Forgotten Hits Remembers KENNY ROGERS

We lost another one of the good ones ... the world was quite saddened as news of Kenny Rogers' passing circulated this weekend.  He was 81.  

Rogers was an ensemble player in The New Christy Minstrels when he was motivated to step out on his own, forming The First Edition.  They were an immediate success, placing “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” in The Top Ten (#3 in Record World, #5 in Cash Box and #8 in Billboard) in early 1968.  

More hits followed, including:  “But You Know I Love You” (#15, 1969); “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” (by which time the name of the group had been changed to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, #6, 1969); “Reuben James” (#14, 1969); “Something’s Burning” (#5, 1970); “Tell It All, Brother” (#12, 1970); “Heed The Call” (#20, 1970) and “Someone Who Cares” (#39, 1971).

The band even hosted its own syndicated television show which featured several other performing artists of this era, many of whom didn’t typically make television appearances, before they disbanded in 1975.  

Focusing his solo career on the country charts (keep in mind that Rogers’ first hit bordered on psychedelia … and, in fact, was voted your #12 Favorite Psychedelic Song of All Time when we ran our poll in 2005), Rogers reinvented himself in a HUGE way, becoming one of the biggest recording artists worldwide.  (Many of those hits also crossed over to the pop charts in a very big way, including the Top Ten Hits “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” “You Decorated My Life,” “Coward Of The County,” “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” recorded with Kim Carnes, “Love The World Away,” “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, “I Don’t Need You,” “Through The Years,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” recorded with Sheena Easton and, of course, “Islands In the Stream,” the #1 smash written by The Bee Gees and recorded by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.)  

We’ve given Kenny the spotlight treatment here in Forgotten Hits several times over the years …

Rather than rehash it all here again, you'll find the links you need below to enjoy the best of these pieces … (please do … I have always felt that this was one of our most under-rated series!)

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-kenny-rogers-week-in-forgotten-hits.html

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-1.html    

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-2.html

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-3.html 

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-4.html   

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-your.html    

According to his official representative, “Kenny Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.”

Due to the national coronavirus pandemic, the family is planning a small private service ... and a larger-scale, public memorial will be planned at a later date.

After sixty years of performing, Rogers’ farewell tour began in 2017, and ran through early 2018, at which time he called off the remaining dates in April of that year due to unspecified “health challenges.” 

“I didn’t want to take forever to retire,” Rogers said in a statement. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on ‘The Gambler’s Last Deal’ tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and support they’ve given me throughout my career and the happiness I’ve experienced as a result of that.”

During the course of his incredible career, Kenny was featured on a staggering 30 Number One singles spread out across the U.S. pop, country, and adult contemporary charts from 1977 to 1999.  Along the way, he also earned three Grammys, five CMA awards, and eight ACM awards, along with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the course of his career, he sold more than 100 million records worldwide.  To say that he made his mark on the musical landscape is an understatement of epic proportions.  You’ll find much more about his remarkable career via the links above.  (kk)

THE KENNY ROGERS HIT LIST:

Here is a complete list of every Top 50 Hit Kenny had on both Billboard’s Pop Music Chart AND their Country Chart.  Again, the list is nothing short of staggering.

1968 – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) with The First Edition   

  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = xx)

1969 – But You Know I Love You (with The First Edition)  POP = / COUNTRY = xx

1969 – Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)

            POP = 6 / COUNTRY = 39

1969 – Reuben James (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 26 / COUNTRY = 46

1970 – Something’s Burning (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 11 / COUNTRY = xx

1970 – Tell It All Brother (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 17 / COUNTRY = xx

1970 – Heed The Call (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 33 / COUNTRY = xx

1976 – Love Lifted Me  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19)

1976 – While The Feeling’s Good  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46)

1976 – Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19

1977 – Lucille  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)

1977 – Daytime Friends  (POP = 28 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Sweet Music Man  (POP = 44 / COUNTRY = 9)

1978 – Every Time Two Fools Collide  (POP = 101 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Love Or Something Like It  (POP = 32 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1979 – The Gambler  (POP = 16 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – All I Ever Need Is You  (POP = 102 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – She Believes In Me  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – Til I Can Make It On My Own  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 3)

1979 – You Decorated My Life (POP = 7 / COUNTRY = #1)

1980 – Coward of The County  (POP = 3 / COUNTRY = #1)

1980 – Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) 

   POP = 4 / COUNTRY = 3

1980 – Love The World Away  (POP = 14 / COUNTRY = 4)

1980 – Lady  (POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1)

