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On This Day in 1960, Jim Reeves Topped the Country Charts With a Song He Thought Painted “A Very Pathetic Picture”
Country music wouldn’t be what it is today without Jim Reeves, who remained a chart mainstay even after his death in a 1964 plane crash. Known as “Gentleman Jim,” the East Texas native sent 13 songs to the pinnacle of the country singles chart. On this day (April 25) in 1960, he was back on top with “He’ll Have to Go”, which spent 14 weeks at No. 1 beginning in February.
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Jim Reeves Brought His “Velvet Touch” to This Song
Written by husband-wife duo Joe and Audrey Allison, “He’ll Have to Go” is about a man talking by telephone to his partner when he realizes another man is with her. In the second verse, he gives the woman a choice. Though love is blind, make up your mind, I’ve got to know / Should I hang up or will you tell him, he’ll have to go?
These lyrics are inspired by a real-life conversation between the Allisons. Due to background noise and Audrey’s soft-spoken nature, her husband had to ask her to put her mouth very close to the receiver. This inspired the song’s opening line: Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone.
Clearly, many listeners were enchanted by the quietly devastating romance of “He’ll Have to Go”. In addition to topping the country charts, the song also reached No. 2 on the all-genre Hot 100.
As for Jim Reeves, he found the ballad’s ubiquity baffling. “I can’t really tell you what the reason for that tune’s popularity was, except that I get the very pathetic picture of the old fellow standing in the telephone booth, about half plastered, talking with his girl, asking her to run the other guy off,” Reeves said, according to Rolling Stone Australia. “Makes for pretty good listening though, I guess.”
He Couldn’t Wait to Release It
Still, Reeves was a seasoned performer by then, thanks to No. 1 hits like “Mexican Joe” (1953) and “Four Walls” (1957). He had a good idea of what would resonate with country music audiences, and he was pretty confident that “He’ll Have to Go” was one of them.
Rockabilly singer Billy Brown originally recorded the song. Despite advice from others to wait and see if Brown’s version gained any attraction, Jim Reeves insisted on recording it.
“This is going to be the big one,” he said. “No matter what I’ve done in the past, or ever will do, ‘He’ll Have to Go’ is going’ to be the one that will live on.”
Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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