Act Naturally facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Act Naturally" |
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| Single by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos | ||||
| B-side | "Over and Over Again" | |||
| Released | March 11, 1963 | |||
| Recorded | February 12, 1963 | |||
| Studio | Capitol, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:19 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison | |||
| Producer(s) | Ken Nelson | |||
| Buck Owens and the Buckaroos singles chronology | ||||
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"Act Naturally" is a popular country song. It was written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison. The first famous recording was by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos in 1963. This version became his first number one hit on the country music charts!
The song is about someone who has had their heart broken. Because they feel so sad and lonely, they say they can easily act out a sad movie role without any acting lessons. Many other artists have recorded "Act Naturally." These include Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yoakam. The most well-known version by another artist is by the Beatles from 1965. Their drummer, Ringo Starr, sang the lead. He often performed it live with the Beatles and later with his own band, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Buck Owens and Ringo Starr even recorded the song together in 1989!
Contents
How the Song Started
Johnny Russell was a songwriter from Mississippi. In the early 1960s, he lived in Fresno, California. One day, his friends asked him to join a recording session in Los Angeles. To go, Russell had to cancel a date with his girlfriend. When she asked why he was going to L.A., he joked, "They are going to put me in the movies and make a big star out of me!" They both laughed.
This joke gave Russell an idea for a song. He quickly wrote "Act Naturally" that same day. He tried to teach it to the singer he was helping in Los Angeles, but the singer couldn't learn it. Russell then wanted to record it himself. However, his producer at the time said that songs about movies wouldn't be popular hits.
For two years, no one recorded "Act Naturally." Russell said, "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get anyone interested in it."
Buck Owens' Famous Version
By 1963, Johnny Russell was writing songs with Voni Morrison. She also worked with Buck Owens, a singer from Bakersfield, California. When Russell played "Act Naturally" for Morrison, she thought it would be perfect for Owens. She told Russell she could get Owens to record it. Since no one had recorded the song yet, Russell gave Morrison a shared writing credit. This was because she helped get the song to Owens.
At first, Buck Owens didn't really like "Act Naturally." But Don Rich, a member of his band, the Buckaroos, heard Russell's demo and liked it. Eventually, Owens started to like the song too. One night, Russell got a call from Owens asking if he could record the song. Russell said yes. He later found out that Owens had already recorded it that day! Owens just wanted the publishing rights, which Russell was happy to give him so the song would be released.
Owens recorded "Act Naturally" at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. This happened on February 12, 1963. The song was released on March 11 as a single. It quickly became a hit. On June 15, Owens' version reached number one on the Billboard country charts. It stayed at number one for four weeks. The song spent 28 weeks on the country charts in total. "Act Naturally" helped make Buck Owens a huge star. By the end of the 1960s, he had 19 number one hits! The song also helped Johnny Russell become a successful songwriter.
Chart Success
| Chart (1963) | Highest Spot |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
The Beatles' Version
| "Act Naturally" | ||||
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US picture sleeve (reverse)
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| Single by the Beatles | ||||
| A-side | "Yesterday" | |||
| Released |
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| Recorded | June 17, 1965 | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Country rock, rockabilly | |||
| Length | Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ":". | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Russell | |||
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
| The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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The Beatles recorded "Act Naturally" in 1965. It was for the UK version of their album Help!. Their drummer, Ringo Starr, sang the lead vocals. This was his fifth song with the band. In the United States, it was released as the B-side to their hit song "Yesterday". Music critics said it was a perfect song for Ringo's friendly singing style.
How They Recorded It
The Beatles recorded "Act Naturally" on June 17, 1965. They tried 13 times to get it right. The first 12 tries were to figure out the music. The final version, take 13, was the only one with Ringo's singing. They mixed the song the next day. The Beatles almost recorded a different song for Ringo to sing on the Help! album. But they realized Ringo didn't have a vocal song on the album yet. They had recorded "If You've Got Trouble" earlier for him, but they didn't like how it sounded. So, they recorded "Act Naturally" instead. This was the last cover song the Beatles recorded until 1969.
When It Was Released
Capitol Records in the United States released a different version of the Help! album. It only had songs from the Help! movie. Because of this, "Yesterday" and "Act Naturally" were released as a single instead of being on the album. As the B-side in the U.S., "Act Naturally" reached number 47 on the charts in October 1965. Both songs later appeared on the U.S. album Yesterday and Today, released in June 1966.
When the single was re-released in 1971, "Act Naturally" was considered the main song. That's why it was on the "full apple" side of the record label, while "Yesterday" was on the "sliced apple" side.
Live Performances
The Beatles performed "Act Naturally" on The Ed Sullivan Show. This show was taped on August 14, 1965, and shown on TV on September 12, 1965. They also played it at their famous Shea Stadium concert on August 15, 1965. It was also part of their shows during The Beatles' 1965 US tour.
The song is very connected to Ringo Starr. He has performed it on almost every tour with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band since 1989.
Who Played What
- Ringo Starr – lead singer, drums
- George Harrison – lead guitar (played twice for a fuller sound)
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocals, bass guitar
- John Lennon – acoustic guitar
Buck Owens and Ringo Starr Sing Together
In 1989, Buck Owens and Ringo Starr, the two most famous singers of "Act Naturally," teamed up. They recorded a duet version on March 27. They also made a fun music video for the song. In the video, they played funny cowboys in a Western movie being filmed.
This duet was released on Capitol Records on July 29, 1989. It reached number 27 on the Billboard country chart. It stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. This wasn't the first time a Beatle had a song on the country charts. Paul McCartney had a hit with his band Wings in 1974–75 called "Sally G".
The duet version of "Act Naturally" was nominated for two awards. It was nominated for the 1989 Country Music Association Vocal Event of the Year. It also got a 1990 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. However, it lost both awards to another song.
Chart Success
| Chart (1989) | Highest Spot |
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| Canada Country Tracks (RPM) | 50 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 27 |
See also
In Spanish: Act Naturally para niños
