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Release Me (Eddie Miller song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Please Release Me)
"Release Me"
Single by Eddie Miller
Released1949
RecordedVarious
GenreCountry Music
Label4 Star Records
Songwriters

"Release Me" (sometimes rendered as "Release Me (and Let Me Love Again)") is a country song written by Eddie Miller and Robert Yount in 1949. Four years later it was recorded by Jimmy Heap & the Melody Masters (in 1953), and with even better success by Ray Price (1954), Kitty Wells (1954), and Patti Page (1961). Jimmy Dean recorded a version of the song in 1959. Jivin' Gene Bourgeois & the Jokers recorded the tune in 1960, and that version served as an inspiration for Little Esther Phillips, who reached number one on the R&B chart and number eight on the pop chart with her big-selling cover.[1] The Everly Brothers followed in 1963, along with Lucille Starr including a translation in French (1964), Jerry Wallace (1966), Dean Martin (1967), and Engelbert Humperdinck (1967), whose version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

Humperdinck’s version of “Release Me” has the distinction of holding the number one slot in the UK for six weeks during March and April 1967, preventing the Beatles' "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" double A-sided single from reaching the top spot. Humperdinck's "Release Me" was also the highest selling single of 1967 in the UK, recording over one million in sales. Actual sales stand at 1.38 million copies.[3]

In Czechia, the Czech parodic version "Trouba" ("Oven" or "Halfwit") is one of the most popular hits of singer Lucie Bílá and songwriter Gabriela Osvaldová.[4]

Writing credits

[edit]

Although Eddie Miller later claimed to have written the song in 1946—only being able to record it himself in 1949—he actually co-wrote it with Robert Yount in 1949.[5] As they were working at that time with Dub Williams, a pseudonym of James Pebworth,[6] they gave him one-third of the song. The song was released with the writing credited to Miller-Williams-Gene, as Yount was using his stage name of Bobby Gene.[5]

Although the owner of 4 Star Records, William McCall, would usually add his pseudonym "W.S. Stevenson" to the credit of songs he published, he failed to do so in 1949. However, in 1957, Miller and Yount entered into a new publishing agreement with 4 Star Records, in which "W.S. Stevenson" replaced Williams as co-writer.[7]

Yount signed away his royalty rights to William McCall in 1958, after which the credits to the song officially became "Miller-Stevenson", although multiple variations also existed.[7] For example, Engelbert Humperdinck's United Kingdom 45 is credited to Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, Dub Williams and Robert Harris. The Harris credit, however, turned out to be another pseudonym for James Pebworth (along with Dub Williams).[8]

With the bankruptcy of Four Star’s successor in interest, the copyright to the song was acquired by Acuff-Rose Music. When the initial term of copyright ended in 1983, it was renewed for a second term. Between 1983 and 1985 Acuff-Rose paid royalties to Yount, until they were notified by the family of the deceased William McCall of the 1958 assignment. Acuff-Rose then suspended payments until the dispute between the claimants was resolved. On December 24, 1996 the United States Courts of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, upheld the claim of the McCalls.[7]

In country music

[edit]
"Release Me"
Single by Ray Price
A-side"I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)"
ReleasedJanuary 1954
RecordedDecember 28, 1953
StudioCastle Studio at the Tulane Hotel (Nashville, Tennessee)
GenreCountry
LabelColumbia 4-21214
SongwritersEddie Miller
James Pebworth
Robert Yount
ProducerDon Law
Ray Price singles chronology
"Leave Her Alone"
(1953)		 "Release Me" / "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)"
(1954)		 "I'm Much too Young to Die"
(1954)
"Release Me"
Single by Esther Phillips
from the album Release Me
B-side"Don't Feel Rained On"
ReleasedOctober 1962
Recorded1962
GenreR&B
Length3:18
LabelLenox
SongwritersEddie Miller
James Pebworth
Robert Yount
ProducerBob Gans
Esther Phillips singles chronology
"Ring-a-Ding-Doo"
(1952)		 "Release Me"
(1962)		 "I Really Don't Want to Know"
(1963)

In country music, "Release Me" became a hit for Jimmy Heap, Kitty Wells, and Ray Price, all in 1954. Even though Price had several major hits beforehand, "Release Me" is sometimes considered his breakthrough hit. The song had elements of the 4
4 shuffle, Price's signature sound that would become more evident on future successes such as "Crazy Arms."

