I Wrote a Simple Song
I Wrote A Simple Song | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 November 1971 (US) 14 January 1972 (UK) | |||
Recorded | February, August–September 1971 | |||
Studio | A&M (Hollywood) | |||
Genre | Soul, rock | |||
Length | 40:03 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Billy Preston | |||
Billy Preston chronology | ||||
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I Wrote a Simple Song is the sixth studio album by American soul musician Billy Preston. Released in November 1971, it was his first album for A&M Records and marked the start of a run of commercial success in the United States that lasted through to the late 1970s. The album includes the hit single "Outa-Space", which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1972. Preston included a live version of the instrumental "The Bus", as part of a medley with the Beatles' "Day Tripper", on his 1974 album Live European Tour.
Recording
[edit]I Wrote a Simple Song was Preston's first self-produced album.[1] Preston's friend George Harrison played lead guitar on most of the songs,[1] and supplied dobro accompaniment on the title track. The album continued Preston's inclusion of gospel-themed songs which had started with the 1967 album Club Meeting.
Reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The instrumental "Outa-Space" won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1973.[3]
Track listing
[edit]All songs by Billy Preston and Joe Greene, except where noted.
Side one
- "Should Have Known Better" – 2:28
- "I Wrote a Simple Song" – 3:28
- "John Henry" (Preston, Robert Sam) – 3:15
- "Without a Song" (William Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans) – 4:57
- "The Bus" – 3:32
Side two
- "Outa-Space" – 4:08
- "The Looner Tune" (Preston, Greene, Jesse Kirkland) – 2:47
- "You Done Got Older" (Preston, Bruce Fisher) – 3:08
- "Swing Down Chariot" (traditional; arranged by Preston and Greene) – 4:13
- "God Is Great" – 3:32
- "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (traditional) – 4:27
Personnel
[edit]- Billy Preston - vocals, piano, Hammond organ, keyboards
- David T. Walker - electric guitar
- George Harrison - guitar, Dobro
- Manuel Kellough - drums
- King Errisson - congas, percussion
- Rocky Peoples - tenor saxophone
- Carlos Garnette - trumpet
- Quincy Jones - string and horn arrangements
- Clydie King, Douglas Gibbs, Duane Rogers, Eugene Bryant, Jesse Kirkland, Merry Clayton, Myrna Matthews, Patrice Holloway, Sherrell Atwood, Venetta Fields - backing vocals
- Technical
- Roland Young - art direction
- Jim McCrary - photography
- Tommy Vicari - engineer
Charts
[edit]Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | |
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US | US R&B | ||
1972 | I Wrote a Simple Song | 32 | 9 |
Singles
[edit]Year | Single | Chart positions[4] | ||
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US | US R&B | US Dance | ||
1972 | "I Wrote a Simple Song" | 77 | — | — |
"Outa-Space" | 2 | 1 | — | |
"The Bus" | — | 43 | — |
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Valentine, Penny (January 22, 1972). "Billy Preston: I Wrote A Simple Song". Sounds. Retrieved June 27, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r67739/review
- ^ * 15th Grammy Awards
- ^ a b "Billy Preston: Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2018.