''WWII'' is a duet
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music.
Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
and
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
, released on
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
in
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
.
Background
By 1982, the
outlaw country movement was past its peak but Jennings and Nelson, the movement's primary artists, remained two of country music's biggest superstars. Jennings had scored nine
Top 5
''Top Five'' is a 2014 American comedy film written and directed by Chris Rock. Produced by Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, the film stars Rock, Rosario Dawson, and Gabrielle Union, and follows New York City comedian and film star Andre Allen (Rock), ...
solo albums in a row, with five going to #1, between 1974 and 1982. Nelson was also enjoying his commercial prime, with his 1982 album ''
Always on My Mind'' not only topping the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' country albums chart but also peaking at #2 on the pop albums chart. By the early 1980s, Nelson's appeal had transcended country music; his affable personae, as well as his increasing presence in films, had made him a crossover star. Jennings, who was struggling to rebuild his finances and in the throes of a crippling
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
addiction, had seen his most recent album ''
Black on Black
''Black on Black'' is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1982 in music, 1982.
Background
By 1981, Jennings excessive lifestyle had caught up to him financially. Despite a string of #1 albums and ...
'' receive lukewarm reviews, even though it had been produced by
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums lik ...
, who had also produced Nelson's ''Always on My Mind''.
Jennings and Nelson had enjoyed some of their greatest success together. The 1976 compilation ''
Wanted! The Outlaws
''Wanted! The Outlaws'' is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize on ...
'' became the first million selling country album and their 1978 album ''
Waylon and Willie
''Waylon & Willie'' is a duet studio album by American singers Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released by RCA Records in 1978. In the US, it stayed at #1 album on the country album charts for ten weeks and would spend a total of 126 weeks on t ...
'', released at the height of the outlaw country movement, produced the chart-topping hit "
Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
"Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" is a country music song first recorded by Ed Bruce, written by him and his wife Patsy Bruce. His version of the song appears on his 1976 self-titled album for United Artists Records. In late 19 ...
." By all accounts, Jennings and Nelson were kindred spirits and close friends, but their egos did clash occasionally; in his memoir ''
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
'', biographer Joe Nick Patoski quotes Nelson's ex-wife Connie: "They had such a mutual respect for each other and their music, it was like a brother bond, literally. There was always a little bit of - not jealousy - but Willie would make him
enningsfeel inferior in some ways, and I think it was because of the cocaine."
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more t ...
pianist Floyd Domino, who played with Jennings' band in 1983, also noticed the tension between the two legends, telling Patoski, "You could tell Waylon was bothered by Willie's success, although he said he didn't care. He'd tell audiences, 'I don't care if I'm not number one. I'll be number two.' The crowd didn't even know what he was talking about. I saw Willie on some cooking show on TV and the host said Waylon was mad at him. Willie laughed and said, 'What's he mad about today?' Waylon cared. Willie didn't."
Recording
Although Chips Moman had produced both singers' previous albums, the sessions that comprise ''WWII'' date from before those records; most are from December 1981. The songs were recorded at Moman's
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
studio and mastered at Woodland Studios with David Cherry serving as co-engineer with Moman. Whereas 1978's ''Waylon and Willie'' contained several previously released backing tracks upon which Nelson had overdubbed his vocals, ''WWII'' bears all the hallmarks of Moman's slick production. Despite being more of a "complete thought" than its predecessor, the vitality evident on ''Waylon and Willie'' is not as apparent on this LP; in his review of the album that can be found on
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
observes:
:"In 1982, Waylon and Willie were still riding high on the country charts, but the quality of Jennings' work was beginning to slip and his sales were responding accordingly, as 1982's ''Black on Black'' reflected. Nelson had his biggest hit ever that year with ''Always on My Mind'', but it also was his worst album to date, the first time he sounded like he couldn't be bothered...even at its best, ''WWII'' is nowhere near as good as Waylon and Willie are at their best, since they're coasting on reputation through most of this, a fact that's only enhanced by Moman's glossy showcase production."
Although billed as a collaborative effort, ''WWII'' is more of a vehicle for Jennings; Willie sings on only five of the eleven tracks - all duets - while Waylon takes the lead on the remaining six songs. The album spawned one hit, a cover of
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
's "
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was recorded by Redding twice in 1967, including once just three days before his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. Th ...
