I Wrote A Simple Song
Studio album by
Billy Preston
Released8 November 1971 (US)
14 January 1972 (UK)
RecordedFebruary, August–September 1971
StudioA&M (Hollywood)
GenreSoul, rock
Length40:03
LabelA&M
ProducerBilly Preston
Billy Preston chronology
Encouraging Words
(1970)		 I Wrote A Simple Song
(1971)		 Music Is My Life
(1972)

I Wrote a Simple Song is the sixth studio album by American soul musician Billy Preston. Released in November 1971, it was his first album for A&M Records and marked the start of a run of commercial success in the United States that lasted through to the late 1970s. The album includes the hit single "Outa-Space", which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1972. Preston included a live version of the instrumental "The Bus", as part of a medley with the Beatles' "Day Tripper", on his 1974 album Live European Tour.

Recording

I Wrote a Simple Song was Preston's first self-produced album.[1] Preston's friend George Harrison played lead guitar on most of the songs,[1] and supplied dobro accompaniment on the title track. The album continued Preston's inclusion of gospel-themed songs which had started with the 1967 album Club Meeting.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

The instrumental "Outa-Space" won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1973.[3]

Track listing

All songs by Billy Preston and Joe Greene, except where noted.

Side one

  1. "Should Have Known Better" – 2:28
  2. "I Wrote a Simple Song" – 3:28
  3. "John Henry" (Preston, Robert Sam) – 3:15
  4. "Without a Song" (William Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans) – 4:57
  5. "The Bus" – 3:32

Side two

  1. "Outa-Space" – 4:08
  2. "The Looner Tune" (Preston, Greene, Jesse Kirkland) – 2:47
  3. "You Done Got Older" (Preston, Bruce Fisher) – 3:08
  4. "Swing Down Chariot" (traditional; arranged by Preston and Greene) – 4:13
  5. "God Is Great" – 3:32
  6. "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (traditional) – 4:27

Personnel

Technical
  • Roland Young - art direction
  • Jim McCrary - photography
  • Tommy Vicari - engineer

Charts

Year Album Chart positions[4]
US US
R&B
1972 I Wrote a Simple Song 32 9

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[4]
US US
R&B		 US
Dance
1972 "I Wrote a Simple Song" 77 — —
"Outa-Space" 2 1 —
"The Bus" — 43 —

References

  1. 1 2 Valentine, Penny (January 22, 1972). "Billy Preston: I Wrote A Simple Song". Sounds. Retrieved June 27, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
  2. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r67739/review
  3. ↑
  4. 1 2 "Billy Preston: Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
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