Biography: 1970s

Russ Reeder was happy to assume full management control of Gene.  His belief in Gene remained so strong that Russ formed Resco Records specifically for him.  While being interviewed some years later in 1978, Gene spoke highly of Russ, stating that Russ had devoted a great deal of faith in Gene, so much so that Gene felt that he (Russ) was very much the guiding light in the early days of his career.

Gene's debut single for Resco Records was 'Bad water', a song previously recorded by The Raylettes (Ethel - Darlene - McCrea, Margie Hendricks, Patricia Lyles & Gwendoly Berry), who were the late Ray Charles' backing singers.

The Raylettes had recorded the song four years previously in 1971.  The song, which Gene loved, was his first charted single in the USA.  The single made its debut on the Billboard country music singles chart on 25 January 1975, but it only reached a lowly position of No.87 on the charts.

'Bad water' may have achieved a low chart position for Gene Watson, but more importantly it came to the attention of Ed Keeley, the then promotional executive at Capitol Records.  Ed was impressed with the fact that an independent single had managed to make its way into the national country music charts.  Ed liked the song & was so impressed with Gene's performance of it that he flew to Houston and immediately negotiated a recording contract with Russ Reeder.

The outcome for Gene Watson was that he had procured a five-year recording contract with Capitol Records (a major league record company) & the outcome for the country music industry was that it now had a new country music star.

Gene had already recorded 'Love in the hot afternoon' for Resco Records & it was already in circulation, when he signed his recording contract with Capitol Records.  The song, previously recorded by several others, including Jim Ed Brown, became a regional hit.  The other artists who had previously recorded the song had all changed the lyrics around, because it was felt that the song was too risqué (for 1974) to gain vital radio airplay.

However, following discussions with Russ, Gene decided to record the song exactly the way that it had been written.  'Love in the hot afternoon' would turn out to be one of Gene Watson’s best loved tunes.

The track was also recorded by Waylon Jennings (RIP), but his version of the song was never released as a single.  Gene would, however, later record Waylon's little known composition 'John's back in town'.  This latter track was co-written by Waylon along with legendary songwriter & country music disc jockey Bill Mack.  Sadly, Waylon Jennings passed away on 13 February 2002, at the age of 64.

The Resco Records-issued single of 'Love in the hot afternoon', however, had already become extremely popular throughout a wide area of Texas, Louisiana & Oklahoma, so by the time Capitol Records re-issued it on their own label, the song had already become a major hit in those market areas and was beginning to descend the charts.

Ultimately, this fact thwarted the song from going to the top of the charts, but 'Love in the hot afternoon' did reach No.3 on the national country music charts in the United States of America and was also pronounced the No.4 song in America for the entire year of 1975.  All of a sudden Gene Watson had a glorified country music career!

Gene Watson is held in such high esteem that 'Love in the hot afternoon' was recorded by a fellow Texan country music artist some twenty-five years later.  Mark Chesnutt recorded the song for his 'Lost in the feeling' album, which was released on MCA Records in 2000.

On a sad note, Vince Matthews, one of the co-writers of 'Love in the hot afternoon', passed away on 22 November 2003, at the age of 63.

'Love in the Hot Afternoon' was also the title of Gene's debut album for Capitol Records.  The album was later re-released, along with 'Paper Rosie' from 1977, as a special 2-for-1 CD set, by Hux records of London, England.

Gene would be the first to admit that he felt scared to death at this time.  He wasn't so concerned about the success of 'Love in the hot afternoon' - he loved the success naturally - but he was equally concerned about what song he was going to come up with as his next release.  Gene has always been a stickler for material and has always had the freedom to pick and choose his own songs.

Russ Reeder was his producer, but he never told Gene what to record or what not to record.  Russ might suggest something or bring Gene a particular song, but he never once told Gene that he was going to record a certain song and that he (Gene) didn't have a choice in the matter.  Russ worked inside the control room and Gene worked inside the studio with the musicians.

