Crazy (Willie Nelson song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Crazy”
This album featured Patsy Cline's big hit "Crazy"
Single by Patsy Cline from the album Showcase With the Jordanaires
A-side	"Crazy"
B-side	"Who Can I Count On?"
Released	November 16, 1961
Format	45 rpm
Recorded	August 21, 1961[1]
Genre	Country
Length	02:41
Label	Decca
Writer(s)	Willie Nelson
Producer	Owen Bradley
Patsy Cline singles chronology
"I Fall to Pieces" "Crazy" "She's Got You"
Music video
"Crazy" at CMT.com

"Crazy" is a famous ballad composed by Willie Nelson. It has been recorded by several artists since its writing, most notably by Patsy Cline, whose version was a #2 country hit in 1962.^[2]

Contents 1 Patsy Cline version 2 LeAnn Rimes version 3 In the media 4 Notes 5 External links

[edit] Patsy Cline version

Nelson wrote the song in early 1961; at the time he was a journeyman singer-songwriter who had written several hits for other artists but had not yet had a significant recording of his own. Cline was already a country music superstar who was working to extend a string of hits. Nelson originally wrote the song for country singer Billy Walker, but Walker turned it down and Cline picked it as a follow up to her previous big hit "I Fall to Pieces". The song was released in late 1961 and immediately became another huge hit for Cline, eventually becoming one of her signature tunes, and its success helped launch Nelson as a performer as well as a songwriter. This song as sung by Patsy Cline is #85 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[3]

Musically the song is a jazz-pop ballad with country overtones. The complex melody suited Cline's vocal talent perfectly and widened the crossover audience she had established with her prior hits. The lyrics describe the singer's state of bemusement at the singer's own helpless love for the object of his affection.

According to the Ellis Nassour biography Patsy Cline, Nelson, who at that time was known as a struggling songwriter by the name of Hugh Nelson, was a regular at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Nashville's Music Row, where he frequented with friends Kris Kristofferson and Roger Miller, both unknown songwriters at that time. Nelson met Cline's husband, Charlie Dick, at the bar one evening and pitched the song to him. Dick took the track home and played it for Cline, who absolutely hated it at first because Nelson's demo "spoke" the lyrics to a faster tempo than what Cline later recorded as a ballad. Cline's producer, Owen Bradley, loved the song and arranged it as the ballad it was recorded as. Still recovering from a recent automobile accident that nearly took her life, Cline had difficulty reaching the high notes of the song at first due to her broken ribs, so she came back the next day to record the vocal, which she did in one take.

Loretta Lynn remembers the first time Cline performed it at the Grand Ole Opry on crutches, she received three standing ovations. Barbara Mandrell remembers Cline introducing the song to her audiences live in concert saying "I had a hit out called "I Fall to Pieces" and I was in a car wreck. Now I'm really worried because I have a new hit single out and its called "Crazy".

Willie Nelson stated on the 1993 documentary Remembering Patsy that Cline's version of "Crazy" was his favorite song of his that anybody had ever recorded because it "was a lot of magic."

Grammy Award winning country singer LeAnn Rimes performed this song at the White House for President George W. Bush and particularly for Laura Bush, who said it was one of her favorite songs. This cover has appeared on Rimes's self-titled album, her Greatest Hits, and her International CD: The Best of LeAnn Rimes.

Partly due to the genre-blending nature of the song, it has been covered by dozens of artists in several genres over the years. Notable versions include those performed by Linda Ronstadt, Julio Iglesias, Kenny Rogers, Dottie West, kidneythieves, LeAnn Rimes and The Waifs. (Rogers also wrote and recorded another song with the title "Crazy", which topped the charts in 1984 and shouldn't be confused with this one). Nelson himself has also recorded several versions of the song over the years; nevertheless the song remains inextricably linked with Cline.

Rolling Stone ranked it #85 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

VH1 ranked "Crazy" at #63 on its list 100 Greatest Songs of Rock'N Roll.

In 2007, the song was covered by English alternative band Apartment.

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society uses Patsy Cline's "Crazy" as an introduction.

[edit] LeAnn Rimes version

“Crazy”
Single by LeAnn Rimes from the album LeAnn Rimes
Released	1999
Format	CD, digital download
Recorded	1998
Genre	Country
Label	Curb
Writer(s)	Willie Nelson
Producer	Wilbur C. Rimes
LeAnn Rimes singles chronology
"Written in the Stars" (1999) "Crazy" (1999) "Big Deal" (1999)

Grammy Award winning country singer LeAnn Rimes is most noted for covering this song. She also performed this song at the White House for President George W. Bush and particularly for Laura Bush, who said it was one of her favorite songs. This cover has appeared on Rimes' self-titled album, her Greatest Hits, and her international CD: The Best of LeAnn Rimes.

[edit] In the media

• In 1992, Ross Perot used the song during his political campaign for president. ^[4]

• In 1999, National Public Radio included this song in the "NPR 100," in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century.

• A Willie Nelson version is played in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

• Important part of the plot in the 2005 movie C.R.A.Z.Y.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Listing of known covers of "Crazy"