Three classic Capitol Records albums by living legend Glen Campbell are set to return to vinyl from the label on March 24.  Gentle on My Mind, Wichita Lineman and Galveston will all be reissued by Capitol Nashville on standard black vinyl, with limited-edition colored vinyl editions to follow at a later date.

Gentle on My Mind, the singer-guitarist’s sixth album, was produced by Al De Lory, with De Lory arranging and conducting alongside session veteran (and future Master of Space and Time) Leon Russell.  Many familiar titles can be heard on the LP alongside John Hartford’s title song, which became one of Campbell’s signature songs.  Donovan’s “Catch the Wind,” Jimmie Rodgers’ “It’s Over,” Petula Clark’s “You’re My World,” Harry Nilsson’s “Without Her,” and Roy Orbison’s “Cryin'” all were recipients of the smooth Campbell treatment.  The band was, naturally, an accomplished one.  Two players came from the famed Los Angeles “Wrecking Crew,” of which Campbell was a member, playing for everyone from Frank Sinatra to The Beach Boys (and Campbell, of course, was even a one-time touring Beach Boy himself).  Joe Osborn handled bass and Leon Russell played piano as “Russell Bridges.”  Campbell, on acoustic guitar, was joined by another legend of the instrument, James Burton, on both acoustic and electric, while Doug Dillard played banjo.  Future Domino (of Derek and the Dominos) Jim Gordon played drums.

“Gentle on My Mind,” the song, won two Grammy Awards, and the album reached No. 1 Country and No. 5 on the Billboard 200.  It remained on those charts for 88 and 75 weeks, respectively.  But just three months after Gentle‘s release in August 1967, Capitol unveiled another Glen Campbell LP – By the Time I Get to Phoenix.  That album became the first-ever country LP to win Album of the Year at the Grammys, and Campbell won two more of the trophies for the hit title track.

That crucial release has been overlooked in this series, as its own vinyl reissue was part of the recent Capitol 75th Anniversary campaign.  This current trio of titles picks up with 1968’s Wichita Lineman, which like Phoenix was named after a hit title song by Jimmy Webb.  “Wichita Lineman” topped the Country and Easy Listening surveys, and made No. 3 on the Hot 100.  Produced again by Al De Lory with the Los Angeles vets comprising the band – Carol Kaye, Hal Blaine, Al Casey, Joe Osborn, Ray Pohlman and Jim Gordon among them – Wichita Lineman, the album, featured not only the seminal title track but the No. 3 Country/No. 6 Easy Listening/No. 32 Pop hit “Dreams of the Everyday Housewife” and a selection of choice covers from The Bee Gees (“Words”), Rod McKuen and Jacques Brel (“If You Go Away”), Tim Hardin (“Reason to Believe”), Otis Redding (“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”) and Tim Hardin (“Reason to Believe”).  How to follow Wichita Lineman, which peaked at No. 1 on both the Country Albums chart and the Billboard 200?

The answer came with 1969’s Galveston, the third of Campbell’s “Jimmy Webb trilogy.”  Webb’s title song, a powerful yet subtle anti-war plaint, built on the success of “Wichita Lineman” by also reaching No. 1 Country and Easy, and No. 3 Pop – and the album followed suit of its predecessor, making No. 1 Country.  (It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.)  “Galveston” was joined on the De Lory-produced LP by the Webb-penned second single “Where’s the Playground, Susie?” (a top 30 Country and Pop hit) as well as songs written by Buffy Sainte-Marie, Randy Sparks, and most notably, Glen himself.

These three timeless and enduring albums established Campbell as perhaps the ultimate pop-country crossover artist.  The vinyl reissues are due from Capitol Nashville on March 24.  They can be pre-ordered at the links below!

Glen Campbell, Gentle on My Mind (Capitol LP ST-2809, 1967 – reissued Capitol Nashville, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Link TBD / Amazon Canada)

1. Gentle on My Mind
2. Catch the Wind
3. It’s Over
4. Bowling Green
5. Just Another Man
6. You’re My World
7. The World I Used to Know
8. Without Her
9. Mary in the Morning
10. Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow
11. Cryin’

Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman (Capitol LP ST-103, 1968 – reissued Capitol Nashville, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Link TBD / Amazon Canada)

1. Wichita Lineman
2. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
3. If You Go Away
4. Ann
5. Words
6. Fate of Man
7. Dreams of the Everyday Housewife
8. The Straight Life
9. Reason to Believe
10. You Better Sit Down, Kids
11. That’s Not Home

Glen Campbell, Galveston (Capitol LP ST-210, 1969 – reissued Capitol Nashville, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Link TBD / Amazon Canada)

1. Galveston
2. Take My Hand for a While
3. If This is Love
4. Today
5. Gotta Have Tenderness
6. Friends
7. Where’s The Playground Susie
8. Time
9. Until It’s Time for You to Go
10. Oh What a Woman
11. Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin’ You