Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman

There are some storied instances of songwriters partnering with performers, but none better than Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell. Together they combined for indelible hits such as "Galveston" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", but "Wichita Lineman" is their sublime peak (Dylan Jones even wrote a whole book about it).

Campbell was an in-demand session guitarist, part of the famed "Wrecking Crew" working for Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and Elvis Presley, before his solo career took off in 1967. In the next two years, he released a staggering eight studio albums, so demand for songs was high, and Webb a reliable source.

The trigger for "Wichita Lineman" was a call from Campbell asking for another "place" song, after the success of Phoenix. Webb was reluctant to be typecast, but recalled a perfect vision of driving across an Oklahoma prairie, an endless row of  telephone poles into the horizon.  The only variation was an engineer on the top of one, and imagined the desolate life of this blue collar worker.

Again there is memorable opening line "I am a lineman for the county", and proceeds to describe the unrelenting task in extreme weathers. In a flight of fancy, he imagines speaking to his loved one down these wires,  and his desperate entreaty  "I need you more than want you / And I want you for all time". Campbell's vocals soaring to the climax.

For the recording Campbell recruited his fellow session musicians - James Burton on guitar, Jim Gordon on drums, and Carol Kaye on bass provides the striking opening notes. Producer Al De Lory (his uncle was a lineman!)  arranged a stunning lush orchestration of strings, while an organ mimicked  morse code.  The unusual switching of keys adds to the strangeness of the sound.        

    

Actually the song wasn't complete, Webb's submission had just two short verses, with no chorus or bridge, so Campbell fleshed it out with improvised solo on Kaye's bass. Webb was shocked when they informed him it was complete, and has always hated the time / line non rhyme at the end.

"Wichita Lineman" was another large hit for Campbell, cracking the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic. Its timeless appeal lead to frequent covers, including Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, R.E.M. and Guns 'n Roses. None can match the majesty of Glen Campbell's, as designed from him specifically by Jimmy Webb.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_xTBpAcY

Hear Next -  The Glen Campbell CD -  " Sings the Best of Jimmy Webb 1967–1992" includes all their collaborations.

** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats.