One of the most enduring hits of all time started with an apology. Singer-guitarist Wayne Carson was in Memphis working on a project while his wife stayed behind in Springfield, Missouri. The project had run 10 days past its initial completion date, and Carson’s wife was not thrilled. Calling to apologize, the songwriter said, “Well, I know I’ve been gone a lot, but I’ve been thinking about you all the time.” Inspiration struck, and Carson eventually completed the ballad “Always On My Mind” in late 1971 with the help of co-writers Johnny Christopher and Mark James. Nearly a decade later, outlaw country singer Willie Nelson would record perhaps the most recognizable version of the song. He turned “Always On My Mind” into a top 40 hit.
Nelson also named his 27th studio album for the tender tearjerker. And on this day (July 18) in 1982, Always On My Mind sat atop the Billboard country albums chart for its second number-one run of the year.
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The Title Track Still Makes Willie Nelson Cry
Although he was far from the first artist to record it, “Always On My Mind” has become the quintessential Willie Nelson song. In fact, the 93-year-old legend admitted it still brings a tear to his eye all these decades later.
Wayne Carson’s co-writer, Johnny Christopher, also played guitar on Pancho & Lefty, Nelson’s 1983 duet album with Merle Haggard.
As they were putting the finishing touches on Pancho & Lefty in the studio, Christopher played “Always On My Mind” for the outlaw country icons. Haggard was unmoved. Nelson, however, immediately loved the song. So he booked extra time in the studio to record a solo demo.
“We’ll never know what would have happened if Merle had really heard the song right,” Nelson said in his 1988 autobiography. “‘Always on My Mind’ bowled me over the moment I first heard it, which is one way I pick songs to record. There are beautifully sad songs that bowl me over… haunting melodies you can’t get out of your mind, with lines that really stick.”
The song quickly climbed to number one on Billboard‘s Hot Country Singles chart, where it stayed for two weeks. Nelson’s version of “Always On My Mind” was the chart’s best-performing single of 1982. It also fared well on the pop charts, reaching number 5 on the Hot 100.
The rest of the album consisted mainly of adult-contemporary and pop standards. Other tracks included “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.
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