Bonaparte's Retreat (Pee Wee King song)
| "Bonaparte's Retreat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Glen Campbell | ||||
| from the album Houston (I'm Comin' to See You) | ||||
| B-side | "Too Many Mornings" | |||
| Released | July 15, 1974 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Pee Wee King | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen | |||
| Glen Campbell singles chronology | ||||
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"Bonaparte's Retreat" is a song written by American country music artist Pee Wee King. Various versions of the melody themes exist as traditional fiddle tunes dating back to before the turn of the 20th Century, and probably well before that. The obvious origin of the title was Napoleon Bonaparte's disastrous retreat from Russia in 1812, and some earlier British folk songs told of that event. But the lyrics of King's version are about dancing and romance, not history.
King's version was released as a single in 1950 and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Kay Starr recorded the song[1] later in 1950. Her version peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Glen Campbell then covered the song for his 1974 album Houston (I'm Comin' to See You). It was released in July 1974 as the album's second single. Campbell's version peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[2] It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[3] Willie Nelson also covered the song as a bonus track on the reissue of his 1975 concept album Red Headed Stranger. In addition, the song was covered by Michael Nesmith and the Second National Band's album Tantamount to Treason Vol. 1.
On March 23, 2016 it was announced that W. H. Stepp's version of the song, from the 1930s field recordings in Kentucky by Alan Lomax, will be inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry.[4]
Chart performance
Pee Wee King
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 10 |
Kay Starr
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
Glen Campbell
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 42 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
References
- ↑ Kay Starr interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ↑ "Glen Campbell singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ↑ "RPM Country Singles for October 19, 1974". RPM. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ↑ "National Recording Registry Recognizes "Mack the Knife," Motown and Mahler". Library of Congress. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
| Preceded by "I Love My Friend" by Charlie Rich |
RPM Country Tracks number-one single October 19, 1974 |
Succeeded by "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" by Conway Twitty |
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