The First Edition
Encyclopedia
The First Edition was a country music
/rock band
. Its stalwart members being Kenny Rogers
(vocals & bass guitar
), Mickey Jones
(drums & percussion) and Terry Williams (guitar
& vocals). The band formed in 1967, with noted folk musician Mike Settle
(guitar and backing vocals) and the operatically trained Thelma Camacho completing the lineup.
The First Edition signed with Reprise Records
in the summer of 1967 and first hit big in early 1968 with the pop-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
" (US #5). After several hits and misses the group (now billed as "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition") once again hit the top ten in the summer of 1969 with the topical "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
" (US #6, UK#2).
For the next six years, the First Edition bounced between country, pop and mild psychedelia, enjoying worldwide success.
, they signed with Reprise and recorded their first single together, "I Found A Reason", which picked up minor sales. Like much of the work by the original line up, this was a Mike Settle composition with a distinctly contemporary feel. Settle (who had first came up with the idea of forming the First Edition) had been writing decidedly more folk oriented songs since the early sixties, most notably the oft covered "Sing Hallelujah".
It was their follow-up (sung by Rogers), the proto metal-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
" that earned them their first brush with fame. The single, with an arrangement by their producer Mike Post that had Glen Campbell
playing the backwards guitar intro and Mike Deasy providing various psychedelic sounds, became a hit early in 1968, climbing to #5 on the Hot 100. Terry Williams played the solo that later led Jimi Hendrix
to tell Kenny that it was his favorite record. Though they were interesting, the group's next three single releases bombed, as did their second album. The early 1969 release "But You Know I Love You
" (composed by Settle), with a brass-tinged country-folk sound to broaden their fan base, peaked at #19 on the Hot 100 just under a year after "Just Dropped In" peaked. According to Mickey Jones' book "That Would Be Me", Thelma was fired from the group in late 1968 after missing too many gigs and rehearsals. Camacho was replaced by her roommate Mary Arnold (who later married Roger Miller
), an Iowa born singer who beat out newcomer Karen Carpenter
for the job.
By the end of the 60's Rogers had long brown hair, an earring, and pink sunglasses. Known affectionately in retrospect as "Hippie Kenny", Rogers had a much smoother vocal style at the time. In the summer of 1969, they had another Top Ten hit, with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", which was a global smash. Mickey's drumming was part of the hook, but it was Kenny who made the song his own. At Kenny's current shows, the song is often clapped along to, or joked around with. However, telling the story of a crippled veteran was daring at the height of the Vietnam War
. In order to release "Ruby" at the same time as the single "Once Again She's All Alone", the group renamed themselves "Kenny Rogers and The First Edition". When "Ruby" became the hit the name stuck. Terry later claimed this made him feel like one of Gladys Knight
's Pips
, but Kenny had sung the hits and had the most identifiable voice.
, Johnny Cash
and Elvis Presley
, their records in the late '60s brought country music to the city and rock `n' roll to the country. Even if Rogers had not also discovered Don Henley
, the First Edition should get credit for being pioneers of a more modern blend of rockabilly called country rock.
The First Edition arguably reached their peak of their fame with "Something's Burning", a #11 hit in early 1970. A blatantly sexual song, it was slightly hindered chartwise by the controversy surrounding it. Regardless, Kenny's soft voice on verses and rock shouting on the chorus earned the group much acclaim. "Burning" opened with a sample of an actual heartbeat played backwards to replicate the song's rhythmic beat.
In the meantime, Terry Williams had begun to record some solo 45's. A number of folk rock songs met with little success, and he later switched to a more teen oriented bubble gum sound that their manager Ken Kragen
felt would appeal to his fans. Williams' "I'm Gonna Sing You A Sad Song Susie" was part of the First Edition's next LP "Tell It All Brother". The title track, which dealt with love and brotherhood, was a national top 20 hit and topped WRKO
's 13 August 1970 top 30 survey for one week. It was the first of many songs Kenny would sing (i.e. his solo Coward Of The County) that had elements of sadism under a gentle surface. The line about mimicking a crippled man would not have flown had it not been sung with so much reverence. Released around right after the Kent State shootings
, the audience gave the group a standing ovation the night it debuted live.
At the end of 1970 the First Edition had their seventh Top 40 hit with the Vassy penned "Heed The Call". Another song about the need for brotherhood, it was seen as an uptempo counterpart to the balladry of "Tell It All Brother". The next single, "Someone Who Cares", was from the "Fools" movie soundtrack. A lushly arranged ballad, it may have charted higher if it had been included in the group's concurrent top selling Greatest Hits LP. Though scoring high on the easy listening charts, "Someone Who Cares" failed to reach the pop top fifty. This ushered in a period where the First Edition were attempting to retool their image. Keyboard player John Hobbs was briefly in the line up, but, though he played on future recordings, he was not in the group long enough to make it on any album covers or publicity photos. His brief tenure was captured in the PBS television special "Tell It All". The special provided an unusually indepth look at the group, all of whom were at ease speaking in front of the camera. In mid 1971 the First Edition released a gospel single called "Take My Hand", which only scraped into the bottom of the charts. Though "Spirit in the Sky
", "Put Your Hand in the Hand
" and "Jesus Is Just Alright
" laid the foundation for "Jesus Rock", the First Edition now seemed to be jumping on trends instead of creating them.
, Rollin was focused on harder-edged guests like Ike and Tina Turner, veterans like Bo Diddley
, veteran artists such as Ronnie Hawkins
, and up and comming performers such as Jim Croce
. The show also gave the First Edition a chance to do the comedy Kenny and Terry had long made a part of their act. Getting good ratings, Rollin did have one ill side effect: the First Edition were now seen as television personalities instead of recording stars.
