Classic Pop Icons

Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons.

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was released on single in October 1967, backed with “You’ve Still Got a Place in My Heart,” and was the title track of Campbell’s seventh album released the following month.

Glen Campbell signed with Capitol as a solo artist in 1962, but didn’t break through in a big way until the album “Gentle On My Mind” in 1967, which hit number one on the Billboard country album chart and number five on the pop chart. This began his most commercially successful period, with a string of classic hits.

Songwriter Jimmy Webb was a very important factor in Campbell’s late ’60s commercial success, penning the hits “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”, and “Galveston”. He had written “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” in 1966 for singer/producer Johnny Rivers, who featured the song on his 1966 album “Changes”.

Jimmy Webb reflected on the composition of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” during a 2004 interview with NPR:

“Well, it’s more of a song about something I wish I had done than something I really did, in that I did not get in my car and drive back to Oklahoma to punish this young woman for not reciprocating my love and affection. In fact, a guy approached me one night after a concert, and he had a map, and he had all the times, and he had a stopwatch. And he showed me how it was impossible for me to drive from L.A. to Phoenix, and then how far it was to Albuquerque and then — in short, he told me, ‘This song is impossible.’ And so it is. It’s a kind of fantasy about something I wish I would have done, and it sort of takes place in a twilight zone of reality.

“May I hasten to add that I think that the appeal of the song lies in its sort of succinct tale — its beginning, middle and end — and the fact that it sort of has an O. Henry-esque twist at the end, which consists merely of the guy saying, ‘She didn’t really think that I would go,’ but he did. And, in fact, I didn’t. I didn’t go. I stayed for more punishment.”

Glen Campbell and producer Al De Lory

At the 1968 Grammy ceremony, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” earned Campbell Grammy awards for Best Vocal Performance, Male and Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance. At the same ceremony, he won Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance and Best Country and Western Recording for “Gentle on My Mind”. Campbell also won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Male Vocalist award in 1967 and 1968.

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” – Glenn Campbell

Glen Campbell would team up with Jimmy Webb for a duet on the song on Webb’s 2010 album “Just Across the River”.

Authorship

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was written by Jimmy Webb.

Recording date/location

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was recorded on August 17, 1967 at Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”:

• Glen Campbell – vocals, acoustic guitar
• James Burton – acoustic guitar, electric guitars
• Joe Osborn – bass guitar
• Jim Gordon – drums.

The song was produced and arranged by Al De Lory, who also conducted the orchestration.

Chart performance

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 10, 1967.

The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Original recording

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” – Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers’ original recording of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is excellent and deserves to be better known. It was very much the model for Campbell’s hit version, although approached a little faster.

Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is available on the album “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and various compilations, including “Glen Campbell – Greatest Hits”.

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