Gentle on My Mind
"Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, Earthwords & Music (1967). Hartford wrote the song after watching Doctor Zhivago in 1966, as he was inspired by the film and his own personal experiences. The lyrics describe the reminiscences of lost love of a man as he travels through the country. An obituary for Hartford indicated that the lyrics are "about a hobo reminiscing about a lost love". The following year, Hartford released the song as a single on RCA Records.
| "Gentle on My Mind" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by John Hartford | ||||
| from the album Earthwords & Music | ||||
| B-side | "(Good Old Electric) Washing Machine (Circa. 1943)" | |||
| Released | May 1967 | |||
| Studio | RCA Nashville studios | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:03 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Hartford | |||
| Producer(s) | Felton Jarvis | |||
| John Hartford singles chronology | ||||
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It then caught the attention of Glen Campbell, who recorded his version with a group of session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. Campbell's recording of "Gentle on My Mind" peaked in the top 30 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. In 1968, between Campbell's and Hartford's recordings, the song earned four Grammy Awards.
"Gentle on My Mind" was later recorded by several other singers, including Dean Martin, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Elvis Presley. It was also translated into other languages. In 2014, a recording of the song by the Band Perry earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Taking into account all recorded versions of the song, it has become the second-most-played song on the radio in the United States according to BMI.