It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'
Songfacts®:
- Of all the songs written by Tillotson, this song is his most successful. It was inspired by his father's terminal illness, despite having lyrics that are sung as a lover to a heartbreaker.
- This was Tillotson's first hit to make the Country charts, reaching #4. By the time this song reached its peak, Tillotson enlisted in the National Guard where he stayed for 6 months. During that time, he recorded new songs (mainly Country standards) for his album of the same name. The album capitalized on the success of the song and helped change his image from a teen-idol singer to a Country-Pop singer (Country music was the market that Tillotson always aimed for).
- This received a Grammy nomination for Best Country & Western Recording; it lost to Burl Ives' hit "Funny Way of Laughin'."
- A version by Billy Joe Royal reached #17 on the Country charts in 1988. Other artists who have covered this include Bobby Darin, Shelley Fabares, Ferlin Husky, Sonny James, Hank Locklin, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Boots Randolph, Slim Whitman, and the Wilburn Brothers. >>Suggestion credit:
Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for all above
Comments: 4
- Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 20, 1962, Johnny Tillotson performed "It Keeps Right On A-Hunting'" on Dick Clark ABC-TV network weekday-afternoon program ' American Bandstand'...
At the time the song was at #14 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; five weeks earlier it had peaked at #3* {for 1 week} and it spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #4 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and #6 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
Between 1958 and 1965 he had twenty-six records on the Hot Top 100 chart; four made the Top 10 with his biggest hit being "Poetry In Motion", it peaked at #2 {for 1 week} in November 14th, 1960, and the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles...
His two other Top 10 records both peaked at #7; "Without You" in 1961 and "Talk Back Trembling Lips" in 1964...
Johnny Tillotson celebrated his 78th birthday three months ago on April 20th, 2017...
* The week "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'" was at #3, it was another Ray Charles record that was in the #1 spot, "I Can't Stop Loving You". - Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 22nd 1960, Johnny Tillotson performed "Poetry in Motion" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
Twelve days later on October 4th, 1960 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 at position #76; and on November 14th, 1960 it peaked at #2 {for 1 week} and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
And on January 7th, 1961 it reached #1 {for 3 weeks} on the United Kingdom's New Musical Express Singles chart...
{See next post below}. - Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 29th 1963, "Talk Back Trembling Lips" by Johnny Tillotson peaked at #7 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 3rd and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
Between 1958 and 1964 he had twenty-six Top 100 hits; with four of them making the Top 10 (his biggest hit was "Poetry In Motion", which reached #2 (for 1 week) in 1960; the week it was at #2, the #1 record was "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles)...
Mr. Tillotson will celebrate his 75th birthday come next April 20th. - Barry from Sauquoit, NyJohnny's biggest hit on the pop chart was "Poetry In Motion"; it peaked at #2 in 1960. Country music singer Ferlin Husky released a parody song title "Enormity In Motion", it didn't make the charts...
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