Wichita Lineman

HPhillipsmusic · October 2022

I think this version is the only worthy cover ive found

Brad · October 2022

@digitalkettle - I think that’s pretty much on the money there. I’d argue there’s just enough ambiguity in places to label things slightly differently… but that would only to give other options for improv really.

I’d never heard this song until it got called on a couple of occasions. With the way the changes move it’s a deceptively tricky song to play over!

@Stuckfast it does indeed start in F, modulates and then works it’s way back to the key of F. How that came to be is up for debate. For me, there’s enough going on to suggest conscious harmonic choices, or choices that were arrived at intuitively, but from a place of harmonic understanding.

mixolyd · October 2022

guitarjack66 · October 2022

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Stuckfast · October 2022

guitarjack66 said:

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Is there much to debate?

guitars4you · October 2022

Stuckfast said:

guitarjack66 said:

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Is there much to debate?

- No debate required - solo around 1.25

The only debate me and my dad had on this was Glen or Dean Martin

guitars4you · October 2022

ArchtopDave said:

ricky50 said:

Try this version - best I've heard

I love this version as well. Somewhere I have books of the transcriptions of the first two Johnny A albums - these a lot to like on both these albums if you like this style of instrumental guitar playing.

I'm somewhat of a Johnny A fan - some very nice stuff

DrCornelius · October 2022

guitars4you said:

Stuckfast said:

guitarjack66 said:

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Is there much to debate?

- No debate required - solo around 1.25

The only debate me and my dad had on this was Glen or Dean Martin

That was awesome , what a talent GC was

guitars4you · October 2022

DrCornelius said:

guitars4you said:

Stuckfast said:

guitarjack66 said:

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Is there much to debate?

- No debate required - solo around 1.25

The only debate me and my dad had on this was Glen or Dean Martin

That was awesome , what a talent GC was

agree - and you can tell how special it was ,when you look at the other guys around him, just smiling during that solo

Roland · October 2022

Stuckfast said:

Yes UG is rubbish and a lot of the other versions on there are comically bad!

The problem with many of these sites is that they copy each other’s content. So if a 15 year old in his bedroom in Wisconsin uploads a crap version that’s what every other site copies.

carlos · October 2022

A jazz-ish version from Ben Monder.

DefaultM · October 2022

I’d forgotten all about Johnny A. I'm almost certain I saw him support Steve Vai in the mid 2000s.

dcg · October 2022

HPhillipsmusic said:

i actually read an entire book on this song earlier this year, one whole book on one (partly finished) song!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wichita-Lineman-Searching-Greatest-Unfinished/dp/0571353401

Yes, I've read this book too. However, I had to persist mightily to finish it; it's well written, but despite the extraordinary song on which Dylan Jones' book is based - which I can halfway play to a very average standard - I felt that Wichita really (only) warranted a long article, Rolling Stone-style...but delighted nevertheless this book is out there, and still truly love the song years after I first murdered it as a dep in a north London dance band

ArchtopDave · October 2022

DefaultM said:

I’d forgotten all about Johnny A. I'm almost certain I saw him support Steve Vai in the mid 2000s.

You're correct ... I saw him on the same tour, in fact I mainly went to the gig to see Johnny A play live.

guitarjack66 · October 2022

Stuckfast said:

guitarjack66 said:

Lets not get into debating Gentle on My Mind!

Is there much to debate?

Well it seems there is much debate over where to find an accurate version to play.

rlw · November 2022

Blueingreen said:

roberty said:

A masterclass in harmony. Up there with Bacharach imo

I don't think his body of work has the depth of Bacharach's but he has maybe half a dozen songs that hold their own in any company, and this is the pick of them.

Bacharach is a songwriter; Campbell was a musician who wrote a bit but all the songs mentioned are Jimmy Webb compositions.

ToneControl · November 2022

rlw said:

Blueingreen said:

roberty said:

A masterclass in harmony. Up there with Bacharach imo

I don't think his body of work has the depth of Bacharach's but he has maybe half a dozen songs that hold their own in any company, and this is the pick of them.

Bacharach is a songwriter; Campbell was a musician who wrote a bit but all the songs mentioned are Jimmy Webb compositions.

I just bought a used book from the charity shop last week
"Tunesmith" by Jimmy Webb
Not read it yet

Blueingreen · November 2022

rlw said:

Blueingreen said:

roberty said:

A masterclass in harmony. Up there with Bacharach imo

I don't think his body of work has the depth of Bacharach's but he has maybe half a dozen songs that hold their own in any company, and this is the pick of them.

