Discussion of the Week: the first GC song you ever heard?

[Dee]

I loved reading everyone's posts here. Let's keep this discussion going!

As they say, songs make up the soundtrack of our lives--just as goodtimemattie shared about "Gentle" and "Galveston"!
Your shared memories are appreciated...I can't remember the first GC song that I ever heard!
It had to have been on the Smothers Brothers Comedy show in early 1968 because I remember watching that show and also being clueless about the meanings of Tommy and Dick and Pat Paulsen's political jokes and their political skits!
I do remember the announcement by the Brothers that Glen would be hosting their summer replacement show. So, I started watching the summer show right off the bat! And recording a few songs on a little reel-to-reel tape recorder, holding the mic up to the speaker of my family's one and only tv.

[goodtimemattie]

Not for sure-but I think it was "Gentle"-and I listened to that because it was "country"-then I had my first "crush" and I remember it because my boyfriend loved to joke around and change the lyrics around to something silly like "Its knowin' that yer door is halfway open and yer furniture is gone". Later on "Galveston" became my fave because this first boyfriend was from Texas and had to move back there with his family-and so hearing "Galveston" meant that this young, naive high school sophomore was missing her Texas lover-LOL!

Today-"True Grit" brings the emotions-knowing how Glen has fought this fight and proven that HE is "a man with True Grit"-

[Cowpoke]

Great question Randy. It's too bad I don't have a clue concerning the answer! My impression is that Glen's adam's apple is totally relaxed while he is singing (which is how it is supposed to be). When his voice vibrates it goes up and down with the vibration. When you try to sing a high note and you force your adam's apple to go up for instance, the sound is very thin and restrained, which is not good. Glen of course never does this. That's as far as I can come with an answer. Anybody who can educate us on this?

Thanks for your reply Shelia. So you heard Glen in december 1967 for the first time? Did you instantly love his voice? That Summer Brothers Smothers Show helped Glen showcase his talents didn't it. I wish I could have experienced that. He really was THE biggest star in music then, wasn't he?

[Randy]

I'm gonna say "Gentle" but not certain, but first record I got was a gift and it was "Witchita".....

[shelia6673]

Hi All,

Had to be either Phoenix or Gentle and it was in 12/67 on the radio. Didn't know of course who Glen Campbell was at the time but come the next
summer in 1968 I found out. At the time being as young as I was I couldn't stay up and watch the tonight show, Joey Bishop and all that so I
never actually saw Glen till the summer on the Smothers Bros summer show. But you know been watching him ever since

Shelia T

[Randy]

Maybe some have noticed like me, but never really thought about it much, again like me but interested in what your thoughts if you even have any on the
"quivering adam's apple" you can see in this video clearly and wondering if you think it is natural or something Glen and Shorty both do when they are singing for effect or whatever.

[Cowpoke]

Hi all,
what was the first Glen Campbell song you ever heard? And do you remember where you were when you first heard it? What did you think or feel? Did you love it right away?

The first song by Glen that I ever heard was "Rhinestone Cowboy". I must have been 3 years old, still at home with my mother most of the time, while my father was off to work and my brother was at school. My mom was no doubt doing some household chores and, like she still does today, had the radio on all the time. I actually had forgotten about the song for while until I heard it back when I was a little older. The recording seemed to have been engrained in my mind. I knew I heard it before, but it's one of the few songs that have made an big impression on me on when I was still very young, so to me it seemed I have always known the song, since the beginning of my time. As a child, the song sounded profoundly... heroic to me. The imposing intro with those pounding piano chords, the glorious melody going upwards near the chorus and then the hook of the chorus itself (like a Rhinestone Cowboy TAAAADAAAAA!) which seems to be made for kids to memorize for ever. And on top of it all, Glen's soaring voice, strong and shining. What an introduction to Glen's talent, before I was able to fully comprehend it.

Sorry for rambling!