," which peaked at #13 on the country singles charts. Despite its modest success compared to some of the duo's previous singles like "
Good Hearted Woman
''Good Hearted Woman'' is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1972 on RCA Nashville.
Background
Along with '' Ladies Love Outlaws'', released later in 1972, and ''Lonesome, On'ry and Mean'' (released earl ...
" and "Mammas Don't Let your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," the song is brilliantly interpreted and remains as good an example as any of the fellow Texans' chemistry as artists. Another highlight is "Write Your Own Songs," Nelson's diatribe of the music business and music executives in particular (''"We're making you rich and you were already lazy/So lay on your asses and get richer or write your own songs"''), whom he and Jennings had battled for years to gain control of their own records. Jennings had a hand in writing two songs: the inspirational "
Roman Candles," which he composed with Michael Smotherman, and the narration "The Old Mother's Locket Trick," written with fellow outlaw
Guy Clark
Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...
. The Chips Moman/Bobby Emmons composition "May I Borrow Some Sugar from You" had appeared on Jennings' previous album ''Black on Black'', while "The Last Cowboy Song" would resurface three years later on the first
Highwaymen
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to fo ...
album. Jennings and Nelson also cover the
Tom T. Hall
Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...
classic story song "
The Year Clayton Delaney Died."
Reception
Ultimately, ''WWII'' failed to have as major an impact as ''Waylon & Willie'', although it peaked at #3 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart and #57 on the pop albums chart.
Track listing
#"Mr. Shuck and Jive" (
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...
) (
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.
Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 ...
cover) – 3:49
#*Duet
#"Roman Candles" (Jennings, Michael Smotherman) – 3:04
#"
(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was recorded by Redding twice in 1967, including once just three days before his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. Th ...
" (
Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...
,
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
) (Otis Redding cover) – 3:22
#*Duet
#"The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" (
Tom T. Hall
Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...
) (Tom T. Hall cover) – 3:06
#*Duet
#"Lady in the Harbor" (
Jerry Allison
Jerry Ivan Allison (August 31, 1939 – August 22, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the Crickets and co-writer of their hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue", recorded with Buddy Holly. His only solo chart entr ...
,
Sonny Curtis
Sonny Curtis (born May 9, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include "Walk ...
, Doug Gilmore) – 3:18
#"May I Borrow Some Sugar from You" (
Bobby Emmons
Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by E ...
,
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums lik ...
) – 3:24
#"The Last Cowboy Song" (Ed Bruce, Ron Peterson) (Ed Bruce cover) – 2:18
#"Heroes" (Bobby Emmons, Chips Moman) – 2:46
#*Duet
#"The Teddy Bear Song" (Don Earl, Nick Nixon) (
Barbara Fairchild
Barbara Fairchild (born November 12, 1950) is an American country and gospel singer, who is best known for her hit 1973 country song " The Teddy Bear Song" and other country hits.
Biography Early life and beginnings in Nashville
She was born in ...
cover) – 3:11
#"Write Your Own Songs" (Nelson) – 3:14
#*Duet
#"The Old Mother's Locket Trick" (
Guy Clark
Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...
) (Harold Lee cover) – 3:10
Chart performance
Certifications
Personnel
*Waylon Jennings - guitar, vocals
*J.I. Allison - drums
*
Gene Chrisman
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street ...
- drums, percussion
*
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums lik ...
- guitar
*
Reggie Young
Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...
- guitar
*
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
- guitar, vocals
*
Bobby Emmons
Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by E ...
- keyboards
*
Johnny Christopher
John (“Johnny”) Lee Christopher Jr. (born 1943 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American singer, guitarist, session musician and songwriter.
Music career
Christopher's singles included "(She's A) Girl Of Many Colors / The Teacher And The Pet" (19 ...
- guitar, backing vocals
*Bobby Wood - piano
*Toni White - backing vocals
*Mike Leech - bass
*Jerry Bridges - bass
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wwii
Waylon Jennings albums
Willie Nelson albums
1982 albums
RCA Records albums
Albums produced by Chips Moman
Collaborative albums
Vocal duet albums