As far as the arrangements on songs were concerned, 99% of that was Gene's doing.  He would work up the arrangements with the musicians who, at this time, would have included such Nashville session greats as fiddle players Lisa Silver & Buddy Spicher, Lloyd Green & Sonny Garrish on steel guitar, Junior Husky on bass, Tommy Alsup on guitar, along with DJ Fontana, Buddy Harmon & Kenny Malone on drums.  In those early days of recording, Gene would reschedule his sessions if Hargus 'Pig' Robbins (his favourite piano player) was not available.

After his explosive introduction to radio, life changed quite dramatically for Gene Watson, a man who had never considered music a viable way to earn a living.  Gene still didn't take things for granted, though.  He realised that he now had a major recording contract with a big record label, but he was also aware of the fact that he could be dropped from Capitol Records as quickly as they had signed him.

So, instead of selling his auto tools, he rolled them up & put them away safely in his garage.  Gene felt that, if things didn't work out for him in the world of country music, then he could always return home to Texas and continue with the auto body repair work instead.  Luckily, for Gene Watson & for the rest of us who enjoy heartfelt, traditional country music the way it should be performed & recorded, he has never had to.

Things, however, were not easy for Gene Watson in those early days.  For a time, he didn’t even have a regular tour bus like most of his contemporaries & had to rely on his four-wheeler.  Gene did, however, have the respect of established country music stars that were more than willing to assist & encourage this new artist from the Lone Star State.

In these early days, Gene toured regularly with legends Loretta Lynn & the late Conway Twitty.  He rode on their respective touring buses & was also backed on stage by their backing bands.  Gene also toured extensively with the Wilburn Brothers in these early years of his country music career & also performed with them on the hallowed stage of The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during the 1960s.

Gene followed the phenomenal success of the sultry 'Love in the hot afternoon' with a song that was as equally erotic as its predecessor.  The song 'Where love begins' was written by Canadian Ray Griff & became Gene’s second Top 5 hit in America in 1975.  After a recording session one night, Ray took Watson to his office to play him some demo tapes.  'Where love begins' was one of those songs on the demo tapes.  Ray Griff came to be a major contributor of first-rate material to Gene Watson’s music career in the years that followed.

With the release of 'You could know as much about a stranger' in the early part of 1976, a song that also reached the Top 10, Gene consolidated his position in the country music charts & put his auto body repair work on the 'back boiler'.  He concentrated his efforts on his now burgeoning country music career and, luckily for him, he had the support & encouragement of his wife Mattie & his two children.

Gene Watson’s success on the country music charts continued with the song 'Because you believed in me', which reached the Top 20.  The song was also the title cut of his second album for Capitol Records.  The title of the album says it all, Gene expressing a heartfelt 'thank you' to all those people who purchased his first album & showed great belief in him as a person and as a country music performer.

The 'Because You Believed in Me' album was re-released, along with 'Beautiful Country' from 1977, as a special 2-on-1 CD set, by Hux Records of London, England in October/November 2005.
 

Although 'Her body couldn't (keep you off my mind)', Gene’s last vinyl single of 1976, was not as big a success as previous releases, he came back strongly in 1977 with the Top 3 hit 'Paper Rosie', the story of a beggar woman & the title track of his third album for Capitol Records.

It would be this song that would help endear Gene Watson to a whole new country music audience in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom & in Ireland.  The album also gained a release in the United Kingdom & Ireland and helped to garner Gene rave reviews and a whole new audience of listeners.

It’s ironic that, when he first heard 'Paper Rosie', Gene felt that the song didn’t suit him.  He recorded it, however, but he still felt that it wasn’t really a song for him.  Everyone who listened to the track felt that it would be a hit song, but Gene, for whatever reason, didn’t feel the same way.  Frank Jones, an executive working at Capitol Records, had heard the song in Canada, where it had been a big hit for its writer, Dallas Harms.

While Gene was on tour in Chicago, he received a call from Frank, advising him to re-evaluate the song upon his return. Gene returned to Nashville & re-recorded the song, this time adding a flute part.  On this second occasion in the recording studio, 'Paper Rosie' came together & the outcome was another Top 5 hit for Gene Watson.

