Honey (Bobby Goldsboro song)
Encyclopedia
"Honey," also known as "Honey (I Miss You)," is a song written by Bobby Russell
. He first produced it with former Kingston Trio member Bob Shane
. Then he gave it to American singer Bobby Goldsboro
who recorded it for his tenth album Honey.
The song's narrator mourns his deceased lover, beginning with him looking at a tree in their garden, remembering how "it was just a twig" on the day she planted it (with his disapproval). This single about the loss of a loved one hit #1 the week Martin Luther King, Jr.
was assassinated in Memphis.
in the U.S. in 1968 (see 1968 in music
) and spent five weeks at #1 the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart
, from April 7 to May 11 (the 200th song to do so), and three weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles
chart. It was preceded on the Billboard Hot 100 by "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
" by Otis Redding
and was followed by Archie Bell & the Drells
' "Tighten Up." It was Goldsboro's only #1 hit on the Pop Singles and Country Singles charts and it was his first song to top the Adult Contemporary chart
. "Honey" reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
and a re-release of the single in England
in 1975 (see 1975 in music
) reached #2 again. In Australia, it spent four weeks at #1 on the ARIA Charts
, replacing The Beatles
' "Lady Madonna
", and was the #6 song of 1968.
(the falsetto
singer from the group The Newbeats
) walked in to talk to him.
Larry Henley had said that he had just heard this nice new song that Bobby Russell had played for him. Bobby Russell's office at Acuff-Rose Music was right across the street from where Goldsboro lived. So they went over to Bobby Russell's office. Russell told them the song was called "Honey" and played it on a guitar for Henley and Goldsboro. At the end of the song, Henley said it was a great song. Goldsboro just thought that the song "didn't do anything for him," he later remembered. And Goldsboro walked back to his apartment.
A few weeks later, he was with his new producer, Bob Montgomery (his producer had been Jack Gold, who produced "Little Things," "See The Funny Little Clown," and most of his pre-'68 songs). Montgomery and Goldsboro were sitting around and thinking about new songs that he could sing. Then, in an ironic twist of fate, Montgomery took him over to Bobby Russell's office again, and the three were brainstorming until at last Goldsboro said "How about that ... song you played for me the other day?" Russell said, "You mean 'Honey'?" Goldsboro replied "Yes, I think so." So Russell played the song for Montgomery and Goldsboro, with another guitar, and it just "floored them both." Goldsboro was delighted. He asked Russell if he could try singing the song as a possibility of a new hit. However, Russell told him Bob Shane, from the group The Kingston Trio
already had recorded the song. It was already getting a little bit of airplay on radio stations. Russell said to Bobby Goldsboro that it was in top 20 in the music charts down in Texas. Russell told Goldsboro that he could have a try at the song if Shane's record flopped. Nothing happened for Shane, so Bobby Goldsboro recorded "Honey," and it became a #1 hit in April 1968. (Summarized from liner notes by Steve Kolanjian from "The Best Of Bobby Goldsboro: Honey by Bobby Goldsboro," September 1991, issued by Capitol-EMI Records, available on CD).
Bobby Russell wrote several other songs, including Vicki Lawrence
's The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
and the O.C. Smith's Little Green Apples
. From June 1972 until November 1974 he was married to Lawrence (who played Mama Thelma Harper on the TV sitcom Mama's Family
in the 1980s). He died of a heart attack on November 19, 1992, age 52 in Nicholasville, Kentucky
.
Larry Henley later wrote the song The Wind Beneath My Wings. He still lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
reported that the song frequently appears on "worst songs of all-time" lists, and in April 2006, Todd Leopold of CNN
named it the "Worst Song of All Time." Critics point out that the singer was actually quite mean to his Honey, pointing to lyrics including: she was "kinda dumb and kinda smart"; she "Came runnin' in all excited, Slipped and almost hurt herself, And I laughed till I cried."; his obliviousness to her emotional state "...caught her crying needlessly"; and culminating in her possible suicide "One day while I was not at home, While she was there and all alone, The angels came". Nonetheless, it remains heavily played on the radio and has been cover
ed many times. In the 1970s when British radio DJ Tony Blackburn
was going through his divorce with his wife Tessa Wyatt
, he regularly played "Honey" and would comment live on air about how much he missed his wife. This was parodied in the "mockumentary" Smashie and Nicey
: The End of an Era.
Bobby Russell
Bobby Russell was an American singer and songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, including the crossover pop hit "Saturday Morning Confusion." Russell was also married to singer and actress Vicki Lawrence from 1972 to 1974.-Career:Russell wrote...
. He first produced it with former Kingston Trio member Bob Shane
Bob Shane
Bob Shane is an American singer and guitarist and, with Nick Reynolds' passing in October 2008, the only surviving founding member of The Kingston Trio. In that capacity, Shane became a seminal figure in the revival of folk and other acoustic music as a popular art form in the U.S...
. Then he gave it to American singer Bobby Goldsboro
Bobby Goldsboro
Bobby Goldsboro is an American country and pop singer-songwriter. He had a string of Pop and Country hits during the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature #1 classic "Honey," which sold well over one million copies in the United States.-Early life:Goldsboro was born in Marianna, Florida...
who recorded it for his tenth album Honey.
The song's narrator mourns his deceased lover, beginning with him looking at a tree in their garden, remembering how "it was just a twig" on the day she planted it (with his disapproval). This single about the loss of a loved one hit #1 the week Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
was assassinated in Memphis.
Release
It was released as a singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the U.S. in 1968 (see 1968 in music
1968 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.*January 6 – Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design....
) and spent five weeks at #1 the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, from April 7 to May 11 (the 200th song to do so), and three weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. It was preceded on the Billboard Hot 100 by "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
" The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Otis Redding in 1967, just days before his death. It was released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968, becoming the first posthumous number-one single in U.S...
" by Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
and was followed by Archie Bell & the Drells
Archie Bell & the Drells
Archie Bell & the Drells was a R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records...
' "Tighten Up." It was Goldsboro's only #1 hit on the Pop Singles and Country Singles charts and it was his first song to top the Adult Contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
. "Honey" reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and a re-release of the single in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1975 (see 1975 in music
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
) reached #2 again. In Australia, it spent four weeks at #1 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, replacing The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Lady Madonna
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
", and was the #6 song of 1968.
The Story Behind "Honey"
One day in early 1968, Bobby Goldsboro was sitting at home in his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee, when Larry HenleyLarry Henley
Larry Henley is an American singer and songwriter, born June 30, 1941 in Arp, Texas. He is perhaps best known for co-writing the 1989 hit record, "Wind Beneath My Wings". The single was a U.S...
(the falsetto
singer from the group The Newbeats
The Newbeats
The Newbeats were a popular music vocal trio, best known for their 1964 hit, "Bread and Butter", which was released on the Hickory Records label.-Members:The group's members were:*Larry Henley...
) walked in to talk to him.
Larry Henley had said that he had just heard this nice new song that Bobby Russell had played for him. Bobby Russell's office at Acuff-Rose Music was right across the street from where Goldsboro lived. So they went over to Bobby Russell's office. Russell told them the song was called "Honey" and played it on a guitar for Henley and Goldsboro. At the end of the song, Henley said it was a great song. Goldsboro just thought that the song "didn't do anything for him," he later remembered. And Goldsboro walked back to his apartment.
A few weeks later, he was with his new producer, Bob Montgomery (his producer had been Jack Gold, who produced "Little Things," "See The Funny Little Clown," and most of his pre-'68 songs). Montgomery and Goldsboro were sitting around and thinking about new songs that he could sing. Then, in an ironic twist of fate, Montgomery took him over to Bobby Russell's office again, and the three were brainstorming until at last Goldsboro said "How about that ... song you played for me the other day?" Russell said, "You mean 'Honey'?" Goldsboro replied "Yes, I think so." So Russell played the song for Montgomery and Goldsboro, with another guitar, and it just "floored them both." Goldsboro was delighted. He asked Russell if he could try singing the song as a possibility of a new hit. However, Russell told him Bob Shane, from the group The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
already had recorded the song. It was already getting a little bit of airplay on radio stations. Russell said to Bobby Goldsboro that it was in top 20 in the music charts down in Texas. Russell told Goldsboro that he could have a try at the song if Shane's record flopped. Nothing happened for Shane, so Bobby Goldsboro recorded "Honey," and it became a #1 hit in April 1968. (Summarized from liner notes by Steve Kolanjian from "The Best Of Bobby Goldsboro: Honey by Bobby Goldsboro," September 1991, issued by Capitol-EMI Records, available on CD).
Bobby Russell wrote several other songs, including Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedienne, and Billboard Hot 100 #1 singer, who was frequently a game show panelist in the 1970s and 1980s...
's The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a Southern Gothic song written by songwriter Bobby Russell and performed in 1972 by his then-wife Vicki Lawrence...
and the O.C. Smith's Little Green Apples
Little Green Apples
"Little Green Apples" is a song written by Bobby Russell which was most successful as a 1968 hit single by O. C. Smith.According to Buzz Cason, who partnered Bobby Russell in the Nashville-based Rising Sons music publishing firm, Russell wrote both the songs "Honey" and "Little Green Apples" as "an...
. From June 1972 until November 1974 he was married to Lawrence (who played Mama Thelma Harper on the TV sitcom Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
in the 1980s). He died of a heart attack on November 19, 1992, age 52 in Nicholasville, Kentucky
Nicholasville, Kentucky
Nicholasville is the 11th largest city in state of Kentucky and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 19,680 at the 2000 census...
.
Larry Henley later wrote the song The Wind Beneath My Wings. He still lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reception
The Cincinnati EnquirerThe Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
reported that the song frequently appears on "worst songs of all-time" lists, and in April 2006, Todd Leopold of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
named it the "Worst Song of All Time." Critics point out that the singer was actually quite mean to his Honey, pointing to lyrics including: she was "kinda dumb and kinda smart"; she "Came runnin' in all excited, Slipped and almost hurt herself, And I laughed till I cried."; his obliviousness to her emotional state "...caught her crying needlessly"; and culminating in her possible suicide "One day while I was not at home, While she was there and all alone, The angels came". Nonetheless, it remains heavily played on the radio and has been cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
ed many times. In the 1970s when British radio DJ Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
was going through his divorce with his wife Tessa Wyatt
Tessa Wyatt
Tessa Wyatt is an English actress who first came to the public spotlight through her marriage to Tony Blackburn. She later starred in the sitcom Robin's Nest.-Early life:...
