Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues

"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" is a song written and performed by Danny O'Keefe.

"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues"
Single by Danny O'Keefe
from the album O'Keefe
B-side	"The Valentine Pieces"
Released	August 1972
Genre	Country
Length	3:01
Label	Signpost
Songwriter(s)	Danny O'Keefe
Producer(s)	Ahmet Ertegün
Danny O'Keefe singles chronology
"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" (1972) "The Road" (1972)

It was first recorded by O'Keefe in 1967, but not released. It was recorded by The Bards and released in 1968 as the b-side to the song "Tunesmith" on Parrot Records. The Bards were a band from Moses Lake, Washington.[1] The song was recorded by O'Keefe for his self-titled debut album in 1971.[2] The following year he re-recorded it (with a slower, more downbeat arrangement) for his second album, O'Keefe.[3] The second version was issued as a single, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 5 on the adult contemporary chart, and number 63 on the country chart.[4] The song was also covered by Mel Tormé, especially for a 1986 episode of NBC's Night Court entitled "Leon, We Hardly Knew Ye".

It was covered by numerous artists. A cover by Leon Russell peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1984.[5]

Charts

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles[6]	19
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	9
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	5
US Cash Box Top 100	10

Selected list of recorded versions

• The Bards (1968) on Parrot Records
• Danny O'Keefe (1971), on the album Danny O'Keefe
• Dwight Yoakam
• Willie Nelson
• Waylon Jennings recorded his version of the song for his 1973 album Lonesome, On'ry and Mean.
• Mike Farris
• Elvis Presley, recorded at Stax and featured on his 1974 album Good Times
• Leon Russell
• Chris Hillman
• Earl Klugh on his 1978 album Magic in Your Eyes
• Rita Wilson
• Charlie Rich (1980), on the album Once a Drifter
• Jerry Lee Lewis and Leon Russell[8]
• Holly Cole, from the album Night (2012)
• Harry Manx (2008), from the album Live at the Glenn Gould Studio
• Mel Tormé, (1986), for a Night Court episode entitled "Leon, We Hardly Knew Ye".
• Conway Twitty (1977), on the album Play, Guitar Play
• Nat Stuckey (1973), on the album Take Time To Love Her
• Shooter Jennings (2016), on the album Black Country Rock 2015 Mixtape.
• Charley Crockett on his 2018 album, Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza[9]
• Ronnie Dunn on his 2020 album RE-DUNN

References

1. David Neale. "Elvis Presley: Original Version Recordings of Songs He Sang". Davidneale.eu. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
2. "Danny O'Keefe - Danny O'Keefe - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
3. "O'Keefe - Danny O'Keefe - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
4. "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues (song by Danny O'Keefe) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
5. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 293. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
6. "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada. Missing or empty |url= (help)
7. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
8. "Rockin' My Life Away [Warner] - Jerry Lee Lewis - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
9. Doug Freeman. "Honky-Tonk Soul Man Charley Crockett Makes His Move". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 14 February 2019.