Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987)

Gene Watson: 'Honky Tonk Crazy' (Epic Records, 1987)

‘Honky Tonk Crazy’
Epic Records FE-40644 (1987)

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was released by Epic Records in March 1987.


Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) discography information is presented on the Gene Watson Fan Site for educational purposes only and no infringement of copyright is intended.


About Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’…

Overview
Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was produced by legendary country music producer Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015), a man who had been at the control desk of many an album project for fellow country music artist George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013).

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was intended to be a Gene Watson / George Jones duets project and was the only Gene Watson album which was produced by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015).

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) yielded a hit single on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1987; the title track reached No.43 in 1987, and the ‘B’ side of the single was ‘Starting New Memories’.

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was intended to be a duets album with George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013).

This collaboration between Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) didn’t happen, due to either time constraints or legal entanglements, or both.

Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) did record a Christmas standard together, ‘Silver Bells’, which was included on ‘Nashville Christmas Album’ (Sony Music, 1991).

Speaking of Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recording together, there had been plans for them to record the song ‘Too Gone Too Long’ for their proposed duets album.



However, when it appeared that this project was not going to happen, the track was offered instead to Randy Travis, who turned his performance of the song into one of his biggest hits: ‘Too Gone Too Long’ was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in March 1988′.


Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was produced by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015) and was recorded at Eleven Eleven Sound, Nashville (Recording Engineer: Ron ‘Snake’ Reynolds); the Assistant Engineer was Ed Hudson.

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) was mastered by M.C. Rather at Custom Mastering, Nashville.

Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) reached No.54 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1987.


‘Honky Tonk Crazy’
Epic Records FE40644 (1987)


1 ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’
Writers: Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002) and Ron Peterson
Publishers: BMI
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)


2 ‘Her Heart Or Mine’
Writers: Don Reid and Harold Reid (Monday 21 August 1939 – Friday 24 April 2020) (The Statler Brothers)
Publishers: BMI
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)



The Statler Brothers
 recorded ‘Her Heart Or Mine’, which was written by Don Reid and Harold Reid (Monday 21 August 1939 – Friday 24 April 2020), and included the track on ‘Pardners In Rhyme’ (Mercury Records, 1985).


3 ‘I Didn’t Think of You At All’
Writer: Roger Brown
Publishers: ASCAP
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)



Gene Watson re-recorded ‘I Didn’t Think of You At All’ (written by Roger Brown) and included the track on ‘Gene Watson: Then & Now‘ (Koch Records Nashville, 2005).


4 ‘Getting Used To Being Loved Again’
Writers: Eugene David Dobbins (Monday 19 March 1934 – Sunday 23 November 2008) and Glenn Ray (1938 – Thursday 11 June 2020)
Publishers: ASCAP / SESAC
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)

Various Artists: 'I Love Country Ballads' (CBS Records, 1989)

Gene Watson’s recording of ‘Getting Used To Being Loved Again’, which was written by Eugene David Dobbins (Monday 19 March 1934 – Sunday 23 November 2008) and Glenn Ray (1938 – Thursday 11 June 2020), was also included on ‘I Love Country Ballads’ (CBS Records, 1989), a various artists compilation.


5 ‘Nobody’s Baby Tonight’
Writer: M. Buckins
Publishers: BMI
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)


6 ‘I Always Get It Right With You’
Writers: Joe Allen and Charlie Williams (Friday 20 December 1929 – Thursday 15 October 1992)
Publishers: ASCAP / BMI
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)


7 ‘When She Touches Me’
Writers: Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 – Friday 19 August 2022) and Mike McGuire
Publishers: ASCAP
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)


8 ‘Ashes To Ashes’
Writers: Joe Chambers (passed away on Wednesday 28 September 2022), Larry Jenkins and Mark Sherrill
Publishers: ASCAP
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)

Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Ashes To Ashes’, which was written by Joe Chambers (passed away on Wednesday 28 September 2022), Larry Jenkins and Mark Sherrill, and included the track on ‘Real.Country.Music‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2016).


9 ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’
Writers: Troy Seals and Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 – Sunday 11 January 2004)
Publishers: ASCAP / BMI
Arranged by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)

The Marcy Brothers (Kris, Kevin and Kendal Marcy): 'The Marcy Brothers' (Atlantic Records, 1991)

The Marcy Brothers (Kris, Kevin and Kendal Marcy) recorded ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’, which was written by Troy Seals and Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 – Sunday 11 January 2004), and included the track on ‘The Marcy Brothers’ (Atlantic Records, 1991).



Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’, which was written by Troy Seals and Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 – Sunday 11 January 2004), and included the track on ‘Gene Watson: Then & Now‘ (Koch Records Nashville, 2005).


10 ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’
Writers: Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985)
Publishers: BMI
Arranged by Jack Smith

Patsy Cline: 'A Portrait of Patsy Cline' (United States: Decca Records, 1964 / United Kingdom: Brunswick Records, 1964 / Australia/New Zealand: Festival Records, 1964)

Between Thursday 24 August 1961 and Thursday 7 February 1963, Patsy Cline (Thursday 8 September 1932 – Tuesday 5 March 1963) recorded ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’ as ‘You Took Him Off My Hands’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985); the track was subsequently included on Patsy Cline’s ‘A Portrait of Patsy Cline’ (United States: Decca Records, 1964 / United Kingdom: Brunswick Records, 1964 / Australia/New Zealand: Festival Records, 1964).

In 1973, Patsy Cline’s ‘A Portrait of Patsy Cline’ (United States: Decca Records, 1964 / United Kingdom: Brunswick Records, 1964 / Australia/New Zealand: Festival Records, 1964) was re-issued by MCA Records (Decca Records’ successor), then digitally re-mastered and re-issued on CD, LP and cassette in 1988.

Roy Linwood Clark (Saturday 15 April 1933 – Thursday 15 November 2018) recorded ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985), and included the track on ‘Tips of My Fingers’ (Capitol Records, 1963).

Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985) recorded ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart, and included the track on ‘The Songs of Wynn Stewart’ (Capitol Records, 1965).

Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985), and included the track on ‘Burning Memories’ (Columbia Records, 1965).

Justin Trevino recorded ‘You Took Her Off My Hands’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002), Skeets McDonald (Friday 1 October 1915 – Sunday 31 March 1968) and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985), and included the track on ‘Live At London Dance Hall’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2015).


• Read a Country Music People review of Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987)

The review, which was written by Bob Powell, was published in the June 1987 issue of the United Kingdom monthly publication Country Music People.




‘Honky Tonk Crazy’
Epic Records FE40644 (1987)

Personnel involved in the recording of Gene Watson’s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy’ (Epic Records, 1987) included the following:

Billy Sanford and Dale Sellers (guitar)
Bobby Wood (keyboards)
Weldon Myrick (Monday 10 April 1939 – Monday 2 June 2014) (steel guitar)
Mark O’Connor (fiddle)
Kenneth Malone (Thursday 4 August 1938 – Thursday 26 August 2021) (drums)
Robert Wray and Henry Strzelecki (Tuesday 8 August 1939 – Monday 29 December 2014) (bass)
Jerry Kennedy (lead guitar)
Terry McMillan (Monday 12 October 1953 – Friday 2 February 2007) (harmonica)
Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (Tuesday 18 January 1938 – Sunday 30 January 2022) (piano)
Hurshel Wayne Wiginton (Saturday 29 January 1938 – Monday 6 March 2017), Wendy Suits, Diane Tidwell and Louis Nunley (Thursday 15 October 1931 – Friday 26 October 2012) (background Vocals)