Released in March 1972, The Ballad of Calico
was written by future star Michael Murphey and their musical director and arranger Larry Cansler. Cansler replaced Hobbs on stage during this period, but despite his large creative role here and on Rollin' On the River, he was not promoted on either as a member of the group. The album was a country rock opera
about a late 19th century mining town, but unlike most like-minded projects of the era all of the songs were based on fact. The sleeve and booklet of this two-LP set had genuine and period styled photos depicting the era, with all of the lyrics presented in hand-written script. The music was critically well received with all of the group (outside of Mickey) taking at least one lead. The song chosen for a single was "School Teacher", an acoustic rhythm and blues song with a lead by Kin. In retrospect it's easy to understand the probable reasons "School Teacher" didn't get past #91. Putting out a First Edition single where Rogers wasn't prominent was a gamble, plus with lyrics written to reflect the sexist views of the 19th century, it sounded odd outside of the LP's concept. The Ballad Of Calico has since picked up a large cult following, but back in 1972 it was all but ignored. Frustrated by the falling sales (the album hardly sold at all), Vassy began to let a drinking habit get out of control. According to Mickey Jones' book That Would Be Me, Vassy was fired several months after the "Calico's" release following a drunken backstage confrontation with Terry Williams.
By the early summer of 1972, Gene Lorenzo replaced Larry Cansler on stage and was made a full First Edition member. Jimmy Hassell joined the group several months later to replace Kin. Lorenzo was a keyboard and piano virtuoso who had what would be referred to today as a large Mario Brothers mustache. Hassell was a hard rock singer similar to Vassy, and physically resembled a friend of Terry's, actor Gary Busey
. Both fit in well, without making the public impression of the original members. Around the time the new members hopped on board, Rogers formed his own label, Jolly Rogers (distributed by MGM, Rogers retained the name when he started his own publishing company as a solo artist) and the group left Reprise. Lorenzo has noted that a live LP that he considered terrific was scrapped during the changeover. It captured the group playing at the prestigious Las Vegas Hilton lounge, something they did many times, usually when Elvis Presley
was appearing in the showroom.
Their first Jolly Rogers release was a late 1972 country LP called Backroads. The third single from the album, a version of Merle Haggard
's "Today I Started Loving You Again" reached the lower regions of the country charts in mid 1973. Then came a soundtrack from Rollin. Now in its second year, an album of live versions of the Calico songs and hits like "Ruby", "Reuben James" and "Just Dropped In" could have sold quite well, bringing proven hits to the Jolly Rogers label at the same time. Instead they delivered a set of cover songs, of which Kenny's remake of "The Long and Winding Road" and Gene's reworking of Bach's "Joy" were most notable. The album didn't check the group's declining sales, and the TV show was soon canceled. The group increasingly played on the county fair circuit. This made the First Edition a lot of money, but they knew they were no longer current.
Although he made up for it by wilder dress and hair, Kenny was showing signs of middle age with weight gain and patches of gray in his beard. It was decided that a new image far away from their TV persona was required. Monumental tried to give them just this. Combining a wide variety of styles, it ranged from a Rogers-written rocker about prostitute "Morgana Jones" (later rerecorded by Rogers for his album The Gambler
in 1978), to the nostalgic "42nd Street". The later compared the New York of 1973 to the Broadway of the 1930s. As he would continue to do in his solo career, Rogers cloaked some mature subject matter with a gentle delivery. The Dr. John-inspired medley of "The Hoodooing Of Fannie DuBerry" (also rerecorded by Rogers for The Gambler) and "The Ritual", was the LP's centerpiece. Though in tune with other music of the day, Monumental was one of their biggest sales failures in the United States Of America, but in New Zealand
it went gold. Following on the local success of "Rollin" and the understated ballad "Lady, Play Your Symphony", Kenny's rocking nursery rhyme "Lena Lookie" went to number six, and the group embarked on three New Zealand tours over the next two years. A documentary of their first trip, in late 1973, was aired as a 1975 TV special, Rollin Through New Zealand .
As their domestic popularity continued to decline, Terry wanted to focus on the hard rockers that had done so well for them overseas. Kenny disagreed, wanting a more conservative agenda. Kenny admitted in his book, Making It With Music, that he perhaps shouldn't have complained about MGM's poor distribution on a radio show, but despite their mounting problems, New Zealand continued to consider the First Edition as superstars. The problem was that they had to go halfway around the world to benefit from their success, and travel expenses ate a big chunk out of their profits. As a thank you they put together an album called I'm Not Making My Music For Money especially for their New Zealand fans. An LP of this title was to have come out in the USA but MGM rejected it. The US LP was basically going to be the same but with two new cuts replacing the two songs reused from Monumental. Despite the retreads, the album did show continued development. A mix of new songs and remakes (possibly done because some songs were not available in New Zealand), "Love Woman" is now a hard rock jam featuring Jimmy on lead. This arrangement was borrowed from the band's stage performances of Bill Haley's "Rockin Through The Rye". The ballads "Dirty Work" and "Daddy Was A Traveling Man" were a return to the more adult style of Terry's early work. "Making Music For Money" (another song remade for The Gambler) is a song about art vs. commerce that Jimmy Buffett
later covered. This semi-comical goodbye to the music rat race also served as the band's ironic last single. It too charted well, but again only in New Zealand.
