Red Headed Stranger

Infobox Album |
Name = Red Headed Stranger
Type = Album
Artist = Willie Nelson


Released = 1975
Recorded = Garland, TX
Genre = Country
Length = 33:30
Label = Columbia
Producer = Willie Nelson
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w7f1zfsheh4k link]
*Robert Christgau (B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1679&name=Willie+Nelson link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/260664/willienelson?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscographyMainReleases&pageregion=mainRegion link] |
Last album = "Phases and Stages"
(1974)
This album = "Red Headed Stranger"
(1975)
Next album = "The Sound in Your Mind"
(1976)

"Red Headed Stranger" is a 1975 (see 1975 in music) album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson. A concept album, "Red Headed Stranger" is about a fugitive preacher, on the run from the law after killing his wife. Sparse and jumbled, with brief, poetic lyrics, no one involved in the creation of the album thought it would sell well. In spite of its inaccessibility, "Red Headed Stranger" was a blockbuster among both country music and mainstream audiences, going multiplatinum and making Nelson one of the biggest stars in country. In 2003, the same year the album was ranked #184 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599231/184_red_headed_stranger] , Nelson sang background vocals and added some guitar to a cover version of the album done by Carla Bozulich of the alt-country band, the Geraldine Fibbers. It was ranked #1 on CMT's "40 Greatest Albums in Country Music" in 2006.

The first track, "Time of the Preacher", was memorably used in the 1985 television drama "Edge of Darkness".

In 1986 William D. Wittliff wrote and directed a film of the same title, staring Willie Nelson and Morgan Fairchild. The film was based on the album.

The lyrics to "Time of the Preacher" were used to help open the graphic Novel "Preacher".

Track listing

#"Time of the Preacher" (Willie Nelson) – 2:26
#"I Couldn't Believe It Was True" (Eddy Arnold, Wally Fowler) – 1:32
#"Time of the Preacher Theme" (Nelson) – 1:13
#"Medley: Blue Rock Montana/Red Headed Stranger" (Nelson, Carl Stutz, Edith Lindeman) – 1:36
#"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (Fred Rose) – 2:21
#"Red Headed Stranger" (Stutz, Lindeman) – 4:00
#"Time of the Preacher Theme" (Nelson) – 0:26
#"Just as I Am" (Nelson) – 1:46
#"Denver" (Nelson) – 0:53
#"O'er the Waves" (Nelson) – 0:47
#"Down Yonder" (L. Wolfe Gilbert) – 1:56
#"Can I Sleep in Your Arms" (Hank Cochran) – 5:24
#"Remember Me" (Scotty Wiseman) – 2:52
#"Hands on the Wheel" (Bill Callery) – 4:22
#"Bandera" (Nelson) – 2:19

Personnel

*Willie Nelson – Vocals, guitar
*Paul English – drums
*Jody Payne – guitars, mandolin
*Bee Spears – bass
*Bobbie Nelson – piano
*Mickey Raphael – harmonica
*Bucky Meadows – guitar
*Billy English – drums

Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album 1975 Red Headed Stranger Country Albums No. 1 1975 Red Headed Stranger Pop Albums No. 28Billboard (North America) - singles 1975 Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain Country Singles No. 1 1975 Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain Pop Singles No. 21 1976 Remember Me Country Singles No. 2 1976 Remember Me Pop Singles No. 67