THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

582-Kenny Rogers and The First Edition-Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.

1969-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 1.57. When playing the song live, the group would often perform it in a jovial manner, and the audience would clap and sing along, which was seen by some as disrespectful to war veterans.

The First Edition were formed in 1967, in California, United States, by Kenny Rogers, (1938-2020) (lead vocals, and bass guitar) Mike Settle, (guitar and vocals) and Thelma Camacho, (vocals) who had all been members of the American ‘Folk’ group ‘The New Christy Minstrels,’ they had left that group in order to broaden their musical horizons. They were soon joined by Mickey Jones in 1967, (1941-2018) (drums) Mary Arnold, (vocals) joined in 1968, and Kim Vassy, (1943-1994) (vocals) joined in 1969. In 1970, shortly before the release of this song, the group changed their name to ‘Kenny Rogers and the First Edition,’ and remained active until 1976, with some members, and others, who joined later, reforming in 2010, and then again between 2014-2015. As ‘The First Edition’ they began recording and experimenting with ‘Rock,’ ‘Folk,’ and ‘Psychedelic Pop,’ before taking the ‘Country Rock’ route.

The discography of Kenny Rogers and The First Edition includes 15 Albums issued between 1967-2015, and 22 singles released between 1967-1974. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, seven of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In’) peaking the highest at Number 5 in 1967, while ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,’ reached Number 6. In the UK, two of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Something’s Burning,’ which made Number 8 in 1970, providing them with their other hit.

‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town’ was written by Mel Tillis, (1932-2017) and first recorded by the American Country singer Wayne Jennings (1937-2002) in 1966. The first hit version of the song was by the American Country Music artist Johnny Darrell, (1940-1997) whose recording reached Number 9 on the American Billboard Country Music chart. The song has been covered on many occasions over the years, including an answer song entitled ‘Billy, I’ve Got to Go to Town,’ in 1969, by the American singer Geraldine Stevens, (who had previously recorded as Dodie Stevens) using the same melody, with an arrangement quite similar to The First Edition version, which reached Number 117 on Billboard, and Number 57 on the Country chart in America.

‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town’ was the second of three singles released from the fourth studio Album of the same name, by Kenny Rogers and The First Edition in 1969. The song was written by Mel Tillis, with the production being by Jimmy Bowen, whose greatest commercial success as a producer is the 1966 American, and UK Number 1 single ‘Strangers in the Night,’ for Frank Sinatra (1915-1998.) Jimmy Bowen who was born James Albert Bowen, on November 30th, 1937, in Santa Rita, New Mexico, United States, was also responsible for bringing Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) together, (see also best songs 1010-367 and 124) and introducing Nancy Sinatra to Mel Tillis, for their 1981 Album ‘Mel and Nancy.’ Jimmy Bowen was also the co-writer of ‘Party Doll,’ (1957-Billboard Number 2 & UK Number 29) with the American singer Buddy Knox, (1933-1999) as well as co-writing with Knox, ‘I’m Stickin’ with You,’ (1957-Billboard Number 14) which Bowen performed himself, giving him his only hit single as a recording artist.

Mel Tillis was born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, on August 8th, 1932, in Tampa, Florida, United States, he died of respiratory failure on November 19th, 2017, at the age of 85. Mel Tillis was a Country Music singer and songwriter, who in 2012 won the ‘Country Music Association Awards’ most coveted award, ‘Entertainer of the Year.’ Tillis was a member of the ‘Grand Ole Opry,’ ‘Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,’ and the ‘Country Music Hall of Fame.’ His discography includes 38 studio Albums released between 1966-2010, and 98 singles released between 1957-1999.

‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town’ tells the story of a paralysed war veteran, who fears that his woman is cheating on him. He begs her to stay at home with him, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Mel Tillis was inspired to write ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town’ after having lived near a couple in Florida. In real life the man he wrote about had been wounded in World War II. and his wife was seeing another man. The man murdered his wife, and then committed suicide. Tillis changed the setting to the ‘Korean War,’ and made no mention of murder, but does say that the man would kill her if he could move and get his gun.

‘You’ve painted up your lips and rolled and curled your tinted hair, Ruby, are you contemplating going out somewhere? The shadow on the wall tell me the sun is going down, oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town.’