I Fall To Pieces Part 3: The Studio

(image courtesy of patsified.com)

When you consider how many big names were associated with the creation of “I Fall To Pieces,” it’s almost insulting that the song wasn’t the number one hit of 1961.

First off, it was the first song written by the duo of Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. It was Cochran’s debut song, which launched him into a career of number one hits, included more for Patsy Cline, Burl Ives, George Strait, and Mickey Gilley. Howard was already an established songwriter who would go on to write for Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and the Kingston Trio, and would eventually be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.

Then there was the team that surrounded Patsy  in the studio November 16, 1960. The Pianist that played for Patsy was Hargus "Pig" Robbins, a blind pianist who was one of the most sought after session players in Nashville, playing for Bob Dylan and Conway Twitty. Her backup singers were none other than The Jordanaires, the Gospel Quartet originally founded by the sons of an Assemblies of God evangelist in Springfield, MO (which just so happens to be where I live). They would eventually catch the eye of Elvis Presley, and they helped create his signature sound, singing on every one of his recordings for 14 years, starting with “Heartbreak Hotel.”

It almost makes me wonder, was the label trying to create a female Elvis? Maybe, but regardless, they did create a musical sensation with this song.