| "The Party's Over" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byWillie Nelson | ||||
| B-side | "Make Way for a Better Man" | |||
| Released | February 1967 | |||
| Recorded | June 1966 atRCA Studio B(Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:22 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter | Willie Nelson | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins | |||
| Willie Nelson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Party's Over" is a song written and recorded by Americancountry music singerWillie Nelson during the mid-1950s. After arriving inHouston, Texas, Nelson was hired to play for theEsquire Ballroom band, where he would be allowed to close the shows singing the song. Guitar instructor and Nelson's friend Paul Buskirk forwarded the song to singerClaude Gray, who recorded the original version of the song, released as "My Party's Over" in 1959.
Nelson recorded the song himself in 1966, which was released as a single in February 1967. It reached number twenty-four onBillboard's Hot Country Singles, and it was included asthe title track of Nelson's album. The song was later popularized by formerDallas Cowboys quarterback andMonday Night Football hostDon Meredith, who often sang the first line of the song on the broadcasts when a team established an insurmountable lead.
In 1956, Nelson moved fromFort Worth, Texas toPortland, Oregon. He soon found a job onKVAN, in Vancouver, Washington, hosting the showThe Western Express. Nelson became a popular DJ, while he continued to make live performances. During this time he wrote "The Party's Over".[1]
When he moved toHouston, Texas, Nelson stopped by theEsquire Ballroom to sell his original songs to house band singerLarry Butler. Butler refused to purchase the songs, and instead signed Nelson to his band.[2] Butler would at the end of the show let Nelson sing solo "The Party's Over" as a closer.[3]
During his time in Fort Worth, Nelson was signed byPappy Daily toD Records. While in Houston, he recorded sides for the label. Nelson was also hired by guitar instructor Paul Buskirk to work as an instructor in his school.[4]
Buskirk convinced singerClaude Gray to record a set of original songs by Nelson, including "The Party's Over", "Night Life", "Family Bible" and "Leave Alone". Buskirk organized the session and hired the musicians, while Gray paid for the costs of the sessions US$100.[5] Produced by Bill Quinn, the song was recorded on December 18, 1959, atGoldstar Studios.[6] D Records issued the song as "My Party's Over", on the flipside of "Leave Alone" in May 1960.[7]
Produced by Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson recorded the song inNashville, Tennessee in June 1966. His backing consisted of guitaristsJerry Reed and Velma Smith, steel guitarist Buddy Emmons, pianistHargus "Pig" Robbins, and bassist Junior Husky. From the four recorded tracks, "The Party's Over" was selected as the A-side of a single release.[8]
The single was released in February 1967, with "Make Way for a Better Man" on the flipside.Billboard called the song a "plaintive ballad", and declared: "(Nelson) performs it to perfection. Should bring him right back to the top ten.[9] The single entered theHot Country Singles chart, and peaked at number twenty-four.[10] The song was included as the title track of the albumThe Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs.[11]
The song was later popularized by formerDallas Cowboys quarterbackDon Meredith, who in the 1970s was a color analyst onABC'sMonday Night Football. After a key play thatended the possibilities of the other team winning the game, Meredith would sing part of the song: "Turn out the lights, the party's over".[12] Nelson later re-recorded the song for his 1982 albumAlways on My Mind. It was released as a single, on the B-side of the title track.[13]
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| BillboardHot Country Singles | 24[10] |
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)