I Wrote a Simple Song
Encyclopedia
This album continued Preston's inclusion of gospel-themed songs which had started with the 1967 album Club Meeting
. Preston's friend George Harrison
provided slide guitar
accompaniment on the title track.
The instrumental "Outa-Space
" won a Grammy Award
for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1973. It was also one of the clarion calls for the coming importance of the synthesizer
in popular music.
and Joe Greene, except where noted.
Club Meeting
Club Meeting is the third studio album by Billy Preston, released in 1967. Basically, it is a continuation of The Wildest Organ in Town!.In 2004, The Wildest Organ in Town! and Club Meeting were released together.-Track listing:...
. Preston's friend George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
provided slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
accompaniment on the title track.
The instrumental "Outa-Space
Outa-Space
"Outa-Space" is a Funk/R&B instrumental recorded by Billy Preston that originally appeared on his 1971 A&M Records-debut album, "I Wrote a Simple Song". Preston created the sound of "Outa-Space" by running the sound from a clavinet through a wah wah pedal and then improvising a groove while calling...
" won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1973. It was also one of the clarion calls for the coming importance of the synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
in popular music.
Track listing
All songs by Billy PrestonBilly Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
and Joe Greene, except where noted.
- "Should Have Known Better" – 2:28
- "I Wrote a Simple Song" – 3:28
- "John Henry" (Preston, Robert Sam) – 3:15
- "Without A Song" (William Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans) – 4:57
- "The Bus" – 3:32
- "Outa-SpaceOuta-Space"Outa-Space" is a Funk/R&B instrumental recorded by Billy Preston that originally appeared on his 1971 A&M Records-debut album, "I Wrote a Simple Song". Preston created the sound of "Outa-Space" by running the sound from a clavinet through a wah wah pedal and then improvising a groove while calling...
" – 4:08 - "The Looner Tune" (Preston, Joe Greene, Jesse Kirkland) – 2:47
- "You Done Got Older" (Preston, Bruce FisherBruce FisherBruce Fisher is an American songwriter, record producer, playwright and guitarist best known for his collaborations with Billy Preston.-Career:Born January 8, 1951, in Washington D.C., Fisher was raised in Chicago, Illinois, by his grandmother...
) – 3:08 - "Swing Down ChariotSwing Down Sweet ChariotSwing Down Sweet Chariot is a traditional spiritual song, a humorous variation of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.Popularised by the Golden Gate Quartet in the 1940s, it was recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1960 album His Hand in Mine then recorded for his 1969 film The Trouble with Girls. This latter...
" (trad arr by Preston and Greene) – 4:13 - "God Is Great" – 3:32
- "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (rrad) – 4:27
Personnel
- Billy Preston - keyboards, vocals
- David T. WalkerDavid T. WalkerDavid T. Walker is an American guitarist born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued over twelve albums in his own name.-Career:...
, George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
- guitar - Manuel Kellough - drums
- King Errisson - percussion
- Rocky Peoples - tenor saxophone
- Charles Garnette - trumpet
- Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
- string & horn arrangements - Clydie KingClydie KingClydie Crittendon is an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist....
, Douglas Gibbs, Duane Rogers, Eugene Bryant, Jesse Kirkland, Merry ClaytonMerry ClaytonMerry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer , and an actress...
, Merna Matthews, Patrice HollowayPatrice HollowayPatrice Holloway was an African-American soul and pop singer.-Career:Patrice Yvonne Holloway was born on March 23, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of three children born to Wade Holloway, Sr. and his wife, the former Johnnie Mae Fossett...
, Sherrell Atwood, Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
- background vocals
Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 1972 | I Wrote A Simple Song | 32 | 9 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance |
||
| 1972 | "I Wrote A Simple Song" | 77 | — | — |
| "Outta-Space" | 2 | 1 | — | |
| "The Bus" | — | 43 | — | |