Post date: Jun 29, 2012 10:6:19 PM
Here is my favorite version of the oft-recorded Don Gibson standard 'Sweet Dreams'.
The Tommy McLain treatment.
He had more success on the pop charts than any of the other recorders of the tune apparently.
McLain is quite the versatile dude and he's got staying power. According to Wikipedia he is still at it.
God bless Tommy McLain for the musical joy he is bringing into our what is naturally in-accordance-with-all-good-music our beautiful world.
All we have to do to make the beauty work is arrest the war-mongering fascists. Get the fascists to fuck off the street.
Here is the wiki on Tommy:
Tommy McLain (born 15 March 1940, Jonesville, Louisiana)[1] is an American swamp pop musician, best known as a singer but who also plays keyboards, drums, bass guitar, and fiddle.
Career
McLain first began performing in the 1950s, along with country singer Clint West. The two were both members of The Vel-Tones in the late 1950s and The Boogie Kings in the 1960s, and they recorded a duet, "Try to Find Another Man", in 1965. He also performed on Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars in the 1960s and DJed at Louisiana radio station, KREH. McLain's greatest fame was with his recording of the song "Sweet Dreams", which hit #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.[2] It reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart the same year.[3]
He also wrote Freddy Fender's hit single, "If You Don't Love Me Alone (Leave Me Alone)". McLain appears along with the Mule Train Band in the Paul Newman film, The Drowning Pool.[1] McLain continues to perform in the American Deep south with his backing group the Mule Train Band.[1]
In October 2007, McLain was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[4]
Currently Mclain is working on a new album with Larry Lange and his Lonley Knights Backing him up.
That article is here.
Now, also from Wikipedia, regarding the big tune:
"Sweet Dreams" or "Sweet Dreams (of You)" is a country ballad, which was written by Don Gibson. Gibson originally recorded the song in 1956; his version hit the top ten of Billboard's country chart, but was eclipsed by the success of a competing version by Faron Young. In 1960, after Gibson had established himself as a country music superstar, he released a new version as a single. This version also charted in the top ten on the country chart[1] and also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number ninety-three. The song has become a country standard, with other notable versions by Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris.
[....]
Other versions
The version to experience the most success on Billboard's pop charts is the one recorded by Tommy McLain. This version, released as a single in 1966, is the only one to have entered the top forty. It peaked at number fifteen.[2] Another notable version, by Emmylou Harris, is the most successful version on Billboard's country charts to date. It peaked at number one in 1976. The song was also featured on the Tammy Wynette record D-I-V-O-R-C-E.[3]
For more go here.