Hear Glen Campbell Call It ‘Quits’ With Unreleased, 40-Year-Old Song
By 1968, Glen Campbell had already released two of his most enduring hits, “Gentle on My Mind” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” but he didn’t reach the top of the country chart until that year’s “I Wanna Live,” penned by the great John D. Loudermilk. What would soon follow was the Arkansas native’s four-season run as host of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS and his appearance in the John Wayne film, True Grit, along with the Number One country hits, “Wichita Lineman” and “Galveston.” After the variety series was cancelled in 1972, Campbell’s career remained lucrative, but his chart appearances (especially on the pop side) were less than impressive.
By 1975, Campbell was back on top. In a year that had already seen huge crossover hits from Linda Ronstadt (“When Will I Be Loved”), John Denver (“Thank God I’m a Country Boy”) and Freddy Fender (“Before the Next Teardrop Falls”), a song about a country boy seeking fame and fortune in the Big Apple beautifully captured the pop-country zeitgeist. Written by Los Angeles songwriter Larry Weiss, who had moved from New York to L.A. in 1971, “Rhinestone Cowboy” served as the title cut of Campbell’s first Number One country album since the million-selling Galveston in 1969.
To commemorate Rhinestone Cowboy‘s 40th anniversary, Capitol Nashville/UMe will reissue the LP on March 31st, in an expanded edition that will feature five bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased “Quits.” (Pre-order the album here.)
Opening with crying steel guitar, “Quits,” recorded in March 1975, is a tender, aching ballad about the dissolution of a relationship. With Campbell’s rich tenor vocals at its center, “Quits” is nothing short of devastating, perhaps even more so in light of the music icon having recorded his final song, the Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning “I’m Not Gonna Miss You.” Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, Campbell, who turns 79 on April 22nd, is now in a special care facility in Nashville. (Hear the exclusive premiere of “Quits” above.)
Other rare material on this special, remastered edition of Rhinestone Cowboy includes “Record Collector’s Dream,” the original B-side to the single, “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.),” which was another crossover hit; a studio version of “Coming Home,” previously released only in Japan as a 1975 single; and remixed versions of “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Country Boy,” previously available only on a greatest hits album. Most of the bonus tracks are making their digital and CD debut. A remastered version of the original 10-track album on vinyl LP is also being released.
“Rhinestone Cowboy,” in addition to topping the country and pop charts, earned a gold record, two Grammy nominations and ACM Single of the Year honors. The single and album won People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Single, Favorite Country Single and Favorite Country Album.
Glen Campbell: Rhinestone Cowboy (40th Anniversary Edition) track listing:
1. “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)”
2. “Comeback”
3. “Count on Me”
4. “I Miss You Tonight”
5. “My Girl”
6. “Rhinestone Cowboy”
7. “I’d Build a Bridge”
8. “Pencils for Sale”
9. “Marie”
10. “We’re Over”
Bonus Tracks:
11. “Record Collector’s Dream”
12. “Coming Home”
13. “Quits”
14. “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)” (Remix)
15. “Rhinestone Cowboy” (Remix)