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242:(at the time Elvis Presley’s bassist). Soon afterwards "Honky-Tonk Man" was released as a single (Columbia label: 4-21504) paired with another song from the same session, "I'm Ready if You're Willing". Live shows were subsequently arranged to advertise the single, with the band featuring Tillman Franks on bass and
222:
was broadcast) to pitch three of his songs to Johnny Horton. Horton and his manager, Tillman Franks, liked the up-tempo "Honky-Tonk Man", but before it was recorded a deal was negotiated to include Horton and Franks in the publishing royalties (both of whom may have assisted in re-fashioning the
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The lyrics of the song are narrated in the first-person ("I'm a honky-tonk man"), describing a life of drinking and dancing with young women in honky-tonk bars; the account suggests a compulsive or addictive quality to the protagonist's lifestyle ("I can’t seem to stop"). The chorus of the song
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The wine, women and song attractions exert a powerful hold on the singer, he admits. The funky sound and pounding beat in the backing suggest the kind of atmosphere he describes. A very good jukebox record.
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Song-writing credits for "Honky-Tonk Man" have been attributed to Johnny Horton, Howard Hausey and
Tillman Franks. In late-1955 Hausey, an aspiring songwriter, went to Shreveport, Louisiana (from where the
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juxtaposes the narrator’s obsessive and exuberant behaviour with what happens when his "money’s all gone" ("I’m on the telephone callin’: ‘hey hey mama, can your daddy come home?’").
209:, and the album of the same name reaching number 9 on the U.S. country singles charts. Horton re-released the song six years later, taking it to number 11 on the same chart.
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The song debuted at number 74 on the country chart dated March 1, 1986. It charted for 24 weeks on that chart, and peaked at number 3 on the chart dated June 14, 1986.
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released his version of the song as his debut single in 1986. Yoakam's version peaked at number 3 on the
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took a cover version to number 22 on the country charts. It was included on his album
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258:(10 March 1956). The review commented on "Honky-Tonk Man" in the following terms:
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This was Yoakam's first music video, and it was directed and produced by
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studio in
Nashville. Session musicians on the recording were
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205:. It was released in March 1956 as his debut single on
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is a song co-written and recorded by
American singer
226:"Honky-Tonk Man" was recorded on 11 January 1956 at
811:When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)
736:"Dwight Yoakam Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
700:"Johnny Horton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
1390:
1017:
859:
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718:"Bob Luman Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
1313:Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's
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1469:Song recordings produced by Pete Anderson
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662:The Billboard book of Top 40 country hits
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1454:Music videos directed by Sherman Halsey
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573:chart; it appears on his debut album,
52:"I'm Ready, If You're Willing"/"Words"
1177:Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose
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847:
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664:. Billboard Books. pp. 161–162.
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16:1956 song performed by Johnny Horton
1474:Song recordings produced by Don Law
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14:
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1311:Last Chance for a Thousand Years:
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1124:Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room
571:Hot Country Singles & Tracks
355:Is It Any Wonder That I Love You
1459:Songs written by Tillman Franks
1464:Songs written by Johnny Horton
1323:Crazy Little Thing Called Love
1045:Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
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576:Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
428:Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
1:
1234:A Thousand Miles from Nowhere
960:Lonely Women Make Good Lovers
888:Lonely Women Make Good Lovers
873:
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212:
1112:Always Late with Your Kisses
939:Every Day I Have to Cry Some
932:Ain't Got Time to Be Unhappy
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1345:What Do You Know About Love
254:The single was reviewed in
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1198:It Only Hurts When I Cry
918:I Like Your Kind of Love
904:Let's Think About Living
1449:Reprise Records singles
1335:Tomorrow's Sounds Today
83:Mount Juliet, Tennessee
1205:The Heart That You Own
1191:Nothing's Changed Here
1134:Streets of Bakersfield
264:
1352:I Want You to Want Me
1227:Ain't That Lonely Yet
565:Country music singer
393:Dwight Yoakam version
260:
1444:Epic Records singles
1377:Who'll Stop the Rain
19:For other uses, see
1434:Dwight Yoakam songs
1424:Johnny Horton songs
1105:Please, Please Baby
804:I'm a One-Woman Man
184:I'm a One-Woman Man
1419:1986 debut singles
1404:1956 debut singles
1167:If There Was a Way
1062:Guitars, Cadillacs
551:Guitars, Cadillacs
529:singles chronology
250:Critical reception
162:singles chronology
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1255:Pocket of a Clown
1143:
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967:Neither One of Us
953:When You Say Love
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677:"Howard Crockett"
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605:Hot Country Songs
583:Chart performance
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375:Hot Country Songs
345:Bob Luman version
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327:Hot Country Songs
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295:Hot Country Songs
276:Chart performance
220:Louisiana Hayride
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1370:Suspicious Minds
1137:
1081:Hillbilly Deluxe
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825:Sink the Bismark
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660:Whitburn, Joel.
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450:January 27, 1986
442:"Miner's Prayer"
439:
409:
400:"Honky Tonk Man"
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207:Columbia Records
199:"Honky-Tonk Man"
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68:January 11, 1956
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29:"Honky-Tonk Man"
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25:
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1429:Bob Luman songs
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1289:A Long Way Home
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625:Country Tracks
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507:, Howard Hausey
503:Johnny Horton,
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425:from the album
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244:Tommy Tomlinson
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1091:Little Sister
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1069:It Won't Hurt
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974:The Pay Phone
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782:Johnny Horton
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593:Chart (1986)
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567:Dwight Yoakam
552:
548:
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539:
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527:Dwight Yoakam
524:
521:
520:Pete Anderson
518:
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498:Songwriter(s)
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419:Dwight Yoakam
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363:Chart (1970)
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315:Chart (1962)
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283:Chart (1956)
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39:Johnny Horton
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1414:1970 singles
1409:1962 singles
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1148:I Sang Dixie
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991:Sue Thompson
984:Related acts
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680:. Retrieved
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232:Grady Martin
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174:
1241:Fast as You
1098:Little Ways
635:Music video
514:Producer(s)
246:on guitar.
147:Producer(s)
1399:1956 songs
1393:Categories
1140:Buck Owens
647:References
240:Bill Black
213:Background
95:Rockabilly
60:March 1956
1217:This Time
1155:I Got You
875:Bob Luman
741:Billboard
723:Billboard
705:Billboard
682:2 January
621:Canadian
610:Billboard
598:position
380:Billboard
368:position
351:Bob Luman
349:In 1970,
332:Billboard
320:position
300:Billboard
288:position
256:Billboard
223:melody).
447:Released
123:Columbia
65:Recorded
57:Released
1277:Nothing
1036:singles
896:Singles
789:Singles
555:(1986)
546:(1986)
489:Reprise
461:Country
267:Content
188:(1956)
179:(1956)
153:Don Law
1138:(With
882:Albums
467:Length
437:B-side
415:Single
101:Length
74:Studio
47:B-side
35:Single
1362:Other
484:Label
456:Genre
118:Label
90:Genre
1267:Gone
684:2014
596:Peak
491:8793
366:Peak
318:Peak
286:Peak
234:and
744:.
726:.
708:.
623:RPM
603:US
417:by
386:22
373:US
338:11
325:US
293:US
37:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.