56 Years Ago: Glen Campbell Records ‘Gentle on My Mind’

On May 17, 1967, Glen Campbell had a day that changed his career, though he probably didn’t know it at the time. The singer recorded “Gentle on My Mind” on that date, which became the albuam’s title track in August 1967.”Gentle on My Mind” was written by John Hartford. So the rumor goes, the tunesmith penned the track after watching the movie Doctor Zhivago.

“Everyone’s made a whole lot out of that,” Hartford said of his inspiration for the tune. “I know it gave me a feeling that caused me to start writing, but as far as saying it came from that, I don’t know. It just came from experience. While I was writing it, if I had any idea that was going to be a hit, it probably would have come out differently, and it wouldn’t have been a hit. That just came real fast, a blaze, a blur.”

Campbell knew that he wanted to record “Gentle on My Mind” from the very first time he heard it. Hoping to convince his producer, Al De Lory, and record label, Capitol Records, Campbell gathered session players on his own, including then-rising star Leon Russell, to record a demo version of the song. The record label was so taken with the recording that the demo version was released as a single, and it became one of the biggest hits of Campbell’s iconic career.

7 Songs You Didn’t Know Glen Campbell Played On

Glen Campbell’s name is legendary in country music thanks to his iconic hit songs, but he’s also a major figure in music as a whole due to his crossover hits and, especially, because of his work as a session musician. Whether fans know it or not, Campbell left his mark on myriad songs in the 1960s, before and as he was starting his solo career.

When Campbell moved to Los Angeles in 1960, he got a job as a writer and demo singer / player for a publishing company; that led to work as a session musician. Campbell became part of the Wrecking Crew, an in-demand group of session players who worked on songs for everyone from Sonny & Cher to Frank Sinatra. They were producer Phil Spector’s go-to house band, but were sometimes uncredited players; the late Leon Russell was also a member.

The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”
A Phil Spector-produced and -co-written song, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” became a hit for the Righteous Brothers following its release in the fall of 1964. The song is a prime example of Spector’s “Wall of Sound” technique, for which he used the Wrecking Crew. Campbell later included his own version of this song on his 2014 album ‘Love & Live.’

Roger Miller’s “Dang Me”
This song’s a Grammys winner for Best Country & Western Song. Miller and Campbell were good friends, too; in fact, Campbell served as best man at one of Miller’s weddings.

The Monkees’ “Mary, Mary”
The Wrecking Crew were prominent players in the Monkees’ studio work, including “Mary, Mary,” from the Monkees’ sophomore album. In fact, on the group’s debut album, the music is largely performed by session musicians, including Campbell.

Elvis Presley’s “What’d I Say”
Originally recorded and released by Ray Charles, “What’d I Say” found its way onto the soundtrack to Presley’s movie ‘Viva Las Vegas’. Campbell also sang a few demos for Presley — though he did not, in fact, play on the song “Viva Las Vegas.” That’s a popular misconception.

Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night”
Campbell played guitar throughout Sinatra’s 1966 album ‘Strangers in the Night’, including on its No. 1 title track. Campbell once admitted to being so starstruck during the experience that he couldn’t help but stare.

Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”
Campbell plays guitar and sings harmony on this famous Haggard tune.

The Beach Boys’ “Caroline, No”
Campbell actually plays on five songs from ‘Pet Sounds’, not to mention hits such as “Fun, Fun, Fun.” In 1964 and ’65, Campbell even toured with the Beach Boys, filling in for an ailing Brian Wilson. He spent four months on the road with the band before Bruce Johnston took over.