‘Only One You’ took the fast track to No. 1
This week in 1981: Space shuttle Columbia landed after a fuel cell failure; President Ronald Reagan dismissed a civil rights chief; the Anwar Sadat murder trial opened in Cairo — with suspects held in a steel cage; and a singer from Humbolt, Tennessee, had his 22nd hit record.
Many hit songs took months and even years to be recorded while others seem to have gone straight from the writer’s pen to the recording studio to the vinyl.
T. G. Sheppard’s 1982 No. 1, “Only One You” was one of those speedy hits!
Michael Garvin had the idea for the song and brought it to a writing session with Bucky Jones late one night. The two had planned to write together earlier in the day but because of a conflict in timing, had to reschedule. The pair began working on the song and finished early the next day. They recorded a demo right away and played it for publisher Dan Wilson. Dan told them they had written a hit and called T.G. Sheppard at home and played the tape for him. Sheppard loved the song and recorded it a couple of days later.
The backup vocals were done by Judy Rodman. Buddy Killen produced the session and record producer Larry Butler played piano.
Sheppard’s “Only One You” entered the country music charts November 21, 1981 and was in the No. 1 spot by February 20, 1982.
It was his 22nd charted song and his 9th No. 1. The Warner Curb single was on the charts for 19 weeks and also scored a No. 68 on the pop music charts.
Sheppard first recorded for Atco Records as Brian Stacy in 1966. During the early 70’s, he signed with Motown Records sub label
Melodyland Records and scored a No. 1 with “Devil In The Bottle” while working as a promotion executive for RCA Victor Records. He signed with Warner Bros Records in 1977 and began a string of fifteen consecutive top ten hits.
T.G. Sheppard (born: William Neal Browder) placed 42 songs on the country music charts between 1974 and 1991 – including 14 No. 1s. Eight of those 42 country charted songs also scored on the pop charts.
Join Doug Davis for “Roots of Country” each Saturday morning at 6 a.m. for six hours of special classic country and a feature artist and at the same time each Sunday for “Sunday Country” on “The Pig – 103.9 and 98.5. You can also listen on the Internet. Just go to “MyPig Radio. com” and click on “listen live.”
Doug Davis & The Good Ole Boys will perform at 10 a.m. today at Alzheimer’s Alliance.