“The Year That Clayton Delaney Died”
Tom T. Hall
Written by Tom T. Hall
Billboard
#1 (2 weeks)
September 18 – September 25, 1971
This is a masterclass in making the personal universal.
Tom T. Hall weaves a very specific story about a man with a great talent but stronger demons, and because he connects it to his own journey as a singer and a songwriter, he gives an otherwise forgotten life a sense of meaning and purpose.
It’s also got a singalong hook and some clever production flourishes like the brass instrumentation as he shouts out a five piece band. It keeps the mood light and celebratory, counterbalancing this man’s lonely and painful death with a joyous celebration of his life.
We’re in a golden era, folks, in case you haven’t noticed yet.
“The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” gets an A.
Every No. 1 Single of the Seventies
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Another easy “A+”. One of many examples of why early 70’s country was easily the best country ever offered. Tom T. at his best. A perfect story song sung in a perfect way. The only sad thing about this era is to know that it never existed again.
I love that this feature is getting so much participation from you, Paul Dennis, and other readers who love this time period the most. Really cool having this running at the same time as the 2000s, which are so special to a different set of readers.
I’m 90s ride or die and will be until the end. It’s so cool to have the country universe being expanded through different eras and not just different styles.
You are correct Kevin, the early 1970s were a golden era for country music. Unfortunately, there are a lot of great Tom T Hall recordings that did not quite reach the top of the charts, so you likely won’t be commenting on them in this series
Below is an article I wrote on one such song
https://mykindofcountry.wordpress.com/2018/06/22/the-history-behind-fox-on-the-run/
Country music has a lot of similar songs that touch on the impact of familial loss of older figures, like He Walked On Water, If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away, etc. But I can’t recall many that celebrated the life of a man who was not a relative. And while most look back with total fondness of the song, Tom T. paints an honest picture of Clayton Delaney that only Tom T. could do. This is probably his best single, if I had to judge.
I really have nothing more to say than further praise of Tom T. Hall. He was amazing.