Act Naturally
Johnny Russell stood in a Fresno, California bar during the early 1960s. He had to cancel a date with his girlfriend that night. His friends from Oklahoma planned a recording session in Los Angeles and asked him to join them. When she asked why he was going to L.A., he answered that they would put him in movies and make him a big star out of him. They both laughed at the comment. That moment inspired Russell to write a song about someone who has been jilted but can play a film part of someone sad without knowing anything about acting. He wrote it that day and tried to teach it to the singer he was helping in Los Angeles. The singer could not learn it. Russell wanted to record it himself but his producer turned it down. Songs about movies were not hit material according to that producer. A full two years passed before anyone recorded Act Naturally.
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos recorded Act Naturally at Capitol Studios in Hollywood on the 12th of February 1963. The song entered the Billboard country charts on the 13th of April 1963. On June 15, it spent the first of four non-consecutive weeks at number one. In all, it spent 28 weeks on the country charts. This track became Owens' first chart-topper. Before the 1960s ended, Owens had placed 19 singles atop the Billboard country charts. Don Rich heard Russell's demo version and liked it. Eventually the song grew on Owens. One night Russell got a phone call from Owens asking if he could record the song. He said yes. Russell later found out that Owens had already recorded the song that day and just wanted the publishing rights. Owens did not like Act Naturally at first. Voni Morrison thought it would be a natural for Owens after playing it for her. She told Russell she could get him to record it. No one had yet recorded it when they made this deal.
The Beatles recorded Act Naturally on the 17th of June 1965, in 13 takes. The first 12 were used to work out the arrangement. The master was take 13, the only one with vocals. It was mixed the following day. Ringo Starr took lead vocal duties on this track. Paul McCartney provided harmony vocals and played bass guitar. George Harrison double-tracked his lead guitar and played acoustic guitar as well. They originally recorded If You've Got Trouble earlier in 1965 as Starr's intended song for the album. They were dissatisfied with those results and recorded Act Naturally to replace it. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called it an ideal showcase for Ringo's amiable vocals. Capitol Records held back Yesterday and Act Naturally from the U.S. version of Help!. They issued them as a non-LP single instead. As the B-side of that U.S. single, Act Naturally peaked at number 47 in October 1965. The two songs made their first U.S. album appearance on Yesterday and Today, released on the 20th of June 1966.
The Beatles performed Act Naturally during an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show which was taped on the 14th of August 1965. The broadcast occurred on the 12th of September 1965. They also performed the song at the famous Shea Stadium concert on the 15th of August 1965. It was played at some concerts throughout The Beatles' 1965 US tour. They alternated it with Starr's other song I Wanna Be Your Man. The song is closely identified with Starr and he has performed it on every tour iteration since then. He plays it virtually every show of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band beginning in 1989. This track became a featured performance number for him both with the Beatles and later with his own band. Many artists recorded the song including Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yoakam. Mrs. Miller and Betty Willis also covered it in different years. Riders in the Sky recorded it in 2000 for Woody's Roundup: A Rootin' Tootin' Collection of Woody's Favorite Songs.
Twenty-four years after the Beatles released their cover version, Owens and Ringo Starr teamed up for a duet remake. The session was produced by Jerry Crutchfield and Jim Shaw. A music video depicted the duo playing bumbling versions of themselves acting as cowboys on a western movie set. George Bloom directed the video while Ken Brown produced it. Capitol Records released the single on the 29th of July 1989. It peaked at number 27 and spent 11 weeks on the Billboard country chart that summer. This was Owens' last top 40 single on the chart. The B-side featured Owens playing Harlan Howard's The Key's in the Mailbox. The recording was nominated for the 1989 Country Music Association Vocal Event of the Year. It received a 1990 Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. Both awards were lost to There's a Tear in My Beer recorded by Hank Williams Sr. and Hank Williams Jr. This marked Starr's only showing on the country singles chart. Paul McCartney had done so with Wings in 1974, 75 with Sally G.
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Common questions
Who wrote the song Act Naturally and when was it written?
Johnny Russell wrote Act Naturally in the early 1960s after a specific incident at a Fresno, California bar. He composed the song on that same day he decided to join his friends for a recording session in Los Angeles.
When did Buck Owens record Act Naturally and what chart position did it reach?
Buck Owens recorded Act Naturally at Capitol Studios in Hollywood on the 12th of February 1963. The track entered the Billboard country charts on the 13th of April 1963 and spent four non-consecutive weeks at number one starting June 15.
How many takes did The Beatles use to record Act Naturally and who sang lead vocals?
The Beatles recorded Act Naturally on the 17th of June 1965 using 13 takes with Ringo Starr providing the lead vocal duties. Paul McCartney played bass guitar and provided harmony vocals while George Harrison handled the guitar parts.
What year did Buck Owens and Ringo Starr release their duet version of Act Naturally?
Capitol Records released the duet version of Act Naturally by Buck Owens and Ringo Starr on the 29th of July 1989. This single peaked at number 27 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration in 1990.