‘Burning Bridges’: Glen Campbell Crosses To Solo Country Stardom
On December 10, 1966, Campbell entered the country singles chart as a solo artist for the very first time with ‘Burning Bridges.’
The great pop breakthrough year in the career of Glen Campbell was 1967, when “Gentle On My Mind” and “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” established him as a vocal craftsman of rare distinction. The man from Delight, Arkansas had, of course, been a noted and in-demand guitarist for many years by then, and made some interesting chart appearances, including one as a featured singer on a country single as early as 1962. But on December 10, 1966, Campbell entered the country singles countdown as a solo artist for the very first time.
The song in question, on his longtime home of Capitol, was “Burning Bridges,” which debuted on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles on that date and made its way to No.18, in a 13-week run. The recording was a cover of a song that had gone to No.3 on the US pop chart for Canadian rock’n’roll balladeer Jack Scott back in 1960.
Glen had reached No.20 on the country chart with the late 1962 entry “Kentucky Means Paradise,” credited to the Green River Boys featuring Glen Campbell. But by the mid-1960s, until he established himself with simultaneous country and pop hits, he really had separate audiences in the two genres, with various singles that made the Hot 100 but not the C&W list, or the other way around.
Listen to the best of Glen Campbell on Apple Music and Spotify.
In 1965, for example, he came close to a Top 40 pop single with his version of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s protest song “The Universal Soldier,” but there was no sign of that on the country survey. “Burning Bridges,” for its part, didn’t crack the Hot 100, and nor did the follow-up “I Gotta Have My Baby Back.”
Then came the era of Glen Campbell the multi-format star, with releases that appealed to admirers of both formats. But the unmistakeable voice, accompanied by lush strings and country piano, are already there to enjoy on “Burning Bridges.”
Buy or stream “Burning Bridges” on the album of the same name.
Cowpoke
December 11, 2014 at 10:18 am
Universal, please release the complete Burning Bridges on CD or as digital download. All of Glen’s Capitol albums have been released in digital form, except Burning Bridges and The Artistry of Glen Campbell. A lot of fans will buy them instantly! Thank you.
Dee
December 13, 2014 at 12:34 am
Universal, Glen Campbell has just been nominated for two more GRAMMY AWARDS!
His fans at GlenCampbellForums and the 6 million other people who LOVE his last song posted on YT would greatly appreciate the release of Glen’s complete “Burning Bridges” album on CD!
Burning Bridges is Glen’s 5th album released in 1967; it is one of two of Glen’s 60 albums that has never been released on CD (or digitally).
Check out these great tracks!
“Burning Bridges”
“Just to Satisfy You”
“Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall”
“I’ll Hold You in My Heart”
“As Far As I’m Concerned”
“Less of Me” (written by Glen Campbell!!)
“You’ve Still Got a Place in My Heart”
“Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry”
“Old Memories Never Die”
“Faith”
“Together Again”
Thank you for your consideration!
Dee
December 13, 2014 at 1:46 am
Dear Universal, in regard to my post above, the second album that has never been released on CD is Glen Campbell’s THE ARTISTRY OF GLEN CAMPBELL!
The Artistry of Glen Campbell is a double album from 1972 which was originally sold through the Glen Campbell Fan Club! It is a super special album with both songs and instrumentals.
The fans at GlenCampbellForumsDOTCOM and the six million viewers of Glen’s last song on YT would really love to have this special album on CD (and digital download).
Thank you so much for considering this request from the only open-to-all Glen Campbell fan forum on the net!
Cowpoke
June 24, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Dear people at Universal Music,
thanks so much for releasing Burning Bridges as digital download. Whether that had anything to do with our request we will probably never know… 🙂
While we are on the subject of releasing Glen Campbell album in digital format, I recently realized that Glen’s album he made for MCA records in the late 80s are now also part of the Universal Music catalogue. So here’s my plea: please release “Still Within the Sound of My Voice” (1987), Glen’s biggest album of the 80s with no less that 4 charting singles, 3 of which made the top 10 of the Billboard country singles charts (Still within the Sound of My Voice, I Have You, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) and Light Years (1988) Glen’s wonderful collaboration with master songwriter Jimmy Webb as digital downloads. That would make a lot of Glen Campbell fans very happy. Thanks very much in advance!
Antonio87
June 26, 2015 at 12:34 am
I am a Glen Campbell fan and totally support this idea! Glen is a true legend and his whole discography must see the daylight in digital form some day, and releasing this album would be an important step forward!
Mike Joyce
July 5, 2015 at 5:52 pm
I agree with Cowpoke, it would be fantastic to have “Still within the sound of my voice” released to CD. Such a an underrated album with such fine performances from Glen. One of his best.
Dave Dottle
December 24, 2019 at 3:52 pm
As a life long fan of Glen Campbell, I had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful, kind and very friendly man many times during my 45 years of going to see his concerts throughout our great country!! Not only was he a great singer but a fabulous guitarist who was a wonderful entertainer!! My late Mother and wife travelled with me to see Glen, whenever he would see my Mom and wife waiting outside to see him he would come right over and give them big hugs saying there’s my sweet honeys!!!! I swear that to me as he grew older his voice became richer and deeper!!! People, especially during this Christmas season, play Glen’s Christmas music…you’ll never be disappointed… may God give Glen a peaceful sleep