Wanting to give a solo career a shot, Terry left in the late spring of 1975. Kenny was upset but agreed to it, succeeding in getting Kin to come back so they could fill their pending engagements. Though he was hired to stay permanently, the reunion with Vassy did not go well and he ended up playing only one night. This more or less marked the point where The First Edition agreed to split. Though the group would finish their pending obligations, Kenny began recording as a solo act that fall. The First Edition played their last scheduled shows in the fall of 1975 at Harrah's in Reno. Without Mickey Jones
there were a few First Edition gigs in early 1976, done as a favor to Kenny who hadn't yet formed his solo band. Kenny later said that writing the song Sweet Music Man made him cut his hair and let it go grey, plus get rid of the earring. The song may have played a part in his future middle of the road image, but the change did not happen until almost a year after it was written. Mary Arnold often sang Sweet Music Man on the First Edition's post Terry Williams gigs. This was to become one of Rogers' most covered compositions, and he himself had a #9 country hit with it in the fall of 1977. Though unrecorded, "Sweet Music Man" marked the end of the First Edition as a creative enitity.
in 1975. Searching for a new image, he soon developed a more middle of the road gravel voiced style. For the rest of the decade and beyond he had hit after hit. "Lucille
" was the first of no less than a combined 25 number 1 country and pop singles after he left the group. During his time with UA (later taken over by Liberty) he topped the country and pop album charts for a grand total of 90 weeks and sold more records than anyone in country music. In 1983 his status as one of the world's top stars (of any musical genre) was confirmed when RCA
signed him for an advance sum of US$20 million, for six albums. His amiable stage jokes and love of performing continue to this day.
Thelma Camacho did a few solo records in the sixties and seventies and one LP in 1980. She is known as Thelma Camacho Ivie. She moved to Europe
in the 1980s and lost contact with the rest of the group until 2010. Today, she lives in California
and runs a jewelry store.
Mary Arnold married singer Roger Miller
, after the two were introduced by Rogers, and now looks after his estate. She had performed with him for many years, and was recently inducted into the Iowa Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Kin Vassy died of lung cancer on June 23, 1994. He scored two top 40 hit singles as a country singer, but his solo career never really took off. He often worked with Kenny in the eighties and his trademark scream enlivens hits like "Blaze Of Glory". In 1980 he released the single Makes Me Wonder (If I Ever Said Goodbye); Kenny Rogers sang the backing vocals. The song was not a hit, but the following year Kenny recorded his own version of the song for his popular "Share Your Love" album, produced by Lionel Richie
; Vassy sang the back up on Kenny's version. He also worked with Frank Zappa
and Elvis Presley
. Two years after he died, Martina McBride
had a #28 hit on the U.S. country survey with the Vassey penned Phones Are Ringing (All Over Town).
Gene Lorenzo performed for some years with country star Lee Greenwood
, then some more years with Kathy Mattea
. When Greenwood fired his band in 1987, Kenny asked Gene if he would like to join his stage band "Bloodline" until he found a new group. Lorenzo stayed for roughly six months. He is still listed as a working musician.
Terry Williams had one easy listening hit in 1980 called "Blame It On The Night", but it was on a small label and today is harder to find than his less successful singles. He worked extensively with Kenny in the eighties and managed Kenny's successful Lion Share recording studios. Today Terry is mostly retired, on a huge farm in the Southeast. He now composes and sings Christian music, and keeps his foot in the door of the music business. As far as new music, or possibly something "on the road", Never Say Never!
Having continued to write and perform, Mike Settle opened for The First Edition on their 1973 trek to New Zealand. He would go on to write several songs for the group's solo records over the years. By the eighties Mike had a lower profile in the music industry, and later became a journalist. Now basically retired, his songs ("But You Know I Love You" in particular) continue to be covered by new artists.
Jimmy Hassell worked for Anne Murray
for a while and after Mary married Roger Miller
he worked with them as well. He released one self titled solo LP in 1976 which was reissued with one new song in 1978, and also wrote commercial jingles. His biggest success as a solo artist came in 1977 when he produced the award-winning production show "Sassy Class" at the Stardust hotel. He passed away on January 6, 2004.
Mickey Jones became the most visible member next to Kenny. Now focused more on acting, he has been in many films and T.V. shows over the years, including films such as Sling Blade
and The Fighting Temptations
. He also had a continuing role in Tim Allen's Home Improvement for two seasons.
John Hobbs stayed in touch with the group and worked with Kenny, Terry, and Kin on Rogers' early eighties solo work as well as other projects at Lion Share. He has remained a very active session musician and arranger.
The groups' long time arranger Larry Cansler had a successful career in the studios in LA scoring many movies (including The Gambler series), variety shows, (the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour) and many national commercials. He now lives in Arizona and continues to compose for symphony orchestras.
In 1980, a compilation of some of the First Edition's greatest hits and album cuts, titled "Shine On", was issued in the United Kingdom
; it sold fairly well but was overshadowed by The Kenny Rogers Singles Album
, a Kenny Rogers solo greatest hits collection that, in addition to his solo hits, featured reworkings of the group's best known songs.
Currently there are many compilations of their work in print on various labels, some miscredited to Kenny alone. None of their studio albums are in print on CD or vinyl.
The band scored a total of 11 hit singles and 8 hit albums on the Billboard charts.
On April 10, 2010, Kenny, Mike, Mickey, Terry, Mary, and Gene reunited as part of the "Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years" TV special. This was filmed at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. They were joined by Wynona Judd on a rendition of "Just Dropped In". Airing in 2011, a reunion with or without Kenny now seems likely.
Note: all View Video releases were originally issued on VHS in the early nineties.
Numerous releases with miscellaneous Rollin' footage have come out in Europe and Australia. They are of dubious legality and were all were quickly pulled from the market.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
/rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. Its stalwart members being Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
(vocals & bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Mickey Jones
Mickey Jones
Mickey Jones is an American musician and actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Frances Marie and Fred Edward Jones...