1981 – What Are We Doin’ In Love (with Dottie West)  POP = 14 / COUNTRY = #1

1981 – I Don’t Need You  (POP = 3 / COUNTRY = #1

1981 – Share Your Love With Me (with Gladys Knight and the Pips) 

   POP = 14 / COUNTRY = 5

1982 – Blaze Of Glory  (POP = 66 / COUNTRY = 9)

1982 – Through The Years  (POP = 13 / COUNTRY = 5)

1982 – Love Will Turn You Around  (POP = 13 / COUNTRY = #1)

1983 – We’ve Got Tonight  (with Sheena Easton)  POP = 6 / COUNTRY = #1

1983 – All My Life (POP = 37 / COUNTRY = 13)

1983 – Scarlet Fever  (POP = 94 / COUNTRY = 5)

1983 – Islands In The Stream (with Dolly Parton)  POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1

1984 – You Were A Good Friend  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 20)

1984 – Buried Treasure  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 3)

1984 – This Woman  (POP = 23 / COUNTRY = xx)

1984 – Together Again (with Dottie West)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19)

1984 – Eyes That See In The Dark  (POP = 79 / COUNTRY = 30)

1984 – Evening Star / Midsummer Nights  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 11)

1984 – What About Me? (with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) 

   POP = 15 / COUNTRY = 70

1985 – Crazy  (POP = 79 / COUNTRY = #1)

1985 – Love Is What We Make It  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 37

1985 – Real Love (with Dolly Parton)  POP = 91 / COUNTRY = #1)

1986 – Goodbye Marie  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46)

1986 – Tomb Of The Unknown Love  (POP = xx / COUNTRY - #1)

1986 – The Pride Is Back (with Nickie Ryder)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46

1987 – Twenty Years Ago  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1987 – Make No Mistake, She’s Mine (with Ronnie Milsap) 

   POP = xx / COUNTRY = #1

1987 – I Prefer The Moonlight  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1988 – The Factory  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 6)

1988 – When You Put Your Heart In It  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

1989 – Planet Texas  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 30)

1989 – The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True To You)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 8

1989 – If I Ever Fall In Love Again  (with Anne Murray)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 28

1990 – Maybe (with Holly Dunn)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 25

1990 – Love Is Strange (with Dolly Parton)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 21

1992 – If You Want To Find Love  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 11)

1999 – The Greatest  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

2000 – Buy Me A Rose (with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean) 

   POP = 40 / COUNTRY = #1

2000 – He Will, She Knows  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 32)

2001 – There You Go Again (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

2001 – Beautiful (All That You Could Be)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 47

2001 – Homeland  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 39)

2002 – Harder Cards  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 47)

2003 – I’m Missing You  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 49)

2003 – Handprints On The Wall  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 40)

2006 – I Can’t Unlove You  (POP = 93 / COUNTRY = 17)

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Part 3 (And The Hits Just Keep On Comin')

"But You Know I Love You", The First Edition's follow-up hit to "Just Dropped In" peaked at #15 and, in addition to Kenny's vocal also featured, almost as prominently, Thelma Camacho on vocals. (Quite honestly, I seem to remember Thelma being much more of the focal point when you'd see The First Edition perform on TV. Yes, Kenny may have been the lead singer, but the cameras always seemed to find their way over to Thelma whenver the group was performing. See our Ed Sullivan feature below for more on this.) Perhaps more importantly, "But You Know I Love You" was written by Mike Settle, which was an important step in the band's evolution ... as this is what prompted them to break away from The New Christy Minstrels in the first place.  

Kenny Rogers remembers the first time he and The First Edition appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show:  

When The First Edition first started out (springing away from The New Christy Minstrels) they were, in all senses, a "group" effort ... Kenny wouldn't be singled out and have his name inserted in front of the group's name until a couple of years later ... and, even then, it was only done as a marketing ploy to allow "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" to compete on the charts against a single already credited to The First Edition. In fact, prior to Kenny stepping up front, some might argue that female vocalist Thelma Camacho was the main focal point of the band on stage ... 

Thelma Camacho was this hot little lady with the pixie haircut. Everyone who met her fell in love with her. That probably explains what happened to us during an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Our manager, Ken Kragen, had been trying to make The First Edition into a house-hold name and we were all excited to be doing "Sullivan", then the number one variety show on TV.

We had a rehearsal in the afternoon and it went fine. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The First Edition," Ed said, and we came out and did our song. The second go-round, for the actual nighttime show, he says, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ..." ... and he couldn't remember the name ... so he says, "Thelma and her boys!" So much for name recognition.