, he regularly played "Honey" and would comment live on air about how much he missed his wife. This was parodied in the "mockumentary" Smashie and Nicey
Smashie and Nicey
Mike Smash and Dave Nice were two fictional television characters who first appeared in the early 1990s TV sketch show Harry Enfield's Television Programme. They were played by comedians Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield respectively...
: The End of an Era.
Cover versions
- Ray ConniffRay ConniffJoseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
and The Singers (Honey, 1968) - Ed AmesEd AmesEd Ames is an American popular singer and actor. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over." He was part of a popular 1950s singing group called The Ames Brothers.-Early life:Born in Malden,...
(1968) - SandroSandro de AméricaRoberto Julio Sánchez , better known by his artist names Sandro/Sandro de América , Gitano , and the Argentine Elvis, was an Argentine singer and actor.-Biography:...
(1968) ("Querida" - "Quiero llenarme de ti", 1968) - Björn UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
(Swedish-language version called Raring, 1968) - Eddy ArnoldEddy ArnoldRichard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
(Romantic World of Eddy Arnold, 1968) - Percy FaithPercy FaithPercy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
(Angel of the Morning-Hit Themes for Young Lovers, 1968) - David HoustonDavid Houston (singer)Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.-Biography:...
(Already It's Heaven, 1968) - John D. LoudermilkJohn D. LoudermilkJohn D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
(Country Love Songs Plain and Simply Sung, 1968) - Charlie LouvinCharlie LouvinCharles Elzer Loudermilk , known professionally as Charlie Louvin, was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known as one of the Louvin Brothers, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955.-Biography:Born in Henagar, Alabama, Louvin was one of 7 children...
(Will You Visit Me on Sunday, 1968) - Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
(A Tender Look at Love, 1968) - Jimmy C. NewmanJimmy C. NewmanJimmy Yves Newman , better known as Jimmy C. Newman , is an American singer and a long time star of the Grand Ole Opry.-Biography:Newman was born near Big Mamou, Louisiana...
(Born to Love You, 1968) - Gary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union Gap was an American pop rock group operating in the late 1960s...
(Young Girl, 1968) - Nana MouskouriNana MouskouriNana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
(Les arbres sont en fleurs, 1968) - Tammy WynetteTammy WynetteVirginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
(I miss you, 1968) - Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
(Gentle on My MindGentle on My Mind (Dean Martin album)Gentle on My Mind is an album by Dean Martin, produced by Jimmy Bowen and arranged by Ernie Freeman, and released in November 1968 on the Reprise label. The album peaked at #14 in the United States and #9 in the United Kingdom...
, 1968) - Leon AshleyLeon AshleyLeon Walton is an American country music artist, known profressionally as Leon Ashley. He is known mainly for his number 1 single "Laura ", which topped the country singles charts in 1967. This single was distributed on his own label...
(Mental Journey, 1969) - Jack GreeneJack GreeneJack Greene is an American country musician nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant" and well known for his 1966 hit "There Goes My Everything."-Early career:...
(Love Takes Care of Me, 1969) - Hank SnowHank SnowClarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
(Hits Covered by Snow, 1969) - Lynn AndersonLynn AndersonLynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
(Big Girls Don't Cry, 1971) - OrionOrion (singer)Orion was the stage name of rockabilly singer Jimmy Ellis. Following the death of Elvis Presley in August 1977, Ellis dressed and sang in the manner of Presley and wore a mask during public appearances, fueling speculation that Presley had faked his death and returned to singing...
(Reborn, 1978) - Jim NaborsJim NaborsJames Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
(Country Side of Jim Nabors, 1994) - Roger WhittakerRoger WhittakerRoger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
(Feelings, 1994) - Sil AustinSil austinSil Austin was an American jazz saxophonist. He had his biggest success in an overtly commercial rather than jazz vein, but he regarded Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Sonny Stitt as his major influences....
(Great Sax, 1995) - Lawrence WelkLawrence WelkLawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
(Upstairs at Larry's: Lawrence Welk Uncorked, 2004) - Hana ZagorovaHana ZagorováHana Zagorová is a Czech female singer who has been recording since 1964. She has written the lyrics to around fifty of her recorded songs. Nine times she was listed number one in the national Zlaty Slavík popularity chart.Since 1992 she has been married to opera singer Štefan...
(Hany, 1973) - Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
(Honey, 1968) - Daniel O'Donell (From Daniel With Love, 2004)
- Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
(Take me back to Laine Country, 1968)
Chart performance
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
See also
- Hot 100 number-one hits of 1968 (USA)Hot 100 number-one hits of 1968 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine Hot 100 number one hits of 1968.-See also:*1968 in music*List of number-one hits *Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1968...
- List of songs in English labeled the worst ever