On this day (July 17) in 1960, Brenda Lee scored her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I’m Sorry.” The song spent three weeks at the top and performed favorably on other charts as well. More importantly, it was one of the first examples of Owen Bradley’s “Nashville Sound” production style, which favored backing vocals and lush string arrangements.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I’m Sorry” became a smash hit for Lee. It topped the pop charts and peaked at No. 4 on the R&B chart. It also landed within the top 20 in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Canada, and went to No. 1 in New Zealand, adding another international hit to the young singer’s resume.
[RELATED: 5 Stellar Brenda Lee Songs (That Aren’t “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”)]
Lee’s age prompted Decca Records executives to reconsider releasing the song. “I’m Sorry” is a song about unrequited love. As a result, they wondered if a 15-year-old singer was truly mature enough to take on the song. As a result, they held the single for months before finally deciding to release it, according to Songfacts.
Brenda Lee and the “Nashville Sound”
Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, and a handful of other influential producers pioneered the production style now referred to as the Nashville Sound in the late 1950s. At the time, country music’s sales were faltering after the introduction of rock and roll. In a bid to revive the genre, Atkins and his contemporaries removed many of what they saw as the rougher elements from country music and replaced them with more accessible sounds.
The Nashville Sound replaced pedal steel and fiddle with backing vocals and lush string arrangements. The new style had more in common with pop music from the 1950s than it did with country music at the time. However, it sold, and that’s what mattered at the time. When asked to describe the Nashville Sound, Atkins famously put his hand in his pocket and jingled change. “That’s what it is,” he replied. “It’s the sound of money.”
Brenda Lee was one of the first artists to release music in the new lucrative style, but she was far from the first. Music historians argue over who was the first Nashville Sound artist. Jim Reeves, Don Gibson, and Elvis Presley are all contenders for the title. Atkins, an originator of the style, pointed to Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me” as the first of its kind.
Featured Image by Don Cravens/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.