Abilene (song)
| "Abilene" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Hamilton IV | ||||
| from the album Abilene | ||||
| B-side | "Oh So Many Years"[1] | |||
| Released | May 1963 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Writer(s) |
Bob Gibson John D. Loudermilk | |||
| Producer(s) | Chet Atkins | |||
| George Hamilton IV singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Abilene is a song written by Bob Gibson, Albert Stanton, Lester Brown and John D. Loudermilk,[2] and recorded by American country music artist George Hamilton IV. It is very similar to Cocaine Blues.The song reached number one on the U.S. country music chart for four weeks, and peaked at number 15 on the pop music charts. George Hamilton IV performed "Abilene" in the 1963 movie Hootenanny Hoot.
Background and writing
Bob Gibson was inspired to write the song after watching the Randolph Scott film, Abilene Town. The setting for the film is Abilene, Kansas, the railhead town at the end of the Chisholm Trail. Gibson said the song had often been erroneously thought to be about Abilene, Texas, named for the Kansas cowtown that had been established 24 years earlier but a much larger city.
Chart performance
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [3] | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 4 |
| Preceded by "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single September 14-October 5, 1963 |
Succeeded by "Talk Back Trembling Lips" by Ernest Ashworth |
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ↑ "Abilene," BMI Repertoire website
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 273.