On This Day in 1966, Jim Reeves Was at No. 1 With a Posthumous Hit That Blocked a Beatles Classic’s Rise to the Top

On this day (May 20) in 1966, Jim Reeves was at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “Distant Drums,” where it spent four consecutive weeks. It topped the UK Singles Chart, giving Reeves his only chart-topper across the pond. Unfortunately, Reeves wasn’t there to see the song’s success. He died in a plane crash in July 1964.

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“Distant Drums” became Reeves’ most successful posthumous single when it topped the UK Singles Chart. The competition the song had during its five-week run at No. 1 illustrates just how popular it was in the United Kingdom. Notably, it blocked the Beatles’ double A-side single featuring “Yellow Submarine” and “Eleanor Rigby” from reaching the top spot.

Jim Reeves Didn’t Plan to Release “Distant Drums”

While several artists, including Roy Orbison, have recorded “Distant Drums,” Jim Reeves recorded the definitive version. It is also the most successful and enduring recording of the Cindy Walker-penned song. However, there is a good chance it would never have been released if Reeves had still been alive.

According to Alan Cackett, Reeves got “Distant Drums” and “A Letter to My Heart” from Walker in October 1961. He liked them both and took them to his producer, Chet Atkins, who agreed to cut “A Letter to My Heart.” However, he didn’t think “Distant Drums” sounded like a hit. Reeves disagreed. As a result, he recorded a demo of the song in his home studio with members of his backing band, the Blue Boys.

He gave the demo to Walker, telling her she should have no problem finding someone to cut the song. Reeves was right. Roy Orbison, The Pacific Showband, The Wolves, and the Mighty Mohawks recorded it before Reeves’ version was released, according to Secondhand Songs.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1964, Jim Reeves Was on a Seven-Week Run Atop the Country Chart More Than a Month After His Death]

How a Demo Became a Hit

After Jim Reeves died, his wife worked with RCA Records to find previously unreleased recordings to share with the world. They found plenty of material and released several singles, which became hits.

Atkins took the demo recording of “Distant Drums” and overdubbed new accompaniment, adding lush strings to the stripped-down arrangement.

Timing Helped Make This a Huge Posthumous Hit for Jim Reeves

“Distant Drums” is a great song. There’s no denying that. However, it may not have been as big a hit if it had been released when Jim Reeves first recorded it. The United States started placing ground troops in Vietnam in early 1965. By the end of the year, the draft was taking many of the nation’s young men from their homes and families.

In “Distant Drums,” the protagonist knows that war is on the horizon and he’ll likely have to fight. As a result, he begs his love to marry him immediately so they can spend time together as a married couple before he is conscripted. The lyrics echoed the anxiety felt by those who feared their lives to be upended by the draft.

The United Kingdom didn’t directly participate in the Vietnam War, nor did it have a draft by 1966. However, they were involved in multiple conflicts when “Distant Drums” became a hit there. They were fighting in Indonesia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Yemen at the time.

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