Jimmy Webb on Writing His Most Famous Song
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- Опубліковано 24 жов 2023
- In this clip, Jimmy Webb talks about writing "Wichita Lineman" as well as the influence of The Beatles and Burt Bacharach on his music.
Full Video: • Wichita Lineman: Talki...
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Full Interview Here: ua-cam.com/video/j8pRKAgMaP4/v-deo.htmlsi=efTUAk24bqJ4avJd
It’s one of the greatest songs ever written
I don't know if this Level of Musician/Songwriter (Along with Burt Bacharach) will ever come around again. I love the fact that he was not only an accomplished musician/songwriter, but that he knew and respected his PEERS so heavily. My dad played with Burt Bacharach for a couple of years. Out of all the music he played in his career, the only piece of music he had Framed was Promises, Promises by Burt. It literally goes from 2/4 to 3/4 to 4/4 to 5/8 to 6//4 to 3/8 to 4/8 and over and back and around again. Each measure has it's own time signature (vs. Bar). Jimmy and Burt were not only musical geniuses of their time, but for ALL time.
Sinatra said - “Bacharach writes in hat sizes.”
It won’t be back on any realistic time scale. Maybe in a couple thousand years we’ll get another golden age.
I have to say first, growing up in the 1960s, I strongly disliked almost anything Burt Bacharach had a hand in. But, and a huge "But", one artist who could perform his work that I liked was Dionne Warwick. If she performed something of his, chances are, I still like it today! So, when you mentioned, "Promises, Promises", instantly the song began playing in my head. Strange how that works...📻 🎼🎵🎶
It’s so glad that I had the privilege of growing up during such a great period of time when so much incredible music was made. My children love their music but I gave them the opportunity to hear music that I grew up loving. And they enjoy it too. My taste is broader because I also love older country, bluegrass, blues, reggae and jazz . I don’t enjoy current pop and I don’t enjoy rap. But that’s alright because it’s for a younger generation.
When you visualize those power wires on the main road, "and I want you for all time" ...those modern power lines slowly fade into telegraph lines. I don't know if Mr. Webb knew what he was adding there at the time, but it sounded like Morse code and made the song an experience; and the beauty of it still brings tears today.
One of the most beautiful songs ever composed. Amazing talent.
I've always loved this beautiful song.
Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Paul Simon and Holland-Dozier-Holland were pretty much the soundtrack of my childhood in suburban Chicago in the 1960s.
ME TOO!!! Chicago in the 1960's!!!!❤
@@micheleparker3780 In our case actually DuPage County ;-) I remember in Wood Dale there was a house on the street behind our house and a garage band played in the garage. I've always wondered if they ever "made it" and who they might have been. I was only 7 or 8 when we lived there so too young to truly understand "rock" music at that time. A little trivia about our area. I've met comedian Asif Ali and he is also from Bensenville. Talk about a small world! ;-)
Don't forget Laura Nyro
@@jamescurran9002 Yeah good point. I also remember Melanie when we lived in Woodstock, Illinois and I honestly think I had a crush on her and I was only about ten years old! lol I also wondered why somebody made a movie about our town because they had those movie posters for "Woodstock" up. ;-)
If it's not the best song ever written, it's certainly in the conversation.
I needn't repeat the fact that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever,
It's crazy how I always see the Telstar satellite go overhead when I hear that beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep part of the song even though I have never seen that old satellite,
Jimmy is also a painter who uses our mind as his canvas
Rick congratulations YOU ARE the modern music historian.
Thank you for these priceless historical musician interviews.
Thank you, Rick. Jimmy is one of my absolute favorite composers. This interview should be placed in a time capsule.
yes exactly
Rick’s time capsule grows bigger by the day.
Even this makes me weep. What a song. What a songwriter.
Had the great good fortune to meet Jimmy Webb and tell him that he'd written one of the finest songs ever recorded.
Whiticha Lineman..
GOAT. One of the absolute greatest. Even if you’re not into his genre or into Glen (who was tragically under-appreciated as a real musician) he has still contributed something amazing to the American experience.
Glen was not underrated.
I feel your right, I am 61 and his music was ok as a kid but I was into other rock music at the time. And when I began working in Country radio in 84 I started to learn more about these artists and songs and came to love them all. Then when I watched the Wrecking Crew Documentary a number of years ago I realized how great all these people were.
1:03 OMG! That is beautiful. Thank you Jimmy for making that record!
Rick you are sooo fortunate to be there live. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
Jimmy also wrote "Up--Up and Away" for the 5th Dimension. More great chords and progressions simply oozing from that one!
Jimmy Webb wrote some monster songs for all time . One of my favorite songwriters .
What luscious , penetrating chords these great song writers creat(ed) to make their works so memorable and in touch with the soul. 50 years later they resonateas they did the first time I listened to them.
Could listen to Webb play forever
Brilliant composer & pianist
Rick, your interviews catalog historical musicians, singers, songwriters, and more. Wichita Lineman gives me an emotional response, even after 100+ times of listening. Jimmy provides such a great background.
