There is a certain smoky quality that certainly personifies bobby gentry. It is a bit unusual in that it takes the form of a narrative about a rural family in. The original recording, with no other musicians backing gentrys guitar according to. Bobbie gentry ode to billy joe 1967, vinyl discogs. Like ode to billie joe, this is a singular song, delivered by a lone female voice. Is bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe based on a true story.
Gentry was not in the film, but rerecorded ode to billie joe for the soundtrack. Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe 2010, 180 gram, vinyl. Ode to billie joe singers secret life rolling stone. My father bough this album ode to billy joe old to billy joe back in 1967 and this album is one that i was always looking for which i just purchased from amazon. Lyrics it was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie. The mystery created by bobbie gentry cast a spell over the entire. Jun 03, 2018 on the title track of rabbit fur coat gentrys influence is heard in the sparse, stark repetitive musical style. Ode to billie joe is a song written and recorded by bobbie gentry, a singersongwriter from. Jul 27, 20 but if the details of the song are fact and bobbie gentry was in love with him, then i commend gentry for not only her poetic and musical talent but also her bravery in sharing her deeply intimate story. Bobbie gentry sings ode to billie joe live on the andy williams show 1971 duration. The film was based on this song, with a fictionalized gentry named bobbie lee hartley played by glynnis oconnor.
Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe lyrics genius lyrics. Ode to billie joe by bobbie gentry totally guitars. Vinyl 7 bobbie gentry ode to billy joe 1967, vinyl discogs. Gentry stated that the original spelling had been a typo, this is corroborated by her original handwritten. The same river where the famous and original reallife tallahatchie bridge mentioned in ode to billie joe was located.
Save gentry herself, the world gave not much thought to billy joe. She was born roberta lee streeter to portuguese parents in chickasaw county, mississippi. Sinead oconnor ode to billie joe bobbie gentry cover. According to the songs arranger jimmie haskell, gentrys original demo of this song was 7minutes long, with at least one extra verse. Ode to billie joe by bobbie gentry with lyrics youtube. Cover versions of ode to billie joe written by bobbie gentry. The single, released on july 10, 1967, was a numberone hit in the us within three weeks of release and a big international seller. She shot to international fame in the summer of 1967 with the quirky and intriguing ode to billie joe, written by gentry and sung in her warm, captivating style. Originally the bside to her debut single, mississippi delta, ode started picking up us airplay and eventually topped the charts there. In july of 1967, capitol records released ode to billie joe, a spooky wisp of a song by an unknown artist named bobbie gentry. Appropriately enough, their performance adds a new dimension to ode.
It was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty, delta day i was out choppin cotton and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we sto. Find great deals on ebay for bobbie gentry ode to billie joe and bobbie gentry ode to billie joe lp. Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe 1967, vinyl discogs. Provided to youtube by rhino atlantic ode to billie joe king curtis king size soul. Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe 1967, scranton pressing. Digitized from the 45 rpm disc shown in the video above. And now billy joe mcallisters jumped off the tallahatchee bridge. Seems like nothin ever comes to no good up on choctaw ridge. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentry s ode to billie joe. Bobbie gentry grew up in mississippi near the tallahatchie river. Read or print original ode to billy joe lyrics 2020 updated.
It was a favorite of female singers, and i played back up on it a lot of times. Set to a backing of spare acoustic guitar chords and atmospheric strings, gentry s sensual, southernfried voice relates the story of two mississippi teenage lovers who share a dark secret that eventually leads to the boys. Gentry s debut lp, which went to number one on the pop charts, was a promising but not wholly satisfying disc, with the singer penning all but one of the songs. Ode to billy joe is the epitome of simple grace and musical elegance. The a to z song game superiorpics celebrity forums. One particular song really tugs at my heartstrings and that hurry tuesday child. In 2008, australian label raven records released the album on cd, paired with 1969s touch em with love. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Sobule would later write the introduction to a book on gentry. It was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat and mama hollered out the back door, yall remember to wipe your feet. Watch the music video and discover trivia about this classic pop song now. Her songs typically drew on her mississippi roots to compose vignettes of the southern united states. Theres no chorus or relief to be found and the watson twins, who feature on the rest of the album, are absent. Ode to billy joe bobbie gentry, 1967, with lyrics youtube.
Jul 27, 2016 the 5th dimensions cover takes that reading a step further, turning the song into a oneact play, with different members handling the vocals of each character in the song. Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe lyrics and tracklist. The secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe how the singersongwriter who knocked the beatles out of the number one spot 50 years ago quietly revolutionized. Roberta lee streeter born july 27, 1944 in chickasaw county, mississippi, professionally known as bobbie gentry, is a former american singersongwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to write and produce her own material. It was released on august 21, 1967, by capitol records in 2007, the album was made available for digital download. Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the ode to billie joe riff. And mama said it was a shame about billy joe anyhow. The song ode to billy joe by bobbie gentry was a big hit for many weeks in 1967.
