Glen Campbell Forums

Erik posted below that October 3rd, 1966 was the first time "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was recorded (by Johnny Rivers).
Rivers released this song in November 1966 on his album "Changes".
But...did you know...after Rivers' release in 1966 and Glen Campbell's release in October 1967, other performers recorded Jimmy Webb's penned song?
In fact, 1968 was a notable year for covers!
Following is a list of song and instrumental recordings. (Corrections/additions are welcome!) Certainly, there are more recordings of "Phoenix". When you search this song title on AllMusic.com, you will receive over 1,000 results which will include recorded and live versions, reissues, etc.

By the Time I Get to Phoenix written by Jimmy Webb Song Versions!

Title/ Performer/ Released Date

By the Time I Get to Phoenix Johnny Rivers November 1966
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Glen Campbell October 1967
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Floyd Cramer December 1967
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jon & Robin 1967
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Marty Wilde January 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Vikki Carr February 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Classics IV March 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jack Greene March 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Conway Twitty April 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Eddy Arnold April 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Marty Robbins May 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Lettermen May 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Georgie Fame May 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix David Houston June 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Charlie Rich June 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Duane Dee June 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jim Nabors June 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Engelbert Humperdinck July 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Roy Drusky July 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Frankie Valli July 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Roger Miller July 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Joe Tex July 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Mills Brothers August 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Johnny Darrell August 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Four Tops August 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jimmy Newman October 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Solomon Burke October 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Frank Sinatra November 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Dean Martin November 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ray Price December 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Johnny Mathis 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Maria 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Bobby Goldsboro 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix John Davidson 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Henson Cargill 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Burl Ives 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix O.C. Smith 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Magnificent Men 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Frankie Laine 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Robert Goulet 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Raymonde Singers Etcetera 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Main Attraction 1968 The Avalanches
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nat Adderley 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Peggy Lee 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Union Gap / Gary Puckett 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Harry Belafonte 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Andy Williams 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix King Curtis 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ray Conniff and The Singers 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jack Jones 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Robert John 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Julius Wechter & The Baja Marimba Band 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mario Said 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix John Rowles 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Sandra Alexandra 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Tony Mottola with The Groovies 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Gloria Lynne 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Hesitations 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ferrante & Teicher 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jerry Vale 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Larry Carlton 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ohta-San 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nat Stuckey January 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Tennessee Ernie Ford February 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Dorothy Ashby March 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Willie Tee April 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Isaac Hayes May 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix José Feliciano June 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nancy Wilson June 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Al Wilson July 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Erma Franklin August 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Lloyd Price 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Mad Lads 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mantovani 1969
Wichita Lineman & By the Time I Get to Phoenix (medley) The Dells 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Young-Holt Unlimited 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Peddlers 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Uniques 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix William Bell 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Andy Kim 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Shake Keane 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix J.J. Worthington 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Billy Stewart January 1970
By the Time You Got to Phoenix Wanda Jackson February 1970 ("answer song" to By The Time I Get To Phoenix)
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Ventures October 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Gladys Knight & The Pips October 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Revells 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mongo Santamaría 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Bobby Vernon 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix / Wichita Lineman The Main Ingredient 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Kimiko Kasai 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Vera Lynn 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Sheila Southern 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Des O'Connor 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Templeton Twins 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Winston Francis 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Wilburn Brothers 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Wip 1971
(Medley) I Say a Little Prayer/By the Time I Get to Phoenix Anne Murray and Glen Campbell November 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nina 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Roger Whittaker 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Doris Duke 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mark Duffy 1973
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Escorts 1973
By the Time I Get to Phoenix New York City 1973
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Doug Haynes 1974
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Peter Shelley 1975
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ronnie Aldrich, His Pianos & Orchestra with The Ladybirds 1977
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nashville West 1978
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Rick Albright and One of a Kind 1978
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Chet Rogers 1979
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Dick Smith 1983
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 1986
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Susannah McCorkle 1986
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Eric Miller and His Orchestra 1991
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Reba September 28, 1995
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Cæcilie Norby 1995
By the Time I Get to Phoenix G.C. Davis 1996
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jimmy Webb 1996
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Detroit Underground 1997
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Heather Myles 2002
By the Time I Get to Phoenix David J's Cabaret Oscuro 2003
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer 2005
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Carol Welsman 2006
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Thelma Houston 2007
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Maureen McGovern 2008
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Lorrie Morgan 2009
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jimmy Webb featuring Glen Campbell June 29, 2010
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Niels Noller Olsen November 2015
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Kelly Lang December 2015

By the Time I Get to Phoenix written by Jimmy Webb Instrumental Versions!

