The (Blue) Eyes Have It: Whats Happened to Blue Eyes (#4)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86866)
United States
February 27, 2020 8:59am CST
Hmm, it’s just not my week. I smashed my hand last night. I have a regularly-scheduled VA appointment today, and they’ll probably x-ray it to see if I broke anything. Obviously the fingers all work. Whatever, there’s always music. In this case, a John Roberts-requested series of songs dealing with blue eyes. Here’s the next song on the list.
#4: What’s Happened to Blue Eyes - Waylon Jennings
Hey, Linda’s heard of him! 
This is a slightly complicated history, but not really. Let’s start with trivia: Jessi Colter was once married to Duane Eddy before she married “Nashville Rebel” Waylon Jennings. In the mid-70s this “outlaw” thing took hold (named after the first platinum album in country music history, a compilation LP titled Wanted! The Outlaws), and Jennings and Colter were at the forefront (both of them appearing on the Wanted! The Outlaws album).
Also about that time they were enjoying pop crossover hits. Jennings’ was a little weird, given that “Lukenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” was hardly “pop.” However, Colter’s 1975 smash “I’m Not Lisa” (big thumbs down from me on that song) was top ten pop, and it sounded like it belonged there.
Colter also had a hit with this song, which was in the pop-country vein similar to “I’m Not Lisa.” She re-recorded it for the Wanted! The Outlaws album. Then, in 1981, she and hubby teamed up for an album titled Leather and Lace. That’s where you find Jennings’ stellar rendition.
Are you still with me? I didn’t think so, but I’ll continue. You’ve heard that phrase, “leather and lace” before? Like, a song title? The story goes that Stevie Nicks wrote “Leather and Lace” for Waylon and Jessi to do for the album. However, they ended up not recording it, so Nicks ran to old boyfriend Don Henley for her version. (That’ll teach those country people!)
At any rate, my preferred version is the Jennings rendition, by a mile of blue eyes.
What’s Happened to Blue Eyes
Written by Jessi Colter
Recorded by Waylon Jennings
From Leather and Lace (duet album w/Colter), 1981
She gave up on me:
This is a slightly complicated history, but not really. Let’s start with trivia: Jessi Colter was once married to Duane Eddy before she married “Nashville Rebel” Waylon Jennings. In the mid-70s this “outlaw” thing took hold (named after the first platinum album in country music history, a compilation LP titled Wanted! The Outlaws), and Jennings and Colter were at the forefront (both of them appearing on the Wanted! The Outlaws album).
Also about that time they were enjoying pop crossover hits. Jennings’ was a little weird, given that “Lukenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” was hardly “pop.” However, Colter’s 1975 smash “I’m Not Lisa” (big thumbs down from me on that song) was top ten pop, and it sounded like it belonged there.
Colter also had a hit with this song, which was in the pop-country vein similar to “I’m Not Lisa.” She re-recorded it for the Wanted! The Outlaws album. Then, in 1981, she and hubby teamed up for an album titled Leather and Lace. That’s where you find Jennings’ stellar rendition.
Are you still with me? I didn’t think so, but I’ll continue. You’ve heard that phrase, “leather and lace” before? Like, a song title? The story goes that Stevie Nicks wrote “Leather and Lace” for Waylon and Jessi to do for the album. However, they ended up not recording it, so Nicks ran to old boyfriend Don Henley for her version. (That’ll teach those country people!)
At any rate, my preferred version is the Jennings rendition, by a mile of blue eyes.
What’s Happened to Blue Eyes
Written by Jessi Colter
Recorded by Waylon Jennings
From Leather and Lace (duet album w/Colter), 1981
She gave up on me:
Waylon Jennings And Jessi Colter - What's Happened To Blue Eyes Album Leather And Lace 1982
6 people like this
5 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Feb 20
The site isn't doing pastes from You Tube right now. That's why I held back on my music post.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86866)
• United States
27 Feb 20
I may be in a cast this afternoon, so I went ahead. I’ll edit it with a new link once things get fixed.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222806)
• United States
27 Feb 20
I hope you didn't break anything. Yes, you're right, I've heard of Waylon...but not the song.
1 person likes this
