“Endlessly”
Sonny James
Written by Clyde Otis
Billboard
#1 (3 weeks)
November 7 – November 14, 1970
It’s fine.
What else is there to say about this paint by numbers cover of Brook Benton’s “Endlessly,” other than it’s fine?
The arrangement is cool, just like it was on the Benton record. The melody is catchy, just like it was on the Benton record. Everything that worked about the Benton record works on the Sonny James record, largely because they’re identical records, for all intents and purposes.
Why does this version of “Endlessly” need to exist, other than James needing something new to send to country radio?
With so many compelling records competing for weeks at the top, including the next two chart-toppers, this feels like filler.
“Endlessly” gets a B.
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I had not heard this one before. I actually like this a lot. A very good unique production. I would give this a “B+”. I certainly will remember this now.
Agreed. Never heard this before and don’t have the context for the original but it’s a bouncy banger as far as I’m concerned.
By the time Sonny James released this record, Brook Benton had largely disappeared from Billboard’s pop charts, 1970’s “Rainy Night In Georgia” being his first real hit since 1962 (it would prove to be his last real pop hit). “Endlessly” was a #12 pop hit for Benton in 1959 (not one of his bigger pop hits nor one of his bigger R&B hits), so the song was new to country audiences. I regard this as an excellent cover by Sonny and I think I slightly prefer his version to that of Brook Benton. I don’t regard this song as filler at all.
This is not the only time that Sonny James had 2 #1 hits with covers of songs by the same artist.
He did it with Ivory Joe Hunter and with the Seekers. Those Seekers covers are fine, but they pale in comparison to the far superior originals (I’m proud to admit that as an American college student, I love the Seekers). I like the IJH covers.
Bonus Beats:
Here’s the soul-jazz version of “Endlessly” that Randy Crawford recorded for her 1979 album Raw Silk:
https://youtu.be/tTpofzN3cJc
And here’s the version that Mavis Staples released as a single in 1972:
https://youtu.be/ZKmo80cl5W0
This is fun! I didn’t realize how many uptempo songs Sonny James had hits with. We’ve heard a couple this series, along with his classic Running Bear. Then again, I didn’t know a ton of his songs to begin with, mostly just Young Love, Running Bear, Just a Matter of Time, and Bright Lights, Big City.