-- Kenny Rogers   

You'll find TONS of Ed Sullivan Memories posted on The Forgotten Hits Website here: 

Click here: Forgotten Hits - FORGOTTEN HITS REMEMBERS THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW ... From Both Sides Of The Screen

Ironically, "But You Know I Love You" would later become a country hit for Dolly Parton, who would duet with Kenny Rogers on one of the biggest hits of the early '80's, the Bee Gees-penned "Islands In The Stream". Kenny and Dolly would go on to record several albums together, as well as tour and costar in numerous television specials.  

In 1969, it was decided that the group should be renamed Kenny Rogers and the First Edition because of all of the attention he was receiving as the principal vocalist. It may only be a coincidence, but around the same time Thelma Camacho quit the group and was replaced by Mary Arnold. (Reportedly, one of the girl singers who failed the audition to take Camacho's spot was Karen Carpenter!!! While Kenny remembers this being the case ... and acknowledges that Karen was a phenomenal singer ... he also readily responds that her voice just wasn't suited to the type of material that The First Edition were recording ... and to this degree he is absolutely correct. Thankfully, the world wasn't cheated out of the hits of The Carpenters as a result of this decision!) Ultimately, it was Thelma's roommate Mary Arnold who took her spot. (Mary wouldn't consider auditioning until Thelma gave it her blessing, which she graciously did.)  

In his new book "Luck Or Something Like It", Rogers says that Thelma was let go from the band. "She was conflicted about touring. I'm not sure she wasn't happy about our decision. She was tired of traveling and had fallen in love, so I don't think it came as much of a shock or disappointment to her."  The other version of the story probably just played better in the press ... like I said earlier, Thelma was considered a focal point in the band. 

Kenny describes Mary's joining the band: 
"Thelma had a roommate for the last two years of her tenure with us named Mary Arnold. We all knew her and liked her very much. Sensing our frustration, Mary spoke up one day and said 'Can I try? Believe me, I know these songs backward and forward.' We were all a little taken aback by Mary's request, not remembering that she had heard all our songs every day for two years and had previously been with a group called The Young Americans. She knew her way around a stage. Mary came in for literally one rehearsal and started doing shows with us right away. She picked up right where Thelma left off. What a lifesaver she was. Mary would eventually marry a man I introduced her to, the legendary singer-songwriter Roger Miller. They were still together when he passed away."

Tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... 

Kenny Rogers steps up front ... and The First Edition have their most memorable hit.

A VALENTINE'S DAY BONUS:
Could there be a more appropriate song for Valentine's Day than Paul McCartney's "My Valentine" from last year's "Kisses On The Bottom" album???  
 

  

And, while we're at it, I thought I'd also share one of my all-time favorite love songs, too!
 

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Your Comments

re: KENNY ROGERS AND THE FIRST EDITION:  

When you brought up 'Funny How Love Can Be', it reminded me of seeing Harper's Bizarre in college, which reminded me of seeing The First Edition in college (before they were Kenny Rogers and The First Edition). So I went youtubing (love that sport). WOW!!! I have the records, but to see the performances again, and to see how grrrrreat Kenny looked with his longish brown hair and beard (and vested, fringed outfits?) was a fun sing down Memory Lane.  
Hmmmmm. According to your info The First Edition was Kenny Rogers and The First Edition by the time they hit my college, but were not advertised as such for the concert. They WERE introduced as 'Presenting Kenny Rogers and The First Edition'. Maybe they just had old posters to use up?? hahaha

So THAT's where I saw Mickey Jones ... Home Improvement!

Kenny was not hip enough? He had to grow out the hair, the beard, pierce the ear, and tint the glasses? That is how I remember seeing him live. And what a handsome draw he turned out to be. There were just too many people in the New Christy Minstrels, coming and going, for me to pick out specific people. For me, it was a listening experience. The individuals counted less than the whole. I know when I went to youtube to watch 'Ruby' last week, my jaw dropped when I saw Kenny. Then I remembered the effect of the live concerts. The rest of the band is frozen in time for me, but since Kenny Rogers went on and morphed as needed, I had forgotten what I used to see.  
Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano 

  

Hey Kent,

Just wanted to say that one of my very favorite parts of one of your stories about a particular artist is how we get a chance to see how their careers intertwined with so many other artists that went on to become so famous. Very interesting stuff.

Thanks

Stacee  

Great profile of Kenny Rogers & the First Edition ... but I caught one glaring omission. Nowhere to be found was Kenny's 1969 hit 'Ruben James'!  
Brad

Actually, we left that one out intentionally, because we had just featured it in our on-going "Today's Forgotten Hit" series a couple of weeks ago ... and figured most of you had just heard it. But I always liked that one, so let's feature it again here now as a Kenny Rogers "extra"!
 