The song 'Paper Rosie' was featured in the 1990 movie 'Another 48 Hours', starring Eddie Murphy & Nick Nolte.

In 1977, the album 'Beautiful Country' was released and it lived up to its title!  It included the hit singles 'The old man & his horn' & ' I don't need a thing at all' (both 1977), and 'Cowboys don't get lucky all the time', which was a hit in 1978.

This latter song also appeared on the soundtrack of the Sam Peckinpah movie 'Convoy', a movie in which Kris Kristofferson had a leading role.  It was due to the encouragement of Kris Kristofferson that the song was included on the soundtrack album in the first place.

The 'Beautiful Country' album was re-released, along with 'Because You Believed in Me' from 1976, as a special 2-on-1 CD set, by Hux Records of London, England in October/November 2005.
 

Like 'Paper Rosie' before them, both 'The old man & his horn' & 'Cowboys don't get luck all the time' were written by Dallas Harms, further strengthening his stature as a writer of some lyrical substance.  Despite the fact that 'Paper Rosie' (the album) had sold reasonably well in the United Kingdom & Ireland, the 'Beautiful Country' album did not gain a similar release, nor did a subsequent 'Best of Gene Watson' collection, which gained only a United States release.

The release of the 'Reflections' album in 1978 also yielded a number of hit singles, including 'One sided conversation', which reached the Top 10.  'Reflections' also gained a release in the UK & Ireland in June 1979 to coincide with Gene Watson’s first tour there in June-July of that year.

Gene Watson undertook an 18-date tour & visited Belfast, Merseyside, Maidstone, Derbyshire, Middlesbrough, Harrow, Whitby, Carlisle, Hull, Bristol, Kenton, Hampshire, The Shetland Islands, Aberdeen, Prescott, Kendal & Colchester.  The tour, organised by Mike & Margaret Storey Entertainments of Huddersfield in Yorkshire, was a resounding success.

Gene Watson enjoyed a stellar year in 1979, scoring three hits.  The year began on a high with the release of 'Farewell party', a highly emotional suicide saga of unrequited love written by Lawton Williams, which became a Top 5 hit.  'Farewell party' would later become Gene’s signature tune & the name of his touring band.

'Farewell party' has a long recording history.  Lawton Williams recorded the song himself in 1960 for the Houston, Texas-based All Star Records label (catalogue number 7212) & it was also recorded by Little Jimmy Dickens as the B-side to his ‘Talking to the wall’ vinyl single (catalogue number: 4-42013) in May 1961, with Walter Haynes playing the steel part.

'Farewell party' was also recorded by fellow Texan Johnny Bush (with Jimmy Day on steel guitar) for his 'Sound of a Heartache' album on Stop Records in 1963.

Gene's version of the song (thought by many to be the definitive one) features Lloyd Green playing the legendary steel part.  'Farewell party' was actually the last song Lloyd recorded with Gene, having played on most of the recordings Gene did for Capitol Records.  The song should have been the foundation on which the recording session was based, but the track was apparently a last minute addition to the recording session.  'Farewell party' was also recorded in one take!

Fellow country stars Alan Jackson & Joe Nichols (both admirers of Gene Watson) have both honoured Gene with their tasteful renditions of 'Farewell party':  Alan Jackson recorded the song (with Paul Franklin on steel) for his tribute album 'Under the Influence' in 1999, while Joe Nichols included the track on his ‘Revelation’ album for Universal South Records in 2004.

Gene followed 'Farewell party' with 'Pick the wildwood flower', which reached the Top 5 & 'Should I come home (or should I go crazy)', which reached the Top 3, the latter song the title track of another album for Capitol Records.

Speaking of the song 'Pick the wildwood flower', although written by songwriter Joe Allen, the song appears to be slightly autobiographical in nature as it is the only song in Gene’s country music repertoire that actually mentions his first name, which is Gary.
 

Gene Watson Timeline...

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