Bacharach is a songwriter; Campbell was a musician who wrote a bit but all the songs mentioned are Jimmy Webb compositions.

I don't think anybody was thinking anything else? I certainly took it as read that everyone knew the song was by Jimmy Webb, who's mentioned upthread: I'm not sure I even know any songs written by Campbell.

guitarjack66 · December 2022

Blueingreen said:

rlw said:

Blueingreen said:

roberty said:

A masterclass in harmony. Up there with Bacharach imo

I don't think his body of work has the depth of Bacharach's but he has maybe half a dozen songs that hold their own in any company, and this is the pick of them.

Bacharach is a songwriter; Campbell was a musician who wrote a bit but all the songs mentioned are Jimmy Webb compositions.

I don't think anybody was thinking anything else? I certainly took it as read that everyone knew the song was by Jimmy Webb, who's mentioned upthread: I'm not sure I even know any songs written by Campbell.

Glen Campbell wrote a few but not many that are immediately recognisable. He said he was cheated out of his first chart hit 'Turn Around,Look at Me' by a former friend.Here is an interesting link to the story and Campbell's songwriting credits. https://medium.com/@jeremylr/the-complete-songwriting-list-of-wichita-lineman-glen-campbell-240272b110b0 ;

Brio · January 2023

The best version.

guitarjack66 · January 2023

Brio said:

The best version.

I'm sure that is talented playing and way beyond anything I will ever achieve,but I find that horrible to listen to myself.

Stuckfast · January 2023

I think what all the covers have proved beyond doubt is that the original version is the definitive and best...

carlos · January 2023

Stuckfast said:

I think what all the covers have proved beyond doubt is that the original version is the definitive and best...

Nope.

Mr_Claw · January 2023

Blueingreen said:

roberty said:

A masterclass in harmony. Up there with Bacharach imo

I don't think his body of work has the depth of Bacharach's but he has maybe half a dozen songs that hold their own in any company, and this is the pick of them.

...agreed. Bacharach is touched by few in pop (Antonio Carlos Jobim is prob the only obvious contender; Brian Wilson - at the sadly short-lived height of his powers). Some do absolutely brilliant stuff, but far, far less consitently than Bacharach or Jobim (eg Lee Hazelwood, Serge Gainsbourg).

Also MASSIVE shout out to Al De Lory's arrangements on both Witchita and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Masterful jobs both.

Mr_Claw · January 2023

...if he'd done more pop I'd say Ennio Morricone (I'm a HUGE Morricone fan). He did do a fair bit of pop arranging in Italy in the 50->60s, but generally I felt it more of a 'gig' than him being hugely invested in pop. That said, Se Telefonando is one of the best pop songs ever written/arranged and I'll fight to the death anyone who disagrees!

digitalkettle · January 2023

ESBlonde · January 2023

Just watched Rick Beatos vid a couple of days ago and was inspired to tackle the song. I’ve approached it so I can do solo acoustic or with my 3 piece cover band.
The @digitalkettle post above is the basis I got too from the usual chord websites. After the Carol Kay bass intro I play Bbmaj7 on the 8th fret then sus D on the top string followed by c7sus4 which kind of mimics the orchestral voicing on the intro.
opening chord C9sus4 is fret 1 1 3 2 3 X (top string down).
the first G is a quick Gsus4 to G to D to 0 8 07 7 X X to D
The Gadd9 I play fret 0 3 3 2 3 3 then G then flatten the 5th string
otherwise pretty much as you’ll find online.
loving the chord voicings and that stuttering rhythm at the end of the chorus. Really enjoying playing this.

ESBlonde · January 2023

OK so I’m working my way through this and decided to record a rough take on the iPad to analyse how it works. Timing is all to cock and voice is post a cold and too early in the morning so apologies for that.
comments and suggestions welcome ladies and gentlemen.

https://youtu.be/c8jrQ9S_XOk

Oops made it public now!!

david8199 · February 2023

https://youtu.be/ePQAVJIq8CQ

guitarjack66 · February 2023

I like Adrian's video on it. From Easy to Hardish. His channel 'Anyone Can Play Guitar' is excellent. He has an old style 'Punk' style to him. He is also showcasing a lovely Trent guitar.

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