Ode to billie joe is the debut studio album by american singersongwriter bobbie gentry. Ode to billie joe this tune was a blockbuster hit for bobbie gentry, a singersongwriter from mississippi. Ode to billy joe by bobbie gentry pass the paisley. This turned out to be some of gentrys last work highprofile. Jun 23, 20 digitized from the 45 rpm disc shown in the video above. Ode to billie joe, by bobbie gentry, was released in 1967 and went on to be number one hit for her that year. The mystery created by bobbie gentry in her debut single ode to billie joe cast a spell over the entire country. Ode to billie joe bobbie gentry song works archive.
In this, the haybaling and cottonchopping of the original are. The lyrics to the bobbie gentry song ode to billie joe have mystified listeners for. But the longreclusive bobbie gentry has never told us and, if reports are true, she doesnt know herself. Was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton and my brother was balin hay. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentrys. In 2000 a cd compilation called ode to bobbie gentry contained a couple of previously unreleased recordings, although they were not listed as such on the sleeve. Nov 07, 2015 ode to billy joe is a song, like youre so vain or american pie, that has created a huge amount of debate, discussion and speculation. It was covered by erin hay, jesper thilo finn otto hansen sextet, melveen leed, kathy shannon and other artists. There really was a tallahatchie bridge in greenwood, mississippi, but gentry made up the story. Bobbie gentry born july 27, 1944 is an american singersongwriter. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentry. Trying to unearth the story behind the reclusive bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe the singers silence amplifies the mystery behind the song that made her a star, now the subject of a book of. The only thing saving your life is that i dont look good in orange and i hate stripes.
As to what the girl that looked a lot like you and billy joe mcallister were throwing off the tallahatchie bridge has remained one of the open questions of pop music. Ode to billie joe is the debut solo studio album by bobbie gentry. The enigma of this, her best known song, is nothing when compared to that of bobbie gentry in real life. Told from the narrators point of view, she remembers her life with billie joe, their love and their losses, as she mourns at the bridge one year later. The song ode to billie joe was written by bobbie gentry and was first recorded and released by bobbie gentry in 1967. Ode to billie joe is a critically acclaimed volume in bloomsburys 33 series by tara murtha. That is the opening line of one of musics most discussed, examined and appreciated songs ode to billie joe, written and performed by bobbie gentry, who was born in mississippis.
Trying to unearth the story behind the reclusive bobbie. Ode to billie joe is a song written and recorded by bobbie gentry, a singersongwriter from chickasaw county, mississippi. Aug 21, 2017 the secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe how the singersongwriter who knocked the beatles out of the number one spot 50 years ago quietly revolutionized. It was produced by kelly gordon and arranged by jimmie haskell and shorty rogers. It was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton, and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we stopped and walked back to. This tale of starcrossed lovers involved in peculiar.
Ode to billie joe was reportedly edited by the record company, but as far as i know, no one has ever heard the long version. The original demo recording of ode to billie joe was just gentrys guitar and vocals. Bobbie gentry performs ode to billie joe live on the bbc in 1968. Ode to billy joe bobbie gentry request thread tools. Ode to billy joe is a 1976 american drama film with a screenplay by herman raucher, inspired by the 1967 hit song by bobbie gentry, titled ode to billie joe. Well, billy joe never had a lick osense, pass the biscuits please. My sincere regret is that i never purchased the album, merely the 45, which i still treasure. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe. Ode to billy joe bobbie gentry request quickly download main playlists. Country music circle bobbie gentry ode to billie joe. The mystery created by bobbie gentry in her debut single ode to billie joe cast a. If it is ever unearthed, it might or might not shed some light on the story in the song, which bobbie gentry always refused to discuss until she disappeared forever.
Which may explain the enduring power of her ode to billie joe. Words and music by bobbie gentry it was the third of june, another sleepy. Bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe 33 tara murtha on. I remember thinking that the family was unwittingly callous. Jul 01, 2016 ode to billie joe had started as an eightminute acoustic epic, scheduled as the bside of gentrys debut single before capitol records realised its potential. Bobbie gentry it was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton, and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we stopped. Set to a backing of spare acoustic guitar chords and atmospheric strings, gentry s sensual, southernfried voice relates the story of two mississippi teenage lovers who share a dark secret that eventually leads to the boys suicide. Try disabling any ad blockers and refreshing this page. Bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe by tara murtha goodreads. With her debut album, ode to billie joe, bobbie gentry knocked the beatles off the top of the charts and made herself a household name. One of these, a bobbie original called show off was an outtake from the ode to billie joe sessions. Dec 04, 2014 in the case of bobbie gentry s ode to billie joe, we readers get a very well researched history about bobbie gentry including her reclusive way of living, the making of that hit song and then background rather than technical details about the album and then gentry s foray into directing.
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