Zero to 180’s previous piece about a surprisingly decent truck driving song by The Archies – “Truck Driver” – makes a pretty persuasive case for 1968 being pop’s peak for the dieselbilly artform. 1971 might be no match for 1968, however, yesterday’s featured song – “I’ve Come Awful Close” – along with today’s spotlight track, Barbara Mandrell‘s “Tonight My Baby’s Coming Home, also from 1971, demonstrates neither is it a slouch:
“Tonight My Baby’s Coming Home”
Barbara Mandrell
(1971)
“Tonight My Baby’s Coming Home” – a #10 country chart hit – was one of five Top 40 country hits included on 1973’s The Midnight Oil — a #8 country album.
Intriguing that Mandrell, a formidable steel guitarist in her own right, would graciously step aside and allow Lloyd Green and Pete Drake, the album’s two credited steel players, to earn a proper day’s wage.
Album Recording Credits
Guitar: Jerry Kennedy, Grady Martin, Billy Sanford, Harold Bradley & Bobby Thompson
Steel/Dobro: Lloyd Green & Pete Drake
Fiddle: Buddy Spicher & Johnny Gimble
Piano: Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins
Bass: Junior Huskey
Drums: Willie Ackerman
Recorded: *September, 1971 Columbia Recording Studio – Nashville
(Majority of album tracks recorded in 1973*)
One other notable truck-driving tune from 1971:
Dick Curless
“Leaving It All Behind“
Capitol LP Doggin’ It
*
Barbara Mandrell Lays Down the Jams
Barbara Mandrell performed a stellar country jazz arrangement of “Steel Guitar Rag” (previously celebrated in 2015) for Johnny Cash‘s 1976 Christmas Special — part of Zero to 180’s all-star tribute to the steel guitar standard written by Leon (“Take It Away)” McAuliffe.
LINK to Steel guitar
LINK to Truck driving songs