(drums & percussion) and Terry Williams (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
& vocals). The band formed in 1967, with noted folk musician Mike Settle
Mike Settle
Mike Settle, is an American songwriter, journalist, broadcaster and singer. He is most famous for being a member of the Rock band Kenny Rogers & The First Edition between 1967 and 1970...
(guitar and backing vocals) and the operatically trained Thelma Camacho completing the lineup.
The First Edition signed with Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
in the summer of 1967 and first hit big in early 1968 with the pop-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
"Just Dropped In " is a song written by Mickey Newbury. Said to reflect the LSD experience, the song was intended to be a warning against the danger of using LSD. First recorded in 1967 by Jerry Lee Lewis, who rejected it, it was a hit for The First Edition in 1968...
" (US #5). After several hits and misses the group (now billed as "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition") once again hit the top ten in the summer of 1969 with the topical "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a song written by Mel Tillis. The song was made famous by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969. "Ruby" was originally recorded in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, who scored a number nine country hit with it that year....
" (US #6, UK#2).
For the next six years, the First Edition bounced between country, pop and mild psychedelia, enjoying worldwide success.
The early days
The First Edition were (outside of Mickey Jones) made up of former New Christy Minstrels who felt creatively stifled. In 1967 with the help of Terry Williams mother who worked for producer/executive Jimmy BowenJimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen is an American record producer and former pop music performer.Bowen was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. He began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording...
, they signed with Reprise and recorded their first single together, "I Found A Reason", which picked up minor sales. Like much of the work by the original line up, this was a Mike Settle composition with a distinctly contemporary feel. Settle (who had first came up with the idea of forming the First Edition) had been writing decidedly more folk oriented songs since the early sixties, most notably the oft covered "Sing Hallelujah".
It was their follow-up (sung by Rogers), the proto metal-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
"Just Dropped In " is a song written by Mickey Newbury. Said to reflect the LSD experience, the song was intended to be a warning against the danger of using LSD. First recorded in 1967 by Jerry Lee Lewis, who rejected it, it was a hit for The First Edition in 1968...
" that earned them their first brush with fame. The single, with an arrangement by their producer Mike Post that had Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
playing the backwards guitar intro and Mike Deasy providing various psychedelic sounds, became a hit early in 1968, climbing to #5 on the Hot 100. Terry Williams played the solo that later led Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
to tell Kenny that it was his favorite record. Though they were interesting, the group's next three single releases bombed, as did their second album. The early 1969 release "But You Know I Love You
But You Know I Love You
"But You Know I Love You" is a song written by Mike Settle, which was a 1969 pop hit for The First Edition, a group that included Settle and Kenny Rogers. Evie Sands recorded the song for her 1970 album Any Way That You Want Me...
" (composed by Settle), with a brass-tinged country-folk sound to broaden their fan base, peaked at #19 on the Hot 100 just under a year after "Just Dropped In" peaked. According to Mickey Jones' book "That Would Be Me", Thelma was fired from the group in late 1968 after missing too many gigs and rehearsals. Camacho was replaced by her roommate Mary Arnold (who later married Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
), an Iowa born singer who beat out newcomer Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
for the job.
By the end of the 60's Rogers had long brown hair, an earring, and pink sunglasses. Known affectionately in retrospect as "Hippie Kenny", Rogers had a much smoother vocal style at the time. In the summer of 1969, they had another Top Ten hit, with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", which was a global smash. Mickey's drumming was part of the hook, but it was Kenny who made the song his own. At Kenny's current shows, the song is often clapped along to, or joked around with. However, telling the story of a crippled veteran was daring at the height of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In order to release "Ruby" at the same time as the single "Once Again She's All Alone", the group renamed themselves "Kenny Rogers and The First Edition". When "Ruby" became the hit the name stuck. Terry later claimed this made him feel like one of Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
's Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
, but Kenny had sung the hits and had the most identifiable voice.
Their prime
"Ruby" made them stars, and for the next two years, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition had nearly a half a dozen hits. A man he took to be a rude fan pitched "Reuben James" to Rogers at a golf match. A song pitcher for Alex Harvey followed him around the greens singing the song until Kenny listened. Rogers loved this look at a black man raising a white boy and agreed to do it. Another daring record, "Reuben James" was not as big a hit as "Ruby", but made a big impact on the First Edition's now sizable fanbase. "Reuben James", came out at the end of 1969 just as Mike Settle decided to leave. Settle wanted to save his ultimately doomed marriage and was replaced by Kin Vassy. Vassy's style was a little more edgy than Settle's, allowing the band to explore different areas. It was now that Kenny and Terry by default became the leaders of the band. Kenny was in charge of the records, and Terry would take control of their stage presentation. The group continued to record country, rock, and folk, fairly equally blurring the lines between each genre. Along with the likes of Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, their records in the late '60s brought country music to the city and rock `n' roll to the country. Even if Rogers had not also discovered Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, the First Edition should get credit for being pioneers of a more modern blend of rockabilly called country rock.
The First Edition arguably reached their peak of their fame with "Something's Burning", a #11 hit in early 1970. A blatantly sexual song, it was slightly hindered chartwise by the controversy surrounding it. Regardless, Kenny's soft voice on verses and rock shouting on the chorus earned the group much acclaim. "Burning" opened with a sample of an actual heartbeat played backwards to replicate the song's rhythmic beat.