By the Time I Get to Phoenix Ace Cannon 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Gary McFarland and Co. 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix George Shearing with Quintet and Orchestra 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Lenny Dee 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Herbie Mann 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Boots Randolph 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Charlie Byrd 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix King Richard's Fluegel Knights 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Charles Kynard 1968
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Piano, Orchestra and Chorus of Henry Mancini 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Johnny Smith 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Willis Jackson 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jack Eubanks 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Louis Van Dyke 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mike Leander and His Orchestra 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Oscar Peterson 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Liberace 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Kenny Baker with The Roland Shaw Orchestra 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra with Strings 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Rune Gustafsson 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Chet Atkins/ Boston Pops/ Arthur Fiedler 1969
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Kurt Edelhagen and His Orchestra 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Bert Weedon 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Helmuth Brandenburg 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jimmy Smith 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Henry Mancini 1970
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jack Van Poll 1971
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jiro Inagaki Grand Spaceship Orchestra 1972
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops 1972
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Shirley Scott 1972
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Alex Welsh 1972
By the Time I Get to Phoenix John Williams with The Boston Pops 1990
By the Time I Get to Phoenix The Acoustic Guitar Troubadours 2009
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Jordan Young 2012
By the Time I Get to Phoenix Mike Adams at His Honest Weight September 2015

# # #

Cowpoke, Gotta disagree, on the strength of Glen's 1969 version of Galveston that was imbedded on people's minds for years, the only thing he did was make it better (In my opinion) by incredible an guitar solo it shows up here as number 8 on the list of best country songs ever. I do agree with your assessment of the country/pop debate. In my opinion , I would never consider Glen a traditional country singer given the era he came up in. He was however country rooted and adored by country music fans and outperformed most of the so called traditional country performers. Because he wasn't a cowboy hat wearer and sing with a nasal sound in his voice it took a little longer to hit the hall of fame. And having said that, I am not knocking traditional country music at all. I love it. Glen was just one special talented man !

Galveston is Track of th Day on theatlantic.com...

http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/1 ... ll/503228/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Recent blog about Jimmy's first studio version of Galveston (1972).

http://secretcave.co/jimmy-webb-galveston/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would you believe I knew this version before I had ever heard Glen's version? I love it and actually prefer Jimmy's 1972 version above Glen's 1969 version. However Glen's live versions, (especially the one he recorded in 2001 with the South Dakota Symphony) are the best of all.

The hardback book cover for Jimmy Webb's autobiography is now available on the publisher's website (http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250058416" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).
For more publication and pre-order details, see related post below.
Jimmy's memoir will surely reflect on his long-time collaboration with Glen Campbell as well as many of the "Glen" stories he has shared with fans on and off stage over the years.

A special post from Erik the Dane (whom Jimmy Webb recently referred to as his archivist!) shared here with his kind permission:

Here the 3th October 2016, it is 50 years ago, songwriter Jimmy Webb`s monsterevergreen “By the time I get to Phoenix”, for first time was recorded, NOT issued!

Singer JOHNNY RIVERS, was the first to record this tune, for a record issue.

Can be found on J.R. album `CHANGES`, issued November 1966, Imperial-LP-9334/LP-12334.

What I know and can read in a J.R. cd inlay, that the version of “Phoenix”, on a 45 vinyl with J.R., maybe first out 18th March 1968 on Imperial `The Golden Series`, #no. 059.
And YES, Johnny Rivers was back then, J.W.s Mentor for awhile!

---

About GLEN CAMPBELL legendary recordings of “Phoenix”, I can read in my files, it is recorded between 17th-29th August 1967.

Album with G.C. with the same name, Capitol 2851, issued 27th November 1967.

“PHOENIX” issued as a 45 vinyl, Capitol 2015, 2th October 1967.
“PHOENIX” first reach any of the BILLBOARD hitlist, as a 45 vinyl, Capitol 2015, 14th October 1967.

“PHOENIX” mention in Billboard Magazine, as a 45 vinyl, 7th October – and as a vinyl album, 23th December 1967.

What I remember I have heard is, that G.C. saw the J.R. vinyl album for the first time, on a wall in a music studio where he, and maybe The Wrecking Crew recorded, and he loved the title.
---

Wrote when dear Jimmy Webb was working for Jobete Music, (Motown), around 1965-1966.
When I was London to a Jimmy Webb concert, 11th September 2016, I hear it was tune “PHOENIX”, who got J.W. to leave Motown, because they not was interested in this song, they have another way to look at the sound, they wanted on there records.

