Art Laurent
2011-12-24 00:07:16 UTC
"Christmas Without You," a song that country legend Patsy Cline
commissioned but never got to record, landed at No. 15 this week on
Europe's prestigious Hotdisc Top 40 chart. The tune now belongs to
Luanne Hunt, who has recorded several songs by former writers for
Cline, Lawton Jiles and Buster Beam ("Let The Teardrops Fall," "Crazy
Dreams," "How Can I Face Tomorrow?"). The duo wrote "Christmas Without
You" in 1960 upon Cline's request.
"I've always believed if Patsy would have recorded ‘Christmas Without
You' it would have become a holiday standard," said Jiles, who began
his music career in a band with Buck Owens. "It's the kind of
Christmas song you hear once and want to sing along. It's very simple,
but the simple songs are usually the ones people love the most."
Jiles says when he and Beam played "Christmas Without You" for Cline,
she went crazy for it and immediately took it to her record label
representatives. They loved it too, but had other ideas for the catchy
tune. At the time, they were looking for Patsy's next single and
thought the melody of the Jiles-Beam creation had hit potential. So
they asked the writers if they would pen new lyrics for the song with
a non-holiday theme.
Jiles and Beam quickly came up with new words and the title "How Can I
Face Tomorrow?" The song was released within a few weeks, but despite
heavy television and radio promotion, it only made a modest showing on
the Cashbox Country Charts.
Jiles said he and Patsy were extremely disappointed "Christmas Without
You" wasn't recorded in its original form. He hoped another artist
would record it someday.
Over fifty years later Jiles finally got his wish courtesy of Hunt, an
award-winning, Grammy-balloted artist on Star Creek Records. Jiles
says Hunt's rendition of "Christmas Without You" will bring a tear to
the eye of every Patsy Cline fan, reminding them of how much the
songbird wanted to give them a musical gift for the holidays.
"I got a rush when I first heard Luanne's recording of ‘Christmas
Without You,'" said Jiles. "The song's been in my head for years and
to hear it done the way I always envisioned it is very exciting. It's
a perfect blend of the traditional and the contemporary."
"Christmas Without You" was produced by Eric Uglum (Alison Krauss, Ron
Block, Ralph Stanley, Cherryholmes and Nickel Creek). It features an
impressive twin-fiddle performance by teen sensation Christian Ward,
who has shared the stage with Ricky Skaggs and currently tours with
Rounder Records artist Sierra Hull. Also on the single are Austin Ward
(upright bass), Roger Gillespie (drums), Hal Ratliff (keyboards) and
Uglum (guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals).
"I'll never forget the day I recorded "Christmas Without You," said
Hunt. "I was standing there at the studio mic hoping that Patsy was
smiling down on me. I know her version would have been phenomenal, but
I hope her fans will accept my recording and see it mostly as a
tribute to one of the greatest country artists there ever was or ever
will be."
"Christmas Without You" is included on Hunt's six-song holiday EP,
"How Christmas Feels To Me." To hear more tracks from the EP or to
purchase your copy, go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/luannehunt12 or
www.luannehunt.com. View the video at:
commissioned but never got to record, landed at No. 15 this week on
Europe's prestigious Hotdisc Top 40 chart. The tune now belongs to
Luanne Hunt, who has recorded several songs by former writers for
Cline, Lawton Jiles and Buster Beam ("Let The Teardrops Fall," "Crazy
Dreams," "How Can I Face Tomorrow?"). The duo wrote "Christmas Without
You" in 1960 upon Cline's request.
"I've always believed if Patsy would have recorded ‘Christmas Without
You' it would have become a holiday standard," said Jiles, who began
his music career in a band with Buck Owens. "It's the kind of
Christmas song you hear once and want to sing along. It's very simple,
but the simple songs are usually the ones people love the most."
Jiles says when he and Beam played "Christmas Without You" for Cline,
she went crazy for it and immediately took it to her record label
representatives. They loved it too, but had other ideas for the catchy
tune. At the time, they were looking for Patsy's next single and
thought the melody of the Jiles-Beam creation had hit potential. So
they asked the writers if they would pen new lyrics for the song with
a non-holiday theme.
Jiles and Beam quickly came up with new words and the title "How Can I
Face Tomorrow?" The song was released within a few weeks, but despite
heavy television and radio promotion, it only made a modest showing on
the Cashbox Country Charts.
Jiles said he and Patsy were extremely disappointed "Christmas Without
You" wasn't recorded in its original form. He hoped another artist
would record it someday.
Over fifty years later Jiles finally got his wish courtesy of Hunt, an
award-winning, Grammy-balloted artist on Star Creek Records. Jiles
says Hunt's rendition of "Christmas Without You" will bring a tear to
the eye of every Patsy Cline fan, reminding them of how much the
songbird wanted to give them a musical gift for the holidays.
"I got a rush when I first heard Luanne's recording of ‘Christmas
Without You,'" said Jiles. "The song's been in my head for years and
to hear it done the way I always envisioned it is very exciting. It's
a perfect blend of the traditional and the contemporary."
"Christmas Without You" was produced by Eric Uglum (Alison Krauss, Ron
Block, Ralph Stanley, Cherryholmes and Nickel Creek). It features an
impressive twin-fiddle performance by teen sensation Christian Ward,
who has shared the stage with Ricky Skaggs and currently tours with
Rounder Records artist Sierra Hull. Also on the single are Austin Ward
(upright bass), Roger Gillespie (drums), Hal Ratliff (keyboards) and
Uglum (guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals).
"I'll never forget the day I recorded "Christmas Without You," said
Hunt. "I was standing there at the studio mic hoping that Patsy was
smiling down on me. I know her version would have been phenomenal, but
I hope her fans will accept my recording and see it mostly as a
tribute to one of the greatest country artists there ever was or ever
will be."
"Christmas Without You" is included on Hunt's six-song holiday EP,
"How Christmas Feels To Me." To hear more tracks from the EP or to
purchase your copy, go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/luannehunt12 or
www.luannehunt.com. View the video at: