"Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door)" is a song written and recorded by
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
. It was the singer's first single released on
Sterling Records in 1947.
Background
In 1946, Sterling Records was looking for "hillbilly" singer to complement its jazz, pop, and R&B series, so producer
Fred Rose signed Williams, who he had come to know through singer
Molly O'Day
Molly O'Day (born Suzanne Dobson Noonan; October 16, 1909 – October 22, 1998) was an American film actress and the younger sister of Sally O'Neil.
Biography
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, she was the youngest of 11 children of Judge Tho ...
recording several of his compositions. Williams was backed on the session by the Willis Brothers, who also went by the name of the
Oklahoma Wranglers
The Oklahoma Wranglers were a professional arena football team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were members of the Central (1996–1997) and Western (1998–2001) Division of the American Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The ...
: James "Guy" Willis (guitar), Vic Wallis (accordion), Charles "Skeeter" Willis (fiddle), and Charles "Indian" Wright (bass). WSM's recording quality was poor, and the muddy overall sound was made worse by Sterling's pressing quality The single did not chart, but it sold well enough to impress Rose, who would eventually push to have Williams signed to
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
. In January 1948 the song was re-issued as the B-side to Williams' monster smash "
Lovesick Blues" and reached #6.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
also covered the song for the 1996 album ''
Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts''.
References
Bibliography
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1946 songs
1947 debut singles
Songs written by Hank Williams
Hank Williams songs
Song recordings produced by Fred Rose (songwriter)