Amarillo By morning:
A song written by Terry Stafford & Paul Fraser in the middle of 1973, Terry was the first to record the song for the Atlantic label, and produced by Blake Mevis, the song was included on the album, Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose (Atlantic Records 1973), the George Strait version was recorded on April 13, 1982, and was released January 14, 1983, it was also produced by Blake Mevis, and being included on the album, Strait from the Heart (MCA 1982).
The story behind the song :
Terry Stafford started as a rock and roll singer, in 1964 he recorded a track on the label Crusader Records, “Suspicion “, Theme that Elvis recorded in 1962, and which was included on the album” Pot Luck “, but RCA, never released it as a single. When Stafford covered the Crusader Records song two years later, “Suspicion” became an instant hit.
Terry could not find a follow-up to his great album and soon faded from the rock music scene, but he did not go out of business. He went to California, where he dedicated himself to composing songs, I also work as an actor in movies and television. Until in 1969, Buck Owens, took one of the themes of Stafford to the hit lists, “Big in Vegas.” This encouraged Stafford to return to his roots. In 1973, he signed a contract with Atlantic Records, he wanted to make his mark in Nashville, writing songs.
At the same time, another old rocker, joined the record label, both in need of economic stability and tired of traveling by road, joined their talent to compose together. One day Paul was contacted to compose a musical score, for a movie, so that Paul and Terry, started working on it every morning. One night Terry watching television saw a parcel delivery commercial, in which it was said that a package could be delivered the next morning in any part, even in Amarillo, Texas. That phrase was recorded, Amarillo by the morning (maybe because he was from Amarillo), so he decided to write a song about Amarillo.
That same night Terry called Paul, and explained the idea, and they stayed for the next morning to start writing it, but Paul could not wait, ideas kept coming up to write it, so he picked up paper and pencil and started writing it in the kitchen table, and in one hour it was finished. The next morning Paul delivered the finished song, Terry liked it a lot, and in a few weeks Terry recorded, Amarillo by morning, the song was very well recorded, and came to lists in the position 31, when the song left the lists of billboard, the song continued playing on the Texas charts, becoming an anthem. But Terry did not like to act in public, and he preferred to stop singing and do what he was better at composing.
The song became so famous in Texas, that it was sung by all the local bands, a specific band receives every night the requests of the public to sing, Amarillo by morning, this young singer of the band was George Strait, in Pearsall, Texas. At the end of the 70s George was willing to give up music and dedicate himself to livestock, but we must thank an old contact who intervened and changed the course of the history of country music, Erv Woolsey.
Erve had directed from the place where George and his band were playing and now he was promotions executive for MCA Records, he convinced George to do an audition with MCA. The record company thought that its sound George Strait, would be too country, for the new audience, but still the contract was signed.
Strait holds the record for number one albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multi-platinum in the history of country music, and is eleventh in the number one albums in all other genres. Strait is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music.Strait has been certified as the twelfth best-selling artist in American history, with career record sales of 70 million.
George Strait – Amarillo By Morning Lyrics
Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone
Everything that I’ve got is just what I’ve got on
When that sun is high in that Texas sky
I’ll be bucking it to county fair
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo I’ll be there
They took my saddle in Houston, broke my leg in Santa Fe
Lost my wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way
Well I’ll be looking for eight when they pull that gate
And I’m hoping that judge ain’t blind
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo’s on my mind
Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone
Everything that I’ve got is just what I’ve got on
I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine
I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo’s where I’ll be
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo’s where I’ll be