1962 Songs Top Ten: (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance (#3)

Tweet

Two pounds. That’s all that’s left before I hit the major weight-loss goal. I’ll celebrate by dancing around!! And I need music to dance to, so why not another great tune from sixty years ago? Here’s the next song on the list of favorites from 1962. #3: (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance - Gene Pitney Dad was never much on rock and roll, but he did like this one. Why? Because it referenced a John Wayne movie! Dad loved John Wayne films. I mentioned when I went to Wayne’s birthplace last year that I wished I could’ve taken Dad there, but I knew he was there in spirit. As for this terrific song, the movie studio paid for Gene Pitney’s recording session, so you’d think it was going to be in the movie. No. By the time Pitney recorded it the movie had already been released. However, with all of those songs centered around movies at the time (“The Hanging Tree” by Marty Robbins, “North to Alaska” by Johnny Horton), I’m sure the movie studio realized they could do worse than having a song playing on the radio a number of times a day to help promote the film. On top of that, Pitney got one of the best songs of his career in the bargain! (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David Recorded by Gene Pitney From Only Love Can Break a Heart, 1962 When two men go out to face each other: