On this day (October 9) in 1995, Alan Jackson released “Tall, Tall Trees” as the first single from his compilation The Greatest Hits Collection. Later that year, it topped the Hot Country Songs chart for two weeks. Jackson was the third artist to record the song. Before him, its songwriters — George Jones and Roger Miller — each recorded their own versions. However, neither released it as a single.
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Jones was the first to release “Tall, Tall Trees.” His version was the B-side to his 1957 single “Hearts in My Dream.” More than a decade later, Miller recorded the song for his 1970 album A Trip to the Country. The differences between the two renditions are clear. However, Jackson was able to pull a little from both legends to create one of the best singles in his deep catalog.
The arrangement of Jackson’s version of “Tall, Tall Trees” leans heavily on Miller’s 1970 album cut. The up-tempo Cajun feel matches the playful vibe of the song. At the same time, he drew vocal inspiration from Jones for his single. The result was a song that surpasses the earlier versions in both success and quality. If one ever wondered why Jackson was so instrumental to country music’s booming popularity in the 1990s, this song would be a prime example.
Alan Jackson on Finding “Tall, Tall Trees”
Alan Jackson wrote about how he came to record “Tall, Tall Trees” in the liner notes of The Greatest Hits Collection. “This is an old Roger Miller song I stumbled across,” he wrote. “It’s a real fun song with a Cajun feel. I’ve always been a big fan of Roger’s, and when it came time to record a couple of new songs for this greatest hits, I couldn’t resist,” he added.
Jackson didn’t learn that George Jones co-wrote the song until after he had recorded it for the album. This just made the song better for him. “I’m proud to have the chance to record a song written by two of my favorites,” he wrote.
Featured Image by Beth Gwinn/Redferns
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