In the meantime, Terry Williams had begun to record some solo 45's. A number of folk rock songs met with little success, and he later switched to a more teen oriented bubble gum sound that their manager Ken Kragen
Ken Kragen
Ken Kragen is an author, speaker, non-profit consultant, TV & film producer and music manager.In 1985, he was instrumental in securing the talent that appeared on the fund-raising single and album We Are the World. Harry Belafonte, contacted Kragen, who was then managing Lionel Richie and Kenny...
felt would appeal to his fans. Williams' "I'm Gonna Sing You A Sad Song Susie" was part of the First Edition's next LP "Tell It All Brother". The title track, which dealt with love and brotherhood, was a national top 20 hit and topped WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
's 13 August 1970 top 30 survey for one week. It was the first of many songs Kenny would sing (i.e. his solo Coward Of The County) that had elements of sadism under a gentle surface. The line about mimicking a crippled man would not have flown had it not been sung with so much reverence. Released around right after the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
, the audience gave the group a standing ovation the night it debuted live.
At the end of 1970 the First Edition had their seventh Top 40 hit with the Vassy penned "Heed The Call". Another song about the need for brotherhood, it was seen as an uptempo counterpart to the balladry of "Tell It All Brother". The next single, "Someone Who Cares", was from the "Fools" movie soundtrack. A lushly arranged ballad, it may have charted higher if it had been included in the group's concurrent top selling Greatest Hits LP. Though scoring high on the easy listening charts, "Someone Who Cares" failed to reach the pop top fifty. This ushered in a period where the First Edition were attempting to retool their image. Keyboard player John Hobbs was briefly in the line up, but, though he played on future recordings, he was not in the group long enough to make it on any album covers or publicity photos. His brief tenure was captured in the PBS television special "Tell It All". The special provided an unusually indepth look at the group, all of whom were at ease speaking in front of the camera. In mid 1971 the First Edition released a gospel single called "Take My Hand", which only scraped into the bottom of the charts. Though "Spirit in the Sky
Spirit in the Sky
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
", "Put Your Hand in the Hand
Put Your Hand in the Hand
"Put Your Hand in the Hand" is a Gospel pop song composed by Gene MacLellan and first recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray from her third studio album Honey, Wheat and Laughter....
" and "Jesus Is Just Alright
Jesus Is Just Alright
"Jesus Is Just Alright" is a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds and first recorded by Reynolds' own group, The Art Reynolds Singers, on their 1966 album, Tellin' It Like It Is....
" laid the foundation for "Jesus Rock", the First Edition now seemed to be jumping on trends instead of creating them.
TV and later releases
After the success of a pilot shot in late 1970, the fall of 1971 saw the First Edition become hosts of their own television series Rollin' On the River. Later to be shortened to Rollin, this was a variety show that was taped in Canada which geared itself towards rock, blues, and folk performers and groups. Unlike the more Las Vegas-styled The Sonny & Cher Comedy HourThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
, Rollin was focused on harder-edged guests like Ike and Tina Turner, veterans like Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, veteran artists such as Ronnie Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
, and up and comming performers such as Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
. The show also gave the First Edition a chance to do the comedy Kenny and Terry had long made a part of their act. Getting good ratings, Rollin did have one ill side effect: the First Edition were now seen as television personalities instead of recording stars.
Released in March 1972, The Ballad of Calico
The Ballad of Calico
The Ballad of Calico was the eighth studio album by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and released as Reprise Records 6476. It reached #118 on the albums chart and produced one single, "School Teacher" which reach #91. The album was released in 1972. The album is a country-rock concept album about...
was written by future star Michael Murphey and their musical director and arranger Larry Cansler. Cansler replaced Hobbs on stage during this period, but despite his large creative role here and on Rollin' On the River, he was not promoted on either as a member of the group. The album was a country rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
about a late 19th century mining town, but unlike most like-minded projects of the era all of the songs were based on fact. The sleeve and booklet of this two-LP set had genuine and period styled photos depicting the era, with all of the lyrics presented in hand-written script. The music was critically well received with all of the group (outside of Mickey) taking at least one lead. The song chosen for a single was "School Teacher", an acoustic rhythm and blues song with a lead by Kin. In retrospect it's easy to understand the probable reasons "School Teacher" didn't get past #91. Putting out a First Edition single where Rogers wasn't prominent was a gamble, plus with lyrics written to reflect the sexist views of the 19th century, it sounded odd outside of the LP's concept. The Ballad Of Calico has since picked up a large cult following, but back in 1972 it was all but ignored. Frustrated by the falling sales (the album hardly sold at all), Vassy began to let a drinking habit get out of control. According to Mickey Jones' book That Would Be Me, Vassy was fired several months after the "Calico's" release following a drunken backstage confrontation with Terry Williams.
By the early summer of 1972, Gene Lorenzo replaced Larry Cansler on stage and was made a full First Edition member. Jimmy Hassell joined the group several months later to replace Kin. Lorenzo was a keyboard and piano virtuoso who had what would be referred to today as a large Mario Brothers mustache. Hassell was a hard rock singer similar to Vassy, and physically resembled a friend of Terry's, actor Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
. Both fit in well, without making the public impression of the original members. Around the time the new members hopped on board, Rogers formed his own label, Jolly Rogers (distributed by MGM, Rogers retained the name when he started his own publishing company as a solo artist) and the group left Reprise. Lorenzo has noted that a live LP that he considered terrific was scrapped during the changeover. It captured the group playing at the prestigious Las Vegas Hilton lounge, something they did many times, usually when Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
was appearing in the showroom.
