Please Release Me

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 2 Jan 2001 4:26 pm

Does anyone know who recorded "RELEASE ME" first.Lefty or Ray Price?Also who wrote it?Thanks Brendan

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 2 Jan 2001 4:29 pm

I believe the first recording was done by Jimmi Heap and the Melody Masters with Perk Williams doing the vocal. The twin guitar fills on the Price record were taken from the Heap record.

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Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 2 Jan 2001 5:01 pm

I could have worded this request better.I want to know if Ray Price recorded it before Lefty did or vica verca.
Brendan

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Jan 2001 8:24 pm

price did it in 52 or 53, as a cover to heap's hit version. far as i can tell, lefty did it only several years later on an lp, not as a 45 at the same time as ray.

the first recording was by eddie miller, the composer, for 4 star in los angeles. sank without a trace.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 2 Jan 2001 9:29 pm

Thanks Mitch

Mitch

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Jan 2001 9:09 am

Mother Maybelle Carter also had a version released in 1952...don't know which was first, though!

Tommy Minniear · Post by **Tommy Minniear** » 3 Jan 2001 11:18 am

According to Lefty's biography, Eddie Miller lived with Lefty and his wife Alice, for a while. This was when Lefty was living in California. I would assume the song was written and recorded prior to this. Otherwise, Lefty would surely have recorded it first, which I don't believe he did. Fact is: he needed a hit bad, during this era.

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Tommy Minniear

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 3 Jan 2001 1:21 pm

You are right Mitch. Now I remember that Heap told me in about 1965 that someone had recorder it previous to him. He almost didn't record it as uit was a complete flop before and then the bass man came up with the idea of the twin guitars and it went from there. Heap used to play the Ft Hood christmas show for yrs before his death.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 4 Jan 2001 4:50 am

I have been corrected by my child bride who was present when I talked w/Jimmy about Release Me. It was not the bass man who suggested the twin guitars but Ken Idaho, the trumprt player and commedian with the Melody Masters.

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