I Fall to Pieces

Single infobox
Name = I Fall to Pieces


Artist = Patsy Cline
from Album = Patsy Cline Showcase
B-side = "Lovin' in Vain"
Released = January 30, 1961
Format = 45 rpm
Recorded = November 16, 1960
Decca Records Nashville
Genre = Country pop
Length = 2:47
Label = Decca Records
Writer = Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard
Producer = Owen Bradley
Last single = "Crazy Dreams" (1960)
This single = "I Fall to Pieces" (1961)
Next single = "Crazy" (1961)
Misc =

"I Fall to Pieces" is a single released by Patsy Cline in 1961, and was featured on her 1961 studio album, "Patsy Cline Showcase." "I Fall to Pieces" was Patsy Cline's first #1 hit on the Country charts, and her second hit single to cross over onto the Pop charts. It was the fist of a string of songs that would be written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard (not always collaborating together) for Cline.

"I Fall to Pieces" became one of Patsy Cline's most-recognizable hit singles. It has also been classified as a country music standard.

Writing & Recording

Hank Cocrhan and Harlan Howard met in California, and became songwriting partners. One night, Cochran was mulling over song ideas, when he thought of a title, "I Fall to Pieces." Cochran met up with Howard at his house the next day, where they finished writing the song. The demo version of the song was recorded at Pamper Music in Goodlettsville, Tennessee by Howard's wife and country singer, Jan Howard. Harlan Howard pitched the song to Decca producer, Owen Bradley, who tried to find the right artist to record it. The song was turned down numerous times, first by Brenda Lee, who found the song "too country" for her pop style. Bradley then asked rising country star, Roy Drusky to record it but he turned it down stating that it's not a man's song. Patsy Cline, who overheard Drusky's argument with Bradley about the song, asked if she could should record it instead. Bradley then accepted her offercite book|last=Nassour|first=Ellis|title=Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York, New York|date=1993|volume=2|pages=p 132 - 140|chapter=Side 3 - That's How a Heartache Begins]

When Cline began recording the song in November 1960, she had second guesses after she discovered popular Nashville session group, The Jordanaires would serve as the background vocalists. Cline was afraid the Jordanaires would drown her sound out and as a result, she was not very friendly upon meeting them. cite book|last=Kosser|first=Michael|title=How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|location=Milwaukee, WI|date=2006|pages=p 45|chapter=6 - Oohs and Ahs] Cline also felt that the Pop ballad style Bradley wanted it recorded in didn't suit her own style. Bradley was trying to make the song appeal to the Pop market, an idea that was not well-liked by Cline. She had several arguments with Bradley, however the ending result led to Cline recording it in the style that Bradley wanted it. After listening to the playback of "I Fall to Pieces," she ended up liking the song, stating that she finally found her own identity.

tructure and lyrics

"I Fall to Pieces" is a country-pop ballad about how a woman's lover doesn't want them to be together, yet the woman can't understand why, explaining that everytime he walks by she "falls to pieces." The beginning of the song set's up the entire story of the song:

::"I fall to pieces,"::"Each time I see you again" ::"I fall to pieces"::"How can I be just your friend?"

Reception

"I Fall to Pieces" was released 30 January, 1961. Upon its release, it was virtually ignored by radio stations. However, Hal Smith of Pamper Music, who had faith in the song's songwriters hired a promotion man, Pat Nelson to promote the single. Nelson's strategy was to to attempt to explain to DJs that "I Fall to Pieces" was a departure from any of Cline's previous singles. Soon a Pop radio station in Columbus, Ohio began playing the single. After finding this out, Bradley saw that the song be fanned by record distibutors across the country. Within four months, momentum was building on both the Country and Pop charts. On April 3, the song debuted on the Billboard Country Chart and began its ascent.By August 1961, "I Fall to Pieces" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart and reached #12 on the Billboard Pop Chart. It would be one of several Country-pop crossover hits that Cline was to have over the next couple of years. [cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0vfixqr5ld6e~T1|title="Patsy Cline biography"|last=Unterberger|first=Ritchie|publisher=allmusic|accessdate=2008-10-03] Cline was able to prove that a solo female artist could have major hits on both the country and pop charts. That year, she was acclaimed as one of the nations leading rcording artists, along with Jimmy Darren and Bobby Vee.cite book|last=Wolff|first=Kurt|title=Country Music: The Rough Guide|editor=Orla Duane|publisher=Rough Guides Ltd.|date=2000|pages=p. 302 - 303] The success of the song helped get Cline a invitation to become a regular cast member the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. [cite web|url=http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001194/Patsy-Cline.html|title=Patsy Cline Biography|last=Stone|first=Calen D.|publisher="Musician Guide.com"|accessdate=2008-10-03] In 1980, the song was re-released and overdubbed on a Patsy Cline compilation album, "Always." The new version contained new instrumentation and new female background vocalists. The song even charted among the Billboard Country Chart that year, peaking at #61. An electronically-produced duet of the song with deceased country star, Jim Reeves was released in 1982, and charted at #54 on the Billboard Country Chart.

In 2004, "Rolling Stone Magazine" ranked "I Fall to Pieces" at #238 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/3|title=Rollin Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|publisher="Rolling Stone.com"|accessdate=2008-10-03] The song was also ranked at #7 on CMT's television special of the "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music." Another Patsy Cline song, "Crazy" was ranked four positions higher at #3 on the countdown. [cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76599/episode_countdown.jhtml|title=The 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music|publisher=CMT.com|accessdate=2008-10-03] It was also ranked at #107 on RIAA's list of the Songs of the Century.

Cover versions

Charts

References