Their first Jolly Rogers release was a late 1972 country LP called Backroads. The third single from the album, a version of Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
's "Today I Started Loving You Again" reached the lower regions of the country charts in mid 1973. Then came a soundtrack from Rollin. Now in its second year, an album of live versions of the Calico songs and hits like "Ruby", "Reuben James" and "Just Dropped In" could have sold quite well, bringing proven hits to the Jolly Rogers label at the same time. Instead they delivered a set of cover songs, of which Kenny's remake of "The Long and Winding Road" and Gene's reworking of Bach's "Joy" were most notable. The album didn't check the group's declining sales, and the TV show was soon canceled. The group increasingly played on the county fair circuit. This made the First Edition a lot of money, but they knew they were no longer current.
Although he made up for it by wilder dress and hair, Kenny was showing signs of middle age with weight gain and patches of gray in his beard. It was decided that a new image far away from their TV persona was required. Monumental tried to give them just this. Combining a wide variety of styles, it ranged from a Rogers-written rocker about prostitute "Morgana Jones" (later rerecorded by Rogers for his album The Gambler
The Gambler (album)
The Gambler is the sixth studio album by Kenny Rogers', released by United Artists in 1978. One of his most popular, it has established Rogers' status as one of the most successful artists of the 1970s and 1980s...
in 1978), to the nostalgic "42nd Street". The later compared the New York of 1973 to the Broadway of the 1930s. As he would continue to do in his solo career, Rogers cloaked some mature subject matter with a gentle delivery. The Dr. John-inspired medley of "The Hoodooing Of Fannie DuBerry" (also rerecorded by Rogers for The Gambler) and "The Ritual", was the LP's centerpiece. Though in tune with other music of the day, Monumental was one of their biggest sales failures in the United States Of America, but in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
it went gold. Following on the local success of "Rollin" and the understated ballad "Lady, Play Your Symphony", Kenny's rocking nursery rhyme "Lena Lookie" went to number six, and the group embarked on three New Zealand tours over the next two years. A documentary of their first trip, in late 1973, was aired as a 1975 TV special, Rollin Through New Zealand .
As their domestic popularity continued to decline, Terry wanted to focus on the hard rockers that had done so well for them overseas. Kenny disagreed, wanting a more conservative agenda. Kenny admitted in his book, Making It With Music, that he perhaps shouldn't have complained about MGM's poor distribution on a radio show, but despite their mounting problems, New Zealand continued to consider the First Edition as superstars. The problem was that they had to go halfway around the world to benefit from their success, and travel expenses ate a big chunk out of their profits. As a thank you they put together an album called I'm Not Making My Music For Money especially for their New Zealand fans. An LP of this title was to have come out in the USA but MGM rejected it. The US LP was basically going to be the same but with two new cuts replacing the two songs reused from Monumental. Despite the retreads, the album did show continued development. A mix of new songs and remakes (possibly done because some songs were not available in New Zealand), "Love Woman" is now a hard rock jam featuring Jimmy on lead. This arrangement was borrowed from the band's stage performances of Bill Haley's "Rockin Through The Rye". The ballads "Dirty Work" and "Daddy Was A Traveling Man" were a return to the more adult style of Terry's early work. "Making Music For Money" (another song remade for The Gambler) is a song about art vs. commerce that Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
later covered. This semi-comical goodbye to the music rat race also served as the band's ironic last single. It too charted well, but again only in New Zealand.
The split
A last ditch effort to jump start their domestic careers was done in late 1974 when they filmed a T.V. movie called The Dream Makers. A better than average drama about the music biz, they played the group Catweazel. It was a small role with only Kenny and Mickey speaking any major lines. Despite the film giving them a chance to perform recent songs, the exposure didn't halt their decline. Kenny had become short on money by 1974, and was in debt when he decided to hawk guitar lesson records on a commercial. The "Quick Pickin Fun Strummin" method may have worked, but it did Kenny and the others no good image wise.Wanting to give a solo career a shot, Terry left in the late spring of 1975. Kenny was upset but agreed to it, succeeding in getting Kin to come back so they could fill their pending engagements. Though he was hired to stay permanently, the reunion with Vassy did not go well and he ended up playing only one night. This more or less marked the point where The First Edition agreed to split. Though the group would finish their pending obligations, Kenny began recording as a solo act that fall. The First Edition played their last scheduled shows in the fall of 1975 at Harrah's in Reno. Without Mickey Jones
Mickey Jones
Mickey Jones is an American musician and actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Frances Marie and Fred Edward Jones...
there were a few First Edition gigs in early 1976, done as a favor to Kenny who hadn't yet formed his solo band. Kenny later said that writing the song Sweet Music Man made him cut his hair and let it go grey, plus get rid of the earring. The song may have played a part in his future middle of the road image, but the change did not happen until almost a year after it was written. Mary Arnold often sang Sweet Music Man on the First Edition's post Terry Williams gigs. This was to become one of Rogers' most covered compositions, and he himself had a #9 country hit with it in the fall of 1977. Though unrecorded, "Sweet Music Man" marked the end of the First Edition as a creative enitity.
After the split
Considering the bands then current low profile, Kenny Rogers had an uncertain future when he signed a solo deal to United ArtistsUnited Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
in 1975. Searching for a new image, he soon developed a more middle of the road gravel voiced style. For the rest of the decade and beyond he had hit after hit. "Lucille
Lucille (Kenny Rogers song)
"Lucille" is the title of a ballad written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum, and recorded by Kenny Rogers. It was released in January 1977 as the second and final single from the album Kenny Rogers. The song is about a man in a bar that meets a woman who has left her husband...