Wow. Absolutely amazing.
Thank you, Rick, for bringing us closer to these geniuses and the art they created.
Agree 100%.
Absolutely killer chords and melody. Beautiful.
One of my all time favorite songs….just gorgeous
How does this only have 16k views? This is incredible!
The full video has nearly 700'000. 😊
I really love these short segments… they help me to catch up on episodes I somehow missed. I went back and watched the Full interview with Jimmy Webb after the short... Really, Really Good Stuff!
I lived on a dirt road in the country in the Texas Panhandle. When I was a kid, I walked that road a lot and I remember how the power lines would make a noise almost singing. This great song makes me think of home and those high line wires. Thank you Jimmy Webb!
This man wrote the songs on the album A Tramp Shining sung by Richard Harris. My absolute favorite childhood album my parents played. Brilliant
One of the greatest all time albums. A who’s who of LA session musicians. And the most costly to record ever at the time (I heard $300k). Superb songs and musicianship - a veritable feast for the ears! 👍👍
Thank you for sharing such an interesting interview with such a gentleman and musical genius.
Excellent, Rick. This was an awesome interview. Lineman is a beautiful song. Lots of good info here.
Excellent interview. Tremendous insight on describing chromatic qualities and their impact on songs in the latter half of the century.
What a great interview! Quite a tour through the mid century American songbook.
By far one of the most beautiful children progression ever written
Chord* not children
I never realized he wrote this. MacArthur Park bridge is one of the most gorgeous pieces of a song ever.
He also wrote The Highwayman.
Those cord progressions demand so much emotion from the listener. How do you not love taking that auricle ride...?
Just amazing. Classic song from a classic era
@ 3:51 just a magical explanation
I Love Jimmy's stories ... His concerts are much like this interview ; you just feel like you're sitting around a friends house listening to his life's story . What a life . What Great music .
Estou chegando aos 70 anos e ouço Jimmy Webb desde os meus 14.
Minha alma está encharcada de música durante quase toda a minha vida e, seguramente, a obra de Jimmy está presente.
Tenho cada nota de suas canções impressas na minha mente e coração.
Posso dizer o mesmo da obra de Burt Bacharach.
A música desses grandes gênios seguirão comigo até o final dos meus dias.
Que bom que Jimmy ainda está por aqui 🎼🌹
Such a beautiful song. It manages to tug at your heart all the way through. I love one of the things I read about it. I think it may have been in Jimmy's book that he mentions, but anyway, someone describes it like this. It never goes home, always wandering. It starts on F but never goes back. And something else joins my thoughts about this from a book by Schopenhauer (I think?) that says that once the tonic has been firmly established it exerts an irresistible force of attraction on all the other notes so that they want to, need to resolve eventually into it. I think that may explain why this song is so haunting and relevant.
My favorite line in a song forever, our of all the songs, I need you more than want you and I want you for all time.!!!
So brilliant….starts out with one of the greatest songs ever❤️
Beautiful, Jimmy Webb.
Absolutely love Wichita Lineman!
I had heard of him so often. Glad for the chance to learn more about him.
These guys are/were melody makers at its finest.
I met Jimmy a number of times, he is always delightful.
At his Cabaret shows?? I've probably seen him doing shows about 8 or 9 times or so over the past 26 years..and he always has his "meet and greets' after the shows. My most memorable show was him and Glen together think it was at Feinstein's in NYC. Jimmy really listens to questions and spends quality time chasing, just a warm gracious person...has to be one of my favorite composers of all time.
Beautiful classic
Wow!! Jimmy Webb! ❤
Thank you, Rick & Co.
One of the greatest songs ever written. No one writes like this anymore.
Fascinating! Rick, you are living a dream and bring us treasures.
jimmy webb...im blown away
Wow, that was fantastic!
I just came from watching half a dozen covers: REM, Gun N' Roses, etc. The tribute to Jimmy Webb is that they all stayed close to the original composition. It's perfection and you can't fool with perfection.
Mind blowing interview
Chills!!
Interesting. I always thought that ostinato line was meant to mimic a telegraph signal -- which would make sense. Can't believe Jimmy didn't hear it that way.
❤ I think many fans of this song thought the same thing.
To me, that repetitive note is pure genius. It sounds like morse code over the wire. This is one of the greatest love songs ever written. I can't even express how much I admire this song and Glen Campbell's performance. Everything about it is magical. From the lyrics, to how the chord progression and melody word, to Glen's solo on the guitar bass. Oh, man! Love it!
I learned this tune the week that Glen Campbell died and although I predominantly perform Brasilian Jazz, I rolled this tune out on my gigs in downtown Seattle that week.
Lots of great songwriters over the decades but this particular track just might put Jimmy on the top of the heap for my money.
What an interview
Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell had 3 big hits together that were city songs - Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Why did cities take such importance in his song writing? Another big song for Jimmy was MacArthur Park which is a city park in Los Angeles. How did geography or maps or places inspire his lyrics? Then there is Up, Up and Away where we lift off in a beautiful balloon and find happiness floating above the Earth.
Just wondering, hmmmm?