J.W. first so much wanted Paul Petersen to be the first to recording "Phoenix" tune, but he never did.

Tony Martin was the first ever to made a demo of this song, as I have read, heard as a DEMO ONLY, September 1966, before singer Johnny Rivers did his version.
I don`t think Tony Martin ever made a studio version of this J.W. tune, but this tune can be found on a vinyl album with him from 1969, title `At the Plaza` (live), I have in my files.

Both Martin and Petersen was both MOTOWN artist back then.

INFO about Tony Martin and Paul Petersen!
Tony Martin (25th December 1913 – 27 th July 2012) was an American actor and singer, who was married to performer Cyd Charisse for 60 years.

(William) Paul Petersen (born 23th September 1945) is an American actor, singer, novelist, and activist.
Petersen first rose to prominence in the 1950s playing Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show, and transitioned to a singing career in the 1960s.
Petersen had hit record singles with the songs "She Can`t Find Her Keys", "Amy", and "Lollipops and Roses", as well as the sentimental teen pop song "My Dad", which was introduced on The Donna Reed Show in 1962.

---

WHAT TO SAY!
On BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) list - there `BMI 50th Anniversary 1940-1990` - “Phoenix” is # no. 3. - “Never My Love” is # no. 2. - BEATLES # no. 1., with “Yesterday”.

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed.BMI songwriters create music in many genres, ranging from mainstream pop and country, to death metal and hip hop.

IMPORTANT – NOT 100% sure this info ... here is fully correct – BUT done my best!

by
Erik Christensen
Hillerød – DENMARK

News - Grammy Award-Winning Songwriter Jimmy Webb Premiere for Piano & Orchestra

Jimmy Webb, the only songwriter with hits in pop, country, disco and rap, now adds a classical nocturne to his catalog. Orchestra Kentucky (Jeff Reed, Music Director), pianist Jeffrey Biegel, and G. Schirmer, Inc. (part of the Music Sales Corporation) announce the world premiere of Jimmy Webb's Nocturne for Piano and Orchestra (Nocturne for "Lefty") on Monday, October 24th at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

About the composition, Webb said: 'This music originated in discussions I had with my wife about famous nocturnes such as "Moonlight Sonata" and others. The piece depicts different aspects of nightfall; the mathematical exactitude of life in the city, the splendor of night skies and full moons partially obscured by cloud, the gentle rise and fall of human conversation in social gatherings and the dizzying whirl of waltzing on a seaside esplanade. It is essentially an opportunity for the listener to contemplate their own experiences during the hours of darkness. It includes a personal tribute to the music of Miles Davis, and the smoky dives and small clubs where I performed in my early years: the kingdom of the lonely and disillusioned. "Lefty" is my wife, Laura Savini, of PBS fame, a raving beauty who is also a Southpaw. The notes have been inspired by her joy and devotion to art.'

Following the premiere, Webb will join Orchestra Kentucky to perform his hits, including 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix,' 'Up, Up and Away,' and others. On October 25th, Orchestra Kentucky will award Webb with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

- Read more at: http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/news ... Lj18X.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Welcome news from St. Martin's Press about the publication of Jimmy Webb's autobiography!
Congratulations, Jimmy!

The Cake and the Rain
An Autobiography
by Jimmy Webb

Hardcover
St. Martin's Press
Expected publishing date: April 18, 2017
320 pages
Plus one 16-page color photograph insert
(From St. Martin's Press)

Pre-orders are offered online by retailers such as Amazon (U.S. and U.K.) and Barnes & Noble.

Yeah Cowpoke. I agree. I bought some of Jimmy's later albums. Twilight of the renegades etc, and I found the albums to contain some great gems. I put them on my MP3 and listened to them over and over as I worked. The thing is they come to you fresh and with out any expectation, as you say Cowpoke. I also think Jimmy's singing has improved as he has aged. Piano is a good song, I like the line about it standing there grinning, so descriptive. Many are saying else where, they would love to hear more album cuts at the concerts. I totally agree. with that. I hope next time he comes over he will structure the show to give more to the die hard fans. Surely he must enjoy these other songs which he has taken time to write and record.

Well my wife does love his music but I would not call her a big fan. Her favorite song by Jimmy is.... "Piano". I must say myself that I prefer hearing Jimmy singing the more unknown songs. Otherwise you are constantly comparing his version with Glen's version for instance. One of the musical highlights of the concert was Time Flies. Jimmy sang that just perfectly. Very moving also in combination with all the photos of Glen and Jimmy they showed on the screen.