1957 (Sales): : Fraulein — Bobby Helms (Decca)
1957 (Disc Jockeys): My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You — Ray Price (Columbia)
1967: Laura What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got — Leon Ashley (Ashley)
1977: I’ve Already Loved You In My Mind — Conway Twitty (MCA)
1987: Three Time Loser — Dan Seals (EMI America)
1997: How Your Love Makes Me Feel — Diamond Rio (Arista)
2007: Take Me There — Rascal Flatts (Lyric Street)
2017: Body Like a Back Road — Sam Hunt (MCA)
2017 (Airplay): Small Town Boy — Dustin Lynch (Broken Bow)
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My Kind of Country 
Despite the rock & roll explosion that brought the emergence of significant “crossover” records that became both country and pop hits some singers chose to hold the fort and continue to create hard country recordings. The Bobby Helms & Ray Price singles that topped the two country charts this week in 1957 are stellar examples. Both songs feature distinctive fiddle intros played by legendary musician Tommy Jackson. They prevailed alongside other hits of that week that included Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Bye Bye Love and (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear. A very diverse period in country music for sure as it fought to survive the rock & roll onslaught.
Leon Ashley’s “Laura” gave him his biggest hit and sole #1 record 50 years ago this week. Leon made history with that recording as it was first song to top the country chart that was written & produced by the same person as well as released his own record label – Ashley Records. Leon co-wrote it with his wife Margie Singleton. Leon only scored one other top ten hit “The Flower Of Love” [#8] in 1968.
I never heard of the Leon Ashley song before. That’s really cool. Learning more and more about country music everyday. Thank you to the writers!
Leon is definitely an underrated talent. Many of his singles are posted to YouTube and are truly worth a listen. “Flower Of Love” and “Mental Journey” are a couple of my favorites.
The late 1960’s brought quite a few songs with dark themes and somewhat vague meanings The lyrics of “Laura” were debated as to whether the singer is threatening to take his own life – or the life of his unfaithful wife – or perhaps both. Heartbreaking lyrics written from the perspective of a man that just cannot comprehend why his wife would cheat on him. The song also charted for four other artists. Claude King’s version competed with Leon Ashley’s in 1967 but stalled out at #50, Marty Robbins’ 1973 single stopped at #60 and Kenny Rogers’ 1976 single made it to #19. (Kenny’s next single was “Lucille”) Leon was best in my book.
Frankie Laine and Brook Benton both had dramatic, contemporaneous pop covers of “Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got,”), with Laine’s version winning out over Brook’s on both the Hot 100 and the Easy Listening (later, “Adult Contemporary”) charts. It was a decent size Easy Listening hit for Laine, perhaps setting the stage for the smash hit he had a couple of years later with another country country song, “You Gave Me a Mountain,” which Marty Robbins personally pitched to Frankie, rather than releasing it as a single himself. (Johnny Bush had the country single on “Mountain.”)