geoffers47
Tony Wall
Dick van Altena
OldGuitarMonke
Distant Drums (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Distant Drums” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Jim Reeves | |
| from the album Distant Drums | |
| B-side | “Old Tige” |
| Released | March 8, 1966 |
| Recorded | c. 1963 (original) March 1965 and February 1966 (overdubs for commercial release) |
| Genre | Country |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Cindy Walker |
| Producer(s) | Chet Atkins |
| Jim Reeves singles chronology | |
| “Snowflake” (1966)”Distant Drums“ (1966)”Blue Side of Lonesome“ (1966) | |
“Distant Drums” is a song which provided US singer Jim Reeves with his only UK No. 1 hit – albeit posthumously – in the United Kingdom in 1966, some two years after his death in a plane crash on 31 July 1964. The song remained in the UK Singles Chart for 25 weeks. The single also topped the US country chart for four weeks, becoming his most successful posthumous single.
Chart performance
| Jim Reeves Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 100 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 27 |
| Germany Singles Chart | 37 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Norway Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 45 |
Legacy
| “Distant Drums” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Roy Orbison | |
| B-side | “Falling” |
| Released | May 1963 |
| Recorded | January 4, 1963 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:11 |
| Label | Monument |
| Songwriter(s) | Cindy Walker |
| Producer(s) | Fred Foster |
Although Roy Orbison had recorded the song in 1963, it is Reeves’ version of “Distant Drums” which has endured over the years.
Chart performance
| Roy Orbison Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Chart | 3 |
During its time at the top of the UK chart, the song beat off stiff competition from several major (and living) artists of the day. These included The Beatles – who had entered the UK chart around the same time with their double A-sided release “Eleanor Rigby“
and “Yellow Submarine“.
The Small Faces, who had also charted in the UK with “All or Nothing“.
It was an unexpected achievement for a song that Reeves had recorded for its composer, Cindy Walker, under the impression it was for her private use only and had earlier been dismissed by both the RCA record company and Chet Atkins (a noted guitarist and record producer who worked with Reeves) as unsuitable for wider public release.
Following Reeves’ death, the track was overdubbed with an orchestral backing and released to the public as the version that later climbed up the music charts in both the United States and the UK.
“Distant Drums” first entered the UK Singles Chart during the summer of 1966, before reaching the No. 1 position on 22 September, where it remained for five weeks.
It was named the UK’s “song of the year” and Reeves became the first overseas performer to receive this special award.
“Distant Drums” remained at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for a total of five weeks. Only Tom Jones with his recording of “Green, Green Grass of Home” had a longer tenure as the UK’s top hit single record of 1966, with seven weeks at No. 1, although three of those weeks were in early 1967.
Chart performance
Vic Dana recorded the song Distant Drums In 1966
| Vic Dana Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under-Hot Singles | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 33 |
Other Distant Drums Covers
- Charley Pride
- Al Grant
- Gene Vincent
- Foster & Allen
- The Anita Kerr Singers
Distant Drums may refer to :
Distant Drums (Film)
| Distant Drums | |
|---|---|
| Film poster | |
| Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
| Written by | Niven Busch Martin Rackin |
| Produced by | Milton Sperling |
| Starring | Gary Cooper Richard Webb Mari Aldon Arthur Hunnicutt Carl Harbaugh |
| Cinematography | Sidney Hickox |
| Edited by | Folmar Blangsted |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Production company | United States Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date | December 25, 1951 |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.85 million (US rentals) |
Distant Drums is a 1951 American Florida Western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Gary Cooper. It is set during the Second Seminole War in the 1840s, with Cooper playing an American Army captain who successfully destroys a fort held by Spanish gunrunners and is pursued into the Everglades by a large group of Seminoles. The fort used in the film was the historic Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, and most of the principal photography was shot on location in Florida.
Distant Drums was criticized for being historically inaccurate, received mixed reviews upon release, and was a moderate financial success. It is notable for being the source of the Wilhelm scream sound effect, which is believed to have been voiced by cast member Sheb Wooley and is used when a supporting character is attacked by an alligator.
Plot
During the Second Seminole War in 1840, US Army General Zachary Taylor sends naval Lieutenant Tufts and scout Monk to a remote Florida island home, where the reclusive Captain Quincy Wyatt lives with his 5-year-old son. The soldiers’ mission is to destroy a remote “old Spanish fort” being used as a base for Spanish gunrunners aiding the Seminoles, and they convince the reluctant Wyatt to lead the small strike force as Taylor had requested.
Wyatt and his men succeed in destroying the fort (the historic Castillo de San Marcos, which was not harmed during filming), but not before rescuing a group of prisoners being held there. One of them, Judy Beckett, develops romantic feelings towards Capt. Wyatt as they flee from a large group of pursuing Seminoles through the Everglades. The journey is perilous, and several of the troops are killed, including one who is attacked by an alligator and dragged under water. Wyatt leads the survivors to his remote homestead, where he is shocked to discover that his home has been burned and his son is missing. Meanwhile, the pursuing Seminoles arrive nearby, and Wyatt challenges their chief, Ocala, to single combat. Wyatt kills him in an underwater fight and the Seminoles flee. Soon after, he discovers that his son had been taken to safety before his home had been attacked and they are reunited.
Distant Drums (1951) Trailer
Cast
- Sheb Wooley as Private Jessup (uncredited)
- Gary Cooper as Captain Quincy Wyatt
- Richard Webb as Lieutenant Tufts
- Mari Aldon as Judy Beckett
- Arthur Hunnicutt as Monk
- Carl Harbaugh as Duprez
- Ray Teal as Private Mohair
- Robert Barrat as General Zachary Taylor
- Bob Burns as Indian Boy (uncredited)
- Larry Carper as Chief Ocala (uncredited)
){kind=link}
Comments