There’s a lot to live in this interview, much like the musical knowledge presented, so I just want to share my love for two other Jimmy Webb songs. They are MacArthur Park and Whatever Happened to Christmas. Both are wonderful musically, but it’s the lyrics in this case that do it for me.
For me the very best version of this incredibly Beautifull song has no words, made in 1969 by Freddie Hubbard.
Isn’t that the best! I love Jimmy!😊
Preserving history. Thank you.
He changed the course of musical history with this masterpiece.❤️💜❤️💜
I clicked on "Jimmy Webb's... Most Famous Song" and expected to hear him talking about MacArthur Park. But no worries, I really enjoyed hearing him play and talk about the music.
Another Great Job Man ❤❤❤
Love this legendary! J
im going back to see the full interview. Jimmy Webb is an American great.
I’m getting it now, there’s nothing like a piano to paint musical pictures and colours in your mind and there’s no better man to do it than Jimmy Webb. 4:02
Brilliant!
So Jimmy Webb composed "Wichita Lineman" in F but didn't realise his song never actually goes there (i.e., never resolves to the tonic chord) until James Taylor told him years later.
On second thought, it's hard to believe JW didn't know that already; maybe he was just name-dropping. (JT covered the song in 2008 and got a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal.)
@@billboohar4151 lol the intro (cf. JW's chord progression) was improvised by the Wrecking Crew in Capitol Studio A, in the absence of JW.
Hard to believe, or maybe Jimmy forgot?..let me get to my piano, and play just the melody first, and see what key I could place it in. Hard to believe one could write a song, and never play the ONE chord???....will post my assumptions:-)
Timeless, perfect song. I just came home from seeing the genius that is Jimmy Webb and needed another fix.
Two hours of songs and stories….i knew every song, some that I didn’t know he wrote.
Ps. He didn’t play Wichita Lineman.
That’s like the Eagles not playing Hotel California. I loved it anyway.
What an awesome guy
Jimmy is an amazing talent and an American treasure.
Enjoyed the interview very much, but "Highwayman" deserved a mention too.
One of my all-time faves:Highwayman!
❤😊 This is exactly what I love. Essence of Jimmy Webb❣️Now I get what Mearns was doing the other day, with something else. 😀
There was I thing I could partially figure out, but too distracted to figure all the way out. This clarifies it. 😊
Brilliant
I love Jimmy Webb
To me this song is just so deep
.....just, WOW
This man is a genius.
Actually is a really nice chord progression~✨
This Webb kid is going places.
He is a treasure.
Just great lyrics as well.
I recently saw a clip of Guns 'N' Roses covering "Wichita Lineman" in Knoxville. Incredible
And yet Glen's vocal makes it a hit. Songs need performers and performers need songs.
Awesome. :)
Like so many things in life, things that are truly timeless and are of substance come rarely, hence why they are so important. Also, the culture has to be able to appreciate and absorb that greatness via someone like a Glen Campbell (also a genius). So it certainly was a partnership between the genius songwriting of Webb and Campbell’s interpretation of that song to the masses. And the culture was ready to accept it on the work’s own terms.
There was also a smaller world in terms of media - people bought records and listened to the radio. There was more intent if you will, with the listener in that they bought product in the vinyl. That transaction had a huge impact of creating cultural longevity with not only Webb’s songs, but everyone else who rose to fame in the music business.
Today we have hardly any of that. Streaming has destroyed profits for songwriters, exception being if you have millions of streams. Even with a resurgence of vinyl sales, nobody really buys music in hard form anymore. Its subscriber based, which on one hand makes more average music available, but on the other destroys the ability for many undiscovered genius writers and singers to ever make headway into the business.
Which is why being my age (58) and growing up in enough decades to have been fortunate enough to really be immersed in great songs and music, makes songs like Wichita Lineman so special. I’m old enough to perceive the heavy lyrical content. Old enough to appreciate how those records were made. And old enough with enough good taste based on what I know to be great music to know that there’s really not much out there that measures up to this.
The 60’s and 70’s seem to be the preeminent decades for great music in pop culture. So much experimentation and expression, from folks who were at an age in the 60’s to know the truly great music of the 30’s and 40’s from their parents.
Perhaps there will be another golden era of this level of songwriting, but it may require a cultural reexamination of ourselves to really appreciate it when and if it does occur.
Apparently Bob Dylan once said this was the best song ever written! That's a gold star.
Genius
Rick, I can't believe you're still interviewing these absolute nobodies on your channel! Just kidding Jimmy Webb is an absolute legend! Loved this
Along with Bobby Goldsboro, Paul Simon, Glen Campbell's, Burt Bacharach , we will not see their likes again. However , new writers are out there. We must fund talented writers ( privately) when we find them.
jimmy genius
Top 10 all time.
Glen Campbell was part of the wrecking crew. A pool of the most talented musicians ever assembled, they played on almost all the pop rock and roll music created for records and TV, even frank Sinatra. There was nothing like them before or after . The most incredible fact Glen was not a reader, he played by ear if he heard it he could play it