‘I Know One’ came from out of nowhere to become hit
This week in 1960: The fifty-star flag made its official debut at Independence Hall in Philadelphia; President Dwight Eisenhower cut Cuban sugar imports by 95 percent for a “deliberate policy of hostility” toward the United States; Russian Premier Khrushchev threatened rocket attack if the U.S. fights in Cuba and offers to buy 700,000 lbs. of sugar to make up for U.S. cuts; and a singer from Panola County, Texas, had his 28th hit record.
A lot of hit songs have been written for no particular reason and according to Jack Clement, Jim Reeves’ 1960 top 10 hit “I Know One” was just such a song.
Clement commented, “I remember I was in Nashville when I wrote that song. I was visiting with Chet Atkins in his office. And a little later, I went to work for Chet. And he told me that Jim Reeves had a recording session coming up. I was staying at a downtown hotel that night—but I was still living in Memphis—and I commuted to Nashville a lot. I think it was the Sam Davis Hotel I stayed in. It was torn down years ago. Anyway—when I left Chet’s office that day I went back to the hotel and wrote that song that night. There was no particular reason or idea for writing it. I guess I just wanted to write a song that night and “I Know One” was what I came up with. I played the song for Chet the next day and he liked it and said he thought he could get Jim Reeves to record it. He played it for Jim and he liked it and recorded it.”
Jim Reeves’ RCA Victor single “I Know One” came on the country charts July 25, 1960 and peaked at No. 6.
It was his 28th charted song and was on the charts for 16 weeks.
Jim Reeves placed 80 songs on the country charts between 1953 and 1980. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955.
Reeves died in a plane crash in 1964 and was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1967.
To subscribe to our free “Country Music Classics” email newsletter: send a blank email to: country-music-classics-on@mail-list.com
Doug Davis & The Good Ole Boys will perform for Wake Village Senior Citizens today at 10:30 a.m.