"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare

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"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare
Compilation album by
ReleasedAugust 1963 (1963-08)
RecordedDecember 1960 – April 1963
Studio
  • RCA Victor Studios
  • United Recording Company
Genre
LabelRCA Victor
Producer
Bobby Bare chronology
"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare
(1963)
500 Miles Away from Home
(1963)
Singles from "Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare
  1. "Shame on Me"
    Released: May 1962
  2. "I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today"
    Released: October 1962
  3. "I'd Fight the World"
    Released: February 1963
  4. "Detroit City"
    Released: May 1963

"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare is a compilation album released by American country artist, Bobby Bare. It was released in August 1963 via RCA Victor and was the first album issued in his career. The album included previously-recorded singles originally released through Fraternity Records such as "Book of Love" (1961). It also included Bare's first singles released on RCA Victor, such as "Shame on Me" (1962) and "Detroit City" (1963). The album reached the top ten of the American country albums chart and reached a lower position on the American Billboard 200.

Background, recording and content[edit]

Bobby Bare first had found success as a pop singer with 1958's "The All American Boy". For several years, he toured with other pop and rock artists such as Bobby Darin and Roy Orbison. Unhappy with his musical trajectory, he reinvented himself as a country music artist in the sixties and signed with the RCA Victor label. Under the production of Chet Atkins, he had a charting single in 1962 with "Shame on Me". It was then followed by country-pop crossover single, "Detroit City" in 1963.[3] "Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare compiled his recordings on RCA Victor and on the Fraternity labels. The tracks were recorded between December 1960 and April 1963. The earliest recordings with Fraternity were produced by Bare himself, along with Barry De Vorzon. His later recordings with RCA Victor were produced by Chet Atkins.[4]

A total of 12 tracks were included on the compilation.[4] The album mixed some of Bare's self-written compositions, such as the 1961 single titled "Brooklyn Bridge".[2] Other self-penned tunes were "Book of Love" and "Dear Wastebasket". Bare's Fraternity recordings featured on the project included "The All-American Boy" and "Book of Love".[4] Remaining tracks were RCA Victor recordings such as "Shame on Me", "She Called Me Baby", "Detroit City" and "I'd Fight the World".[2]

Release, reception and singles[edit]

"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare was released in August 1963 on the RCA Victor label. With its release, it became the first full-length album in Bare's career. It was originally distributed as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on either side of the record.[4] Decades later, it was re-released to digital markets via Sony Music Entertainment.[5] In its original release, the LP spent six weeks on the American Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at number nine in January 1964.[6] It became one six albums in his career to reach the country albums top ten.[7] It also reached number 119 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming only one of two LP's to reach that list in his career.[8]

The album has since drawn critical attention. In September 1963, it was reviewed by Billboard magazine. The magazine highlighted several album tracks and found that his recent single ("Detroit City") brought notable attention to the project.[2] Decades later, it was reviewed by AllMusic, which gave it a 4.5 star rating: "Though there are some weak tracks on the disc, this is one of the strongest and most exciting collections of Bare's music, showcasing the songwriter in his earliest stages. He might not have perfected his sound, but it is thrilling to hear him sort it out."[1]

Although several earlier Fraternity singles were included on the album, Bare's RCA releases were the only singles technically spawned from the project. Its first was "Shame on Me", which was issued in May 1962.[9] It was Bare's first to reach the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at number 18 in 1962.[10] It also reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.[11] It was followed in October 1962 by the single "I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today", which reached number 18 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[12] "I'd Fight the World" was then released by RCA Victo in February 1963.[13] The last RCA single included was "Detroit City", which was issued in May 1963.[14] The song became Bare's highest-charting single to date and gave him greater commercial success. "Detroit City" reached number six on the Billboard country chart and number 16 on the Hot 100.[10][11]

Track listings[edit]

Vinyl version[edit]

Side one[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Detroit City"2:48
2."Is It Wrong (For Loving You)"Warner McPherson2:10
3."Lorena"C. Williams2:09
4."Shame on Me"2:43
5."I'd Fight the World"2:34
6."Dear Wastebasket"
  • Bobby Bare
  • Curtis Leach
2:34
Side two[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All-American Boy"
  • Orville Lunsford
  • Bill Parsons
2:59
2."I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today"Harlan Howard2:06
3."Brooklyn Bridge"Bare2:25
4."She Called Me Baby"Howard2:13
5."The Gods Were Angry with Me"
2:17
6."Book of Love"
  • Bare
  • Lance Guynes
2:11

Digital version[edit]

Music download and streaming[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Detroit City"
  • Dill
  • Tillis
2:48
2."Is It Wrong (For Loving You)"McPherson2:12
3."Lorena"Williams2:08
4."Shame on Me"
  • Enis
  • Williams
2:46
5."I'd Fight the World"
  • Allison
  • Cochran
2:37
6."Dear Wastebasket"
  • Bare
  • Leach
2:36
7."All American Boy"
  • Lunsford
  • Parsons
3:01
8."I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today"Howard2:08
9."Brooklyn Bridge"Bare2:25
10."She Called Me Baby"Howard2:14
11."The Gods Were Angry with Me"
  • Watkins
  • Wilkinson
2:21
12."Book of Love"
  • Bare
  • Guynes
2:05

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1963) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[15] 119
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[16] 9

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
North America August 1963 Vinyl RCA Victor [4]
2010s
  • Music download
  • streaming
Sony Music Entertainment [5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Detroit City: Bobby Bare: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Album Reviews: Pop Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 37. September 14, 1963. p. 28. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bobby Bare Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Bare, Bobby (August 1963). ""Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". RCA Victor. LSP-2776.
  5. ^ a b c "Detroit City and Other Hits by Bobby Bare by Bobby Bare". Apple Music. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Bobby Bare chart history (Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Albums: 1967-1997. Record Research Inc. ISBN 0898201241.
  8. ^ "Bobby Bare chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. ^ Bare, Bobby (May 1962). ""Shame on Me"/"Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)" (7" vinyl single)". RCA Victor. 47-8032.
  10. ^ a b "Bobby Bare chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Bobby Bare chart history (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Bobby Bare chart history (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  13. ^ Bare, Bobby (February 1963). ""I'd Fight the World"/"Dear Waste Basket" (7" vinyl single)". RCA Victor. 47-8146.
  14. ^ Bare, Bobby (May 1963). ""Detroit City"/"Heart of Ice" (7" vinyl single)". RCA Victor. 47-8183.
  15. ^ "Bobby Bare Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "Bobby Bare Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2022.