By the way, since our series first ran in 2004, we have learned that Kenny's first solo hit, "That Crazy Feeling", released in 1958, DID, in fact, hit the national pop charts, where it climbed to #77 in Record World Magazine ... and all the way to #51 in Cash Box!  (It had failed to chart in Billboard ... and, with those kinds of numbers from the other trades, I find that a bit surprising.  At the very least, I would have figured it would have registered as a "Breakout Hit" in Houston in Joel Whitburn's new book ... but apparently it didn't ... which makes me question just how big the record really was locally.  Then again, it was evidently big enough to climb half-way up the chart in Cash Box Magazine!!!)  kk  


Kent,
While reading your FH series this week on Kenny Rogers, the group Back Porch Majority was mentioned. It reminded me of a record I haven't heard in years. Had to get it out and play it, as they say, "one more time". The record in question was SECOND-HAND MAN out of 1966 on Epic Records. In May of that year, it peaked here in OKC at #8. Obviously the group New Christy Minstrels would come up. When I think of that group, the number one song to come to my mind is the obvious one, GREEN GREEN out of 1963. I always liked their follow-up SATURDAY NIGHT. But the one record I really liked that they did was the one they came out with in 1965 ... CHIM CHIM CHEREE. Not that song but the flip, YOU GOTTA QUIT KICKIN' MY DOG AROUND.
The DJ at the time who was working 7 pm - 12 midnight would play that song instead of CHIM CHIM CHEREE. I guarantee you when I finish sending you this e-mail, I am going to go in and play it as they say, "one more time".
Larry  

Thanks for putting together the Kenny Rogers series.

Looking forward to another installment tonight.

Dann       

>>>When "Just Dropped In" was written (by country songwriter Mickey Newbury), it was first offered to Jerry Lee Lewis, who turned the song down flat!  (kk)
This will come as a surprise to Jerry Lee Lewis, as he recorded the song in 1967 and released it on his LP Soul My Way (Smash Records).
– Randy Price  
Turning something down means you don't end up recording it, right?? Jerry Lee Lewis was, in fact, the first artist to record the song, issued on his Smash LP Soul My Way.

Tom Diehl  
Wow! We've been reporting it this way for nearly a decade now! And it isn't just us ... I've seen it printed in several different liner notes ... and it's even reported that way in Kenny Rogers' brand new auto-biography. This is a VERY cool new discovery! (I even sent it along to Scott Shannon to feature on his next edition of "Rock And Roll Remakes" on The True Oldies Channel!) And, listening to it, it's really not a bad version at all ... certainly a whole lot more country (which is to be expected, having been written by Mickey Newbury) ... but it also sounds like everything else Jerry Lee was recording at that time. A different interpretation to be sure ... but not bad. Kudos to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition for their totally unique psychedelic interpretation ... the lyrics took on a whole new meaning when The First Edition cut it! (kk)  



Hey Kent,
I'm REALLY enjoying your series on Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Because of that, I have been busting my tail, trying to find all the musicians who played on the recording, "Just Dropped In", with not much luck. Ok, Glen Campbell played the guitar, and Hal Blaine probably played the drums on it. When I first heard the song on the radio, I was fascinated by the bass and vibraphone riff, played in unison, much like the signature sound of George Shearing's jazz groups. I'm going to bet it was studio mallet-man extraordinaire, Julius Wechter on vibes. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, and played on hundreds of tracks by major artists, including his own Baja Marimba Band.
I also like the song "Ruby". There are many songs written about the Vietnam war. Take a look at the list on Wikipedia. My favorite of the bunch is "Home" by Mac Davis.
- John LaPuzza  
I wrote to Denny Tedesco to see if he had any studio information on this track regarding who may have played on it.  If he gets back to me, I'll be sure to let you know.  (kk)


I found the Kenny Rogers series to be a very interesting read. Kudos on yet another job well done in Forgotten Hits -- great profile.

Rick

Sad to say, but I think you may be one of the very few, Rick ... this piece generated the fewest pieces of mail I can ever remember for a Forgotten Hits series ... and, even more incredibly, website readership was down by about 65% the entire time it ran!!! I'm not really sure why this is the case ... these are great tunes ... and even as I re-read and edited the piece I, myself, was impressed by the amount of details we uncovered back in 2004 ... but apparently it just doesn't have the "mass audience appeal" of some of our other series. Even sending out a couple of "reminders" failed to bring people over to the website to read it. As I said, I don't quite get that as, if I do say so myself, I thought it was pretty well done, too! (kk)