Price's version was part of a double-A sided hit, paired with another song that introduced fans to the 4
4 shuffle: "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" Both sides went on to become major hits for Price, with "Release Me" peaking at No. 6 and "I'll Be There" stopping at No. 2.

Engelbert Humperdinck version

[edit]
"Release Me"
Single by Engelbert Humperdinck
B-side"Ten Guitars"
ReleasedFebruary 1967[citation needed]
Genre
Length3:18
LabelDecca Records F12541[2]
SongwritersEddie Miller
James Pebworth
Robert Yount
ProducerCharles Blackwell[2]
Engelbert Humperdinck singles chronology
"Dommage Dommage"
(1966)		 "Release Me"
(1967)		 "There Goes My Everything"
(1967)

In 1965, Engelbert Humperdinck, who at the time was performing under the name of Gerry Dorsey, met up again with an old friend of his, Gordon Mills. By that time Mills was successfully managing Tom Jones. Mills added Dorsey to his management roster and changed his name. As Humperdinck, the singer released a couple of near misses in the UK although one song, "Dommage, Dommage", was successful in Europe.[2]

Early in 1967, Humperdinck was asked to stand in for Dickie Valentine, who was ill, on Sunday Night at the London Palladium,[2] a TV variety show that was one of the highest-rating programs in the UK at the time. He sang "Release Me" on the show. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 2 March and stayed there for six weeks, keeping "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles off the top spot, the first time the Beatles had not reached the top since their debut single.[2] Humperdinck's recording stayed in the charts for a record fifty-six consecutive weeks.[11]

The B-side, "Ten Guitars", became a surprise hit in New Zealand among young Maori moving to the cities for work, and, not long after, the wider New Zealand music scene as well.[12] Ten Guitars later served as the name for a documentary on New Zealand popular music.[13]

British journalist and author Peter Hitchens has described Humperdinck's hugely successful version as "the real revolutionary anthem of the Sixties" and "far more influential than Bob Dylan", drawing a comparison between the song's lyrics and the desire of the public to be released from the social conservatism that had prevailed in society until the 1960s.[14]

Gospel version

[edit]

In the 1950s and 1960s, composer Eddie Miller authorized alternative lyrics to adapt the melody into a Southern gospel hymn titled, "Release Me (From My Sin)" with the key lyric changed to, "Release me from sin, to sin no more". The gospel version achieved notable success within the Christian music industry, including:

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1967) Peak
position
Australia (KMR) 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19]1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20]14
Canada (RPM) Top Singles 2
Germany (GfK)[21]20
Ireland (IRMA)[22]1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23]2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24]2
New Zealand (Listener)[25] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts)[26]1
US Billboard Hot 100[27]4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[28]28
Chart (1999) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29]45

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 460.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  3. ↑ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Lucie Bílá - Trouba". January 22, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2026 – via YouTube.
  5. 1 2 "Wired For Sound: Eddie Miller on 4-Star 1407". Wired-for-sound.blogspot.nl. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  6. ↑ "Dub Williams". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  7. 1 2 3 "FindLaw's United States Ninth Circuit case and opinions". Findlaw. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  8. ↑ Kutner, Jon (2010-05-26). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
  9. ↑ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "1991: Time for the Mu Mu". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 639. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  10. ↑ Doggett, Peter (1 January 2015). "Flying Through the Air". Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music. London: The Bodley Head. p. 389. ISBN 978-1-847-92218-2. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Desert Island Discs - Castaway : Engelbert Humperdinck". BBC. 2004-12-19. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  12. ↑ "NZ Folk Song * Ten Guitars". Folksong.org.nz. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  13. ↑ "Ten Guitars - Television". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  14. ↑ Hichens, Peter. "Stigma: A Political History" (sound). BBC Radio 4; 24 March 2014. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Best Gospel Performance Winners 1974". Grammy.com. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Suber, Matt (1974). The Kingsmen: Stand Up Album Review.
  17. ↑ "The Florida Boys – First Class Gospel (1975)". Discogs. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  18. ↑ "The Prophets Quartet – I Know Out There Somewhere (1963)". Discogs. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck – Release Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  20. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck – Release Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  21. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  22. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  23. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Engelbert Humperdinck" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  24. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck – Release Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  25. ↑ "Flavour of New Zealand, 12 May 1967". Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 2/3/1967 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  27. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Engelbert Humperdinck – Release Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
[edit]
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