John Wesley Ryles
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Ryles is an American country music
artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records
.
Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label, which produced a #39 single in its title track. It was followed by two non-album singles, "Tell It Like It Is" and "When a Man Loves a Woman," both on the Music Mill label in 1976.
He then moved to ABC Records
, releasing three albums for them as well as his highest-peaking single, the #5 "Once in a Lifetime Thing." When that label merged with MCA Records
, he issued the album Let the Night Begin there. It included a rendition of "Always on My Mind
."
Two more singles followed on the Primero label: "We've Got to Start Meeting Like This" and "Just Once," followed by "She Took It Too Well" on 16th Avenue Records
in 1984. The last label for which he recorded was Warner Bros. Records
between 1987 and 1988. Although he reached Top 20 with "Louisiana Rain" during his stay on Warner, he did not release an album for the label.
Since the release of his last single in 1988, Ryles has served primarily as a background vocalist and demo singer.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs
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...
) charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label, which produced a #39 single in its title track. It was followed by two non-album singles, "Tell It Like It Is" and "When a Man Loves a Woman," both on the Music Mill label in 1976.
He then moved to ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, releasing three albums for them as well as his highest-peaking single, the #5 "Once in a Lifetime Thing." When that label merged with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, he issued the album Let the Night Begin there. It included a rendition of "Always on My Mind
Always on My Mind
"Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers...
."
Two more singles followed on the Primero label: "We've Got to Start Meeting Like This" and "Just Once," followed by "She Took It Too Well" on 16th Avenue Records
16th Avenue Records
16th Avenue Records was an American independent record label specializing in country music, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in July 1986 by Jerry Bradley, who was then the head of Opryland Music Group and vice president of Opryland USA, as well as the former head of RCA...
in 1984. The last label for which he recorded was Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
between 1987 and 1988. Although he reached Top 20 with "Louisiana Rain" during his stay on Warner, he did not release an album for the label.
Since the release of his last single in 1988, Ryles has served primarily as a background vocalist and demo singer.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 1969 | Kay | 22 | Columbia |
| 1971 | Reconsider Me | — | Plantation |
| 1977 | John Wesley Ryles | 39 | ABC/Dot |
| 1978 | Shine on Me | — | ABC |
| Love's Sweet Pain | — | ||
| 1979 | Let the Night Begin | — | MCA |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country 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... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1968 | "Kay"A, B | 9 | 6 | Kay |
| 1969 | "Heaven Below"B | 55 | — | |
| 1970 | "The Weakest Kind of Man"B | 57 | — | |
| "I've Just Been Wasting My Time"B | 17 | 6 | ||
| 1971 | "Reconsider Me Reconsider Me "Reconsider Me" is a country/soul ballad written by Margaret Lewis and Mira Smith. The best known version is by American country music artist Narvel Felts. Released in 1975, it was the first single from his album Narvel Felts. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart... "B |
39 | — | Reconsider Me |
| 1976 | "Tell It Like It Is Tell It Like It Is "Tell It Like It Is" is a song written by George Davis and Lee Diamond. It was first recorded by Aaron Neville, who released the song as a single in 1966. It was issued at the end of the year on the Par-Lo label and became a hit, peaking at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number... " |
83 | — | John Wesley Ryles |
| "When a Man Loves a Woman" | 72 | — | ||
| 1977 | "Fool" | 18 | — | |
| "Once in a Lifetime Thing" | 5 | 9 | ||
| 1978 | "Shine on Me (The Sun Still Shines When It Rains)" | 13 | 14 | Shine on Me |
| "Easy" | 63 | — | single only | |
| "Kay" (re-release) | 50 | 55 | Shine on Me | |
| "Someday You Will" | 45 | — | Love's Sweet Pain | |
| 1979 | "Love Ain't Made for Fools" | 33 | 40 | |
| "Liberated Woman" | 14 | 17 | Let the Night Begin | |
| "You Are Always on My Mind Always on My Mind "Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers... " |
20 | 24 | ||
| 1980 | "Perfect Strangers" | 24 | — | |
| "May I Borrow Some Sugar from You" | 52 | — | singles only | |
| "Cheater's Trap" | 54 | — | ||
| 1981 | "Somewhere to Come When It Rains" | 80 | — | |
| "Mathilda" | 78 | — | ||
| 1982 | "We've Got to Start Meeting Like This" | 76 | — | |
| "Just Once" | 80 | — | ||
| 1984 | "She Took It Too Well" | 78 | — | |
| 1987 | "Midnight Blue" | 36 | — | |
| "Louisiana Rain" | 20 | — | ||
| 1988 | "Nobody Knows" | 53 | — | |
- APeaked at #83 on Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The 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...
and #88 on RPM Top Singles. - BCredited to John Wesley Ryles I.