21, 1938 in Houston. He started out in the mid-50s with the doo wop group The Scholars. They released one single and split up when the lead singer went solo. As Kenneth Rogers, he released the 1958 single That Crazy Feeling on Carlton Records. It was a regional hit. He was a member of the jazz group The Bobby Doyle Trio for several years. They recorded albums for Columbia. After they split up in 1965, Rogers recorded a failed single for Mercury Records. In 1966, he joined The New Christy Minstrels. They were very successful in the early 60s with the hit Green, Green. A lot of guys went through that group. By the time Rogers joined, they weren't popular anymore. Rogers left after a year and took with him Mike Settle, Terry Williams and Thelma Lou Camacho and added drummer Mickey Jones to form The First Edition. They signed with Reprise Records and their first single Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. This song was standard psychedelic folk rock of the era. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. It was more typical of the kind of country music that Rogers would have success with later. The song was written by country music legend Mel Tillis and was a top ten country hit for Johnny Darrell in 1967. Kenny Rogers & The First Edition continued to record but weren't as successful and split up after Rogers left in 1974. They even had their own TV show. Of course Rogers reinvented himself as a country singer in 1977 and had a long run of hits through the 80s. This 2CD comp covers Rogers' entire career. Mike Settle became musical director of The Limeliters and has had a long career as a songwriter with over a hundred songs published including the BMI Award winner But You Know I Love You. Here's Kenny Rogers & The First Edition performing Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town 1969.
No comments:
Post a Comment