On this day (June 11) in 1965, Buck Owens was on a long run at No. 1 with I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail. The LP’s 13-week stay at the top of the chart was just a fraction of a months-long streak that started in late 1964 and included three albums. Owens built the album around the No. 1 song that his friend and co-writer, Harlan Howard, believed would be a flop.
Owens famously had a massive streak of No. 1 singles in the 1960s. It started with “Act Naturally” in 1963 and ended with “Your Tender Loving Care” in 1967. The streak gave him 14 of the 18 chart-toppers he accrued before the end of the decade. While his string of No. 1 albums isn’t as long, it is still impressive. Moreover, it illustrates the chokehold Owens had on the charts at his peak.
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Together Again/My Heart Skips a Beat reached the top of the country albums chart dated November 21, 1964. It spent seven weeks at No. 1. On January 9, I Don’t Care reached the top of the chart, extending Owens’ reign by 13 weeks. I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail bumped I Don’t Care out of the top, starting its 13-week stay at the top on April 10. This gave him a grand total of 33 consecutive weeks atop the tally.
Buck Owens Knew a Hit When He Heard It
Buck Owens had a great ear for hits, no matter who wrote them. “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” is a great example of that. He co-wrote it with Harlan Howard during a long road trip. Weeks later, Howard was horrified to learn that Owens was actually going to record it.
As the story goes, they were driving through Texas, hoping to write a few songs while on the road. However, they were short on ideas. Then, Owens saw an Esso gas station sign. The brand’s slogan, “Put a tiger in your tank,” struck him. He knew there was a good idea for a song in that phrase. He just had to get to it.
Owens had been talking about the idea for days when Howard, who was stretched out in the back seat of the car while Owens drove, got tired of hearing about it. He sarcastically tossed out a few lines. “Here’s your lyric,” he said, believing he’d put an end to the conversation.
Roughly a week later, Owens called Howard and told him he’d finished the song and was getting ready to record it. Howard didn’t believe the song had hit potential and feared it would kill the momentum Owens had built. As a result, he tried to convince him to scrap the song.
“I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” spent five weeks at No. 1 after debuting at No. 8.
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