Half as Much
| "Half as Much" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Hank Williams | ||||
| B-side | "Let's Turn Back the Years" | |||
| Released | March 1952 | |||
| Recorded | August 10, 1951 | |||
| Studio | Castle, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:42 | |||
| Label | MGM | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Curley Williams | |||
| Producer(s) | Fred Rose | |||
| Hank Williams singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart.[1] The same year, Rosemary Clooney recorded a hit version for Top 40 markets; Alma Cogan recorded another version in the United Kingdom. Since then the song has been recorded by a number of artists including Patsy Cline (1962), Ray Charles (1962), Eddy Arnold (1964), Sharon Redd (1967), Petula Clark (1974), Emmylou Harris (1992), Cake (1998), and Van Morrison (2006).
Hank Williams version
According to the 2004 book Hank Williams: The Biography, Williams was not too enamoured with "Half as Much" and only recorded it at producer Fred Rose's insistence.[2] Williams recorded it at a session at Castle Studio in Nashville on August 10, 1951. He was backed by Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Sammy Pruett (lead guitar), Howard Watts (bass), probably Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), and either Owen Bradley or Fred Rose on piano.[3] "Half as Much" is notable for being the only Hank Williams recording to feature a solo barroom piano at its conclusion. Two months after Williams recorded "Half as Much," Curly Williams recorded it for Columbia Records, so Rose held back Hank's release until March 28, 1952 to clear the way for Curley's release on November 2, 1951.[2]
Cover versions
- Alberto Semprini, piano with rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the second song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 18) - Part 1" along with "Here in My Heart" and "Isle of Innisfree" in London on November 11, 1952. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10385.
- Alma Cogan with orchestra conducted by Frank Cordell recorded it in London on August 1, 1952. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B-10338.
- George Jones recorded the song for his 1960 LP George Jones Salutes Hank Williams.
- Kitty Wells released the song on Decca in 1960.
- Marty Robbins released a version on Columbia Records.
- Carl Smith recorded the song for Hickory.
- Hank Williams steel guitarist Don Helms released an instrumental version in 1962 on Smash Records.
- George Hamilton IV recorded the song on ABC Records.
- Don Gibson covered the song for RCA.
- Glen Campbell included it on his 1973 album I Remember Hank Williams.
- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn recorded the song as a duet for their 1988 album Making Believe.
Chart performance
Hank Williams version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Billboard Country Singles | #2 |
Rosemary Clooney version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Billboard Pop Singles | #1 |
| 1952 | UK Singles Chart | #3 |
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 387.
- 1 2 Escott, Colin & 2004 178.
- ↑ Escott, Colin & 2004 345.