Glen Campbell - Gentle On My Mind

Gentle On My Mind is the sixth studio album by American singer guitarist Glen Campbell, originally released in August 1967 via Capitol Records.

The album was produced and arranged by Al De Lory and Leon Russell.

The title track of the album “Gentle on my Mind” is a song written by John Hartfod, which Campbell had heard on the radio and had fallen in love with the song. Campbell gathered some of his fellow session players from the famous "Wrecking Crew" gang (which included Leon Russell) to come into the Capitol studio to record a demo version that he could pitch to his producer. Between phrases and stanzas, Campbell would yell instructions to the players. He then left the rough recording for his producer to listen to. His producer fell in love, not only with the song but with the recording itself. Without telling Campbell, he took the tape back into the studio and removed the unwanted verbiage from between the phrases. He then released the demo recording, which became a mega-hit for Campbell when it was released in June 1967.

The album released in support of the single is more folk pop, than country, with liberal use of string arrangements that would become associated with Campbell’s signature sound. He does one of the finest covers of a Donovan song with “Catch the Wind”, bringing out the true beauty of the songs melody. He does an excellent guitar and vocal recording of his own composition “Just Another Man”. “You’re My World” and “The World I Used To Know” work well, even if they are a little over produced. His cover of Roy Orbison’s song “Cryin’” is beautifully restrained.

This album became his first commercial success after a run of not-so successful releases with Capitol Records. The record label were questioning whether to drop him from their roster, until the single “Gentle on my Mind” became such a big hit. The album peaked at #1 on the US Country Albums charts and reached #5 on the US Billboard 200 Albums charts.

This is effectively the album that launched his career.

Check out the tracks:  “Gentle on my Mind”; “Catch the Wind”; “Just Another Man”; “You’re My World” and “Cryin’”.

This LP record is a 2017 reissue on black vinyl with replicated album artwork, pressed in the US.