" was the first of no less than a combined 25 number 1 country and pop singles after he left the group. During his time with UA (later taken over by Liberty) he topped the country and pop album charts for a grand total of 90 weeks and sold more records than anyone in country music. In 1983 his status as one of the world's top stars (of any musical genre) was confirmed when RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
signed him for an advance sum of US$20 million, for six albums. His amiable stage jokes and love of performing continue to this day.
Thelma Camacho did a few solo records in the sixties and seventies and one LP in 1980. She is known as Thelma Camacho Ivie. She moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the 1980s and lost contact with the rest of the group until 2010. Today, she lives in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and runs a jewelry store.
Mary Arnold married singer Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
, after the two were introduced by Rogers, and now looks after his estate. She had performed with him for many years, and was recently inducted into the Iowa Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Kin Vassy died of lung cancer on June 23, 1994. He scored two top 40 hit singles as a country singer, but his solo career never really took off. He often worked with Kenny in the eighties and his trademark scream enlivens hits like "Blaze Of Glory". In 1980 he released the single Makes Me Wonder (If I Ever Said Goodbye); Kenny Rogers sang the backing vocals. The song was not a hit, but the following year Kenny recorded his own version of the song for his popular "Share Your Love" album, produced by Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
; Vassy sang the back up on Kenny's version. He also worked with Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Two years after he died, Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
had a #28 hit on the U.S. country survey with the Vassey penned Phones Are Ringing (All Over Town).
Gene Lorenzo performed for some years with country star Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood
Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts....
, then some more years with Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea
Kathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
. When Greenwood fired his band in 1987, Kenny asked Gene if he would like to join his stage band "Bloodline" until he found a new group. Lorenzo stayed for roughly six months. He is still listed as a working musician.
Terry Williams had one easy listening hit in 1980 called "Blame It On The Night", but it was on a small label and today is harder to find than his less successful singles. He worked extensively with Kenny in the eighties and managed Kenny's successful Lion Share recording studios. Today Terry is mostly retired, on a huge farm in the Southeast. He now composes and sings Christian music, and keeps his foot in the door of the music business. As far as new music, or possibly something "on the road", Never Say Never!
Having continued to write and perform, Mike Settle opened for The First Edition on their 1973 trek to New Zealand. He would go on to write several songs for the group's solo records over the years. By the eighties Mike had a lower profile in the music industry, and later became a journalist. Now basically retired, his songs ("But You Know I Love You" in particular) continue to be covered by new artists.
Jimmy Hassell worked for Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
for a while and after Mary married Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
he worked with them as well. He released one self titled solo LP in 1976 which was reissued with one new song in 1978, and also wrote commercial jingles. His biggest success as a solo artist came in 1977 when he produced the award-winning production show "Sassy Class" at the Stardust hotel. He passed away on January 6, 2004.
Mickey Jones became the most visible member next to Kenny. Now focused more on acting, he has been in many films and T.V. shows over the years, including films such as Sling Blade
Sling Blade
Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also stars in the lead role. It tells the story of a mentally impaired man named Karl Childers who is released from a psychiatric hospital, where he has lived since killing his mother...
and The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
. He also had a continuing role in Tim Allen's Home Improvement for two seasons.
John Hobbs stayed in touch with the group and worked with Kenny, Terry, and Kin on Rogers' early eighties solo work as well as other projects at Lion Share. He has remained a very active session musician and arranger.
The groups' long time arranger Larry Cansler had a successful career in the studios in LA scoring many movies (including The Gambler series), variety shows, (the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour) and many national commercials. He now lives in Arizona and continues to compose for symphony orchestras.
In 1980, a compilation of some of the First Edition's greatest hits and album cuts, titled "Shine On", was issued in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; it sold fairly well but was overshadowed by The Kenny Rogers Singles Album
The Kenny Rogers Singles Album
-Overview:This album was issued in the UK by United Artists Records in 1979 and was the second Kenny Rogers album to reach the pop UK Albums Chart Top 20 . It featured every one of his singles to make the UK Pop Top 75 to that point...
, a Kenny Rogers solo greatest hits collection that, in addition to his solo hits, featured reworkings of the group's best known songs.
Currently there are many compilations of their work in print on various labels, some miscredited to Kenny alone. None of their studio albums are in print on CD or vinyl.
The band scored a total of 11 hit singles and 8 hit albums on the Billboard charts.
On April 10, 2010, Kenny, Mike, Mickey, Terry, Mary, and Gene reunited as part of the "Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years" TV special. This was filmed at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. They were joined by Wynona Judd on a rendition of "Just Dropped In". Airing in 2011, a reunion with or without Kenny now seems likely.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN | |||
| 1967 | The First Edition The First Edition (album) The First Edition is the debut album by the group The First Edition. Kenny Rogers sang the lead vocals on two tracks "Just Dropped In ", and "Dream On"... |
118 | — | — |
| 1968 | The First Edition's 2nd | — | — | — |
| 1969 | The First Edition '69 | 164 | — | — |
| Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town (album) Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town is the fourth album by the group The First Edition. This was the first album to credit the group as Kenny Rogers & the First Edition.-Track listing:#"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town"... |
48 | 52 | — | |
| 1970 | Something's Burning Something's Burning Something's Burning is the fifth album by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, released in 1970.-Singles:Only one single was issued from the album, the title song "Something's Burning" with "Momma's Waiting" on the flip side... |
26 | 47 | — |
| Tell It All Brother Tell It All Brother Tell It All Brother is the sixth album by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, released in 1970 by Reprise Records. It reached #61 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:# "Tell It All Brother" # "Shine On Ruby Mountain"... |
61 | 42 | — | |
| 1971 | Fools (soundtrack) | — | — | — |
| Greatest Hits | 57 | 33 | Platinum | |
| Transition Transition (The First Edition album) -Track listing:#"Take My Hand" #"What Am I Gonna Do" #"All God's Lonely Children" #"Lay It Down" #"Tulsa Turnaround" #"Poem For My Lady"... |
155 | — | — | |
| 1972 | The Ballad of Calico The Ballad of Calico The Ballad of Calico was the eighth studio album by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and released as Reprise Records 6476. It reached #118 on the albums chart and produced one single, "School Teacher" which reach #91. The album was released in 1972. The album is a country-rock concept album about... |
118 | — | — |
| Back Roads | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | Rollin | — | — | — |
| Monumental | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | I'm Not Making Music for Money | — | — | — |
| 1976 | Greatest Hits | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
CAN Country | CAN | CAN AC | New Zealand | UK | |||
| 1967 | "I Found a Reason" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The First Edition |
| "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) "Just Dropped In " is a song written by Mickey Newbury. Said to reflect the LSD experience, the song was intended to be a warning against the danger of using LSD. First recorded in 1967 by Jerry Lee Lewis, who rejected it, it was a hit for The First Edition in 1968... " |
— | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968 | "Only Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The First Edition's 2nd |
| "Charlie The Fer De Lance" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Are My Thoughts With You?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "But You Know I Love You But You Know I Love You "But You Know I Love You" is a song written by Mike Settle, which was a 1969 pop hit for The First Edition, a group that included Settle and Kenny Rogers. Evie Sands recorded the song for her 1970 album Any Way That You Want Me... " |
— | 19 | — | — | 11 | 9 | — | — | The First Edition '69 | |
| 1969 | "Once Again, She's All Alone" | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | — | Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town |
| "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a song written by Mel Tillis. The song was made famous by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969. "Ruby" was originally recorded in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, who scored a number nine country hit with it that year.... " |
39 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | ||
| "Reuben James" | 46 | 26 | — | 12 | 9 | 39 | 9 | — | ||
| 1970 | "Something's Burning" | — | 11 | — | — | 6 | — | 14 | 8 | Something's Burning |
| "Tell It All Brother" | — | 17 | 8 | — | 10 | — | — | — | Tell It All Brother | |
| "Heed the Call" | — | 33 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Someone Who Cares" | — | 51 | 4 | — | 54 | — | — | — | Fools (soundtrack) |
| "Take My Hand" | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Transition | |
| "What Am I Gonna Do" | — | - | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972 | "School Teacher" | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ballad of Calico |
| "Lady Play Your Symphony" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | Backroads | |
| 1973 | "(Do You Remember The) First Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Today I Started Loving You Again" | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lena Lookie" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | Monumental | |
| "Something About Your Song" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Makin' Music for Money" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | I'm Not Making My Music For Money |
Available on DVD
- 2005: Kenny Rogers: Going Home-Live at the House Of Blues UK DVD compatible with US format contains a 1994 Disney Channel documentary. Includes a five minute First Edition segment with rare footage.
- 2005: Remember The 70's 60 min compilation of Rollin' hosted by Mickey JonesMickey JonesMickey Jones is an American musician and actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Frances Marie and Fred Edward Jones...
. Two First Edition performances are included as well as their intros for other artists. - 2006: Kenny Rogers - The Journey with The First Edition Dottie WestDottie WestDottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...
, Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, and Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... - 2007: Flashbacks: Pop Parade (includes selections from the View Video Rollin' releases)
- 2007: Flashbacks: Easy Lovin’ (includes selections from the View Video Rollin' releases)
- 2007: Kenny Rogers: Rollin' Volume 1 with The First Edition, Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
, Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Gladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight... - 2007: Kenny Rogers: Rollin' Volume 2 with The First Edition, Jim CroceJim CroceJames Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
, Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, and Ronnie HawkinsRonnie HawkinsRonald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
Note: all View Video releases were originally issued on VHS in the early nineties.
Numerous releases with miscellaneous Rollin' footage have come out in Europe and Australia. They are of dubious legality and were all were quickly pulled from the market.
Further reading
- Rogers, Kenny (1978). Making It With Music. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-013598-0.
- Information on how to start an entertainment career. Insight on the First Edition in photos, their image, their music, how they got along etc.
- Jones, Mickey (2007) That Would Be Me. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4343-0835-1
- Mickey's autobiography contains previously unknown info on the First Edition. Photo section on the group is included.
- Hume, Martha (1980). Kenny Rogers: Gambler, Lover, Dreamer. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-452-25254-7
- Short biography of Rogers that goes into personal detail not covered in his own book.
Documentaries
- "Tell It All"-Airdate: syndicated in fall of 1972)) A PBS special filmed in early 1971 during a date in South Carolina. Goes backstage, shows rehearsals, and has in depth interviews with all of the group. Some of this was reused in "Kenny Rogers-The Journey". The rest is yet to be released on home video.
- "Rollin' Through New Zealand"-Airdate: syndicated in early 1975)) The First Edition star in this look at their visits and success in New Zealand. No official home video released, but producer Tony Williams put it up officially at http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/rolling-through-new-zealand-with-kenny-rogers-and-the-first-edition-1974
- "Kenny Rogers: A Gambler's Tale"-A&E Biography 1999] Kenny and Mike Settle are interviewed for this 60 min doc. Was available on VHS
- "The Life and Times of Kenny Rogers"-CMT 2002] Indepth look at Rogers includes interviews with Kenny, Mickey Jones, and Terry Williams
- "Kenny Rogers-The Journey"-DVD 2006] A performance based documentary, that devotes about a quarter of its two hour playing time to the First Edition. Includes vintage and new interviews with Rogers, as well as a new one by Mickey Jones.