On this day (October 8) in 1995, Alan Jackson released “Tall, Tall Trees.” Later that year, it spent two weeks at the top of the country chart. After choosing the song as a single from The Greatest Hits Collection, he learned that two of his musical heroes–George Jones and Roger Miller–co-wrote the song in the late 1950s. Both legends also recorded it long before Jackson. His version blends the best things about the early recordings to create something that has stood the test of time.
Jones released the original cut of “Tall, Tall Trees” in 1957 as the B-side to “Hearts in My Dream.” Then, Miller recorded it for A Trip in the Country in 1970. He didn’t release his version as a single. In fact, he didn’t pull any singles from the album. Jackson pulled from Miller’s arrangement and Jones’ vocal delivery when creating his version.
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Alan Jackson Followed the Lead of His Heroes
Alan Jackson is a longtime fan of both George Jones and Roger Miller. So, when he came across this song, he knew he wanted to record it. However, when he took it into the studio, he didn’t know that Jones had anything to do with it.
“This is an old Roger Miller Song I stumbled across. It’s a fun song with a Cajun feel,” he wrote in the album’s liner notes. “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. “After I recorded it, we found out that George Jones is a co-writer. I think George had even forgotten he’d written it. I’m proud to have the chance to record a song written by two of my favorites.”
[RELATED: 35 Years Ago, Alan Jackson Released a Song That Turned a Bar Gig Into a 3-Week No. 1]
Having heard Miller’s version first, he added the Cajun feel to his recording. While it is impossible to know for sure if Jackson heard Jones’ version before stepping into the studio, they sound alike. It could be that he looked to the original version of the song for inspiration. Then again, he may have just been following in the footsteps of one of his favorite singers of all time.
Featured Image by David Corio/Redferns
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