That's How I Got to Memphis
"That's How I Got to Memphis", sometimes titled "How I Got to Memphis", is a country music standard written by American country music artist Tom T. Hall. The song tells a man's story of coming to Memphis to look for a former lover. The song first appeared on Hall's 1969 album Ballad of Forty Dollars & His Other Great Songs. It has been widely covered, most notably by Bobby Bare in 1970, Deryl Dodd in 1996, and Charley Crockett in 2018.
Bobby Bare version
[edit]| "How I Got to Memphis" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bobby Bare | ||||
| from the album This Is Bare Country | ||||
| B-side | "It's Freezing in El Paso"[1] | |||
| Released | August 1970 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:31 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tom T. Hall | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Kennedy | |||
| Bobby Bare singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bobby Bare covered the song under the name "How I Got to Memphis" on his 1970 album This Is Bare Country.[2]
Critical reception
[edit]An uncredited review in Billboard called the song "potent Tom T. Hall material, delivered in one of Bare's finest performances."[3]
Chart performance
[edit]Bobby Bare's version spent 16 weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts, peaking at number 3.[1]
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 22 |
Deryl Dodd version
[edit]| "That's How I Got to Memphis" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Deryl Dodd | ||||
| from the album One Ride in Vegas | ||||
| Released | November 9, 1996 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:14 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tom T. Hall | |||
| Producer(s) | Blake Chancey, Chip Young | |||
| Deryl Dodd singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In late 1996, Deryl Dodd covered the song for his debut album One Ride in Vegas. The song was the album's second single. In place of a b-side, the single release contained album snippets.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]Don Yates of Country Standard Time called Dodd's version of the song "impassioned".[6]
Chart performance
[edit]Dodd's version charted on Hot Country Songs for 20 weeks, peaking at number 36 in early 1997.[5]
| Chart (1996–1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] | 38 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 36 |
Other versions
[edit]The song has been widely covered by other artists and is now considered a standard.[9]
A French language version entitled "Sur la route de Memphis" was a hit for French rock and country artist Eddy Mitchell and was the title track for his 1977 album.
The song was covered by country singer Kelly Willis on Real: The Tom T. Hall Project (Sire Records, 1998).
It is also featured in the series finale of The Newsroom.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "Album reviews". Billboard. August 8, 1970. p. 20.
- ^ "Singles". Billboard. July 18, 1970. p. 72.
- ^ "Bobby Bare Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ a b Whitburn, pp. 127-28
- ^ Yates, Don. "One Ride in Vegas review". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9897." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 3, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ "Deryl Dodd Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ Hall, Rashaun (9 February 2002). "Pearl Snaps". Billboard. p. 22.
