Arrangement made song a hit for Lynn Anderson
This week in 1971: Australia and New Zealand announced they will pull troops out of Vietnam; The U.S. Parole Board denied parole to Jimmy Hoffa; terrorists in Man i la killed 10 people during a rally of the opposition Liberal Party; and a singer from Grand Forks, N.D., had her 24th hit record
Most recording artists will tell you that the lyrics make a hit song, but according to Lynn Anderson, the Cam Mullins arrangement was a big factor in the success of her 1971 No. 1, “How Can I Unlove You.”
Anderson commented, “Cam Mullins came up with some real great licks on that record, using the waking bass and shuffle rhythm.”
The record became her third No. 1 in a row.
Anderson’s Columbia Records single “How Can I Unlove You” entered the country music charts Aug. 27, 1971 and made it to No. 1 where it stayed for three weeks.
The song was written by Joe South and the session was produced by Glenn Sutton.
It was her 24th charted song and was on the charts for 16 weeks.
Anderson placed 60 songs on the country music charts between 1966 and 1989, including five No. 1s.
Her 60 charted songs included duets with her mother—Liz Anderson, Jerry Lane, Gary Morris and Ed Bruce.
Ten of her 60 country charted songs also placed on the pop music charts.
She was the CMA Female Vocalist Of The Year in 1971 and the ACM Female Vocalist Of The Year in 1967 and 1970.
Anderson died in 2015.
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Doug Davis & The Good Ole Boys will perform at Winfield Estates at 10 a.m. today