With Pen in Hand

"With Pen in Hand" is a song written by Bobby Goldsboro and first released on his March 1968 album, Honey.[1] The song's lyrics address the subjects of divorce and losing custody of one's child, and are sung from the perspective of the parent who expects to be losing custody of their child, as they make a final plea to their spouse to reconcile before the divorce is finalized.[2][3] "With Pen in Hand" has been a hit for multiple artists in the late 1960 and 1970s.

"With Pen in Hand"
Single by Johnny Darrell
from the album With Pen in Hand
B-side"Poetry of Love"
Released1968
GenreCountry
Length3:18
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)Bobby Goldsboro
Producer(s)Bob Montgomery

Johnny Darrell version

The first single release of "With Pen in Hand" was by Johnny Darrell on April 13, 1968.[4] Darrell's version reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart,[5] No. 2 on Record World's "Top C&W Singles",[6] No. 4 on the Cash Box Country Top 50,[7] No. 126 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart,[8] and No. 12 on Cash Box's "Looking Ahead" chart of singles with potential of entering the Cash Box Top 100.[9] He also released it on his August 1968 album also called With Pen in Hand.

Billy Vera version

In June 1968, Billy Vera released a version of the song,[10] which was his first solo single.[11] Vera's version spent 6 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 43,[12] while reaching No. 25 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart,[13] No. 25 on the Cash Box Top 100,[14] No. 29 on Record World's "100 Top Pops",[15] No. 21 on Record World's "Top Non-Rock" chart,[16] No. 12 on Canada's RPM 100,[17] and No. 20 on Record World's "Juke Box Top 25".[18]

Vikki Carr version
"With Pen in Hand"
Single by Vikki Carr
from the album For Once in My Life
B-side"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
Released1968 (UK)[19]
1969 (US)
Recorded1968
GenreTraditional pop
Length3:38 (UK)
3:55 (US)
LabelLiberty
Songwriter(s)Bobby Goldsboro[20]
Producer(s)Dave Pell & Ron Bledsoe[21]

Vikki Carr, who has said: "I had to fight for 'With Pen in Hand',[22] had a 15 November 1968 UK single release with a cover of the song. Carr, herself in London at the time, promoted the single on British television and radio,[19] facilitating its charting at No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart.[23]

Also in November 1968, Carr played the Manhattan nightclub Persian Room, with her engagement being recorded as the live album For Once in My Life,[24] from which her performance of "With Pen In Hand" was issued as a single in February 1969. It spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 35,[25] becoming Carr's third and final Top 40 hit on that chart. It also reached No. 6 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart,[26] and was ranked No. 5 on Billboard's year-end ranking of 1969's "Top Easy Listening Singles".[27]

In Canada, Carr's live version reached No. 38 on the RPM 100,[28] and No. 4 on RPM's Adult Contemporary chart.[29]

The B-side of both the UK and US single versions of "With Pen in Hand" featured Carr's version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", from the album It Must Be Him.

In 1970, Carr was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her live rendition of "With Pen in Hand".[30]

Chart performance
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada RPM 100[28] 38
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[29] 4
UK Singles Chart[23] 39
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 35
US Billboard Easy Listening[31] 6
US Cash Box Top 100[32] 42
US Record World 100 Top Pops[33] 34
US Record World Top Non-Rock[34] 7

Bobby Goldsboro version

As discussed above, Goldsboro first released the song on his March 1968 album, Honey, but he didn't release it as a single until August 1, 1972.[35] Goldsboro's version spent 5 weeks on the 1972 Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 94,[36] while reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart,[37] No. 87 on the Cash Box Top 100,[38] and No. 92 on Record World's "The Singles Chart".[39]

Other versions

In 1968, Jerry Vale released a version of the song as a single and on the album This Guy's In Love With You.[40] Vale's version reached No. 30 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart[41] and No. 23 on Record World's "Top Non-Rock" chart.[16]

Conway Twitty released the song on the album Next in Line in 1968.[42]

In 1977, Dorothy Moore released a version of the song as a single and on her eponymous album.[43] Moore's version reached No. 12 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart,[44][45] No. 101 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart,[46] No. 92 on Record World's "The Singles Chart",[47] and No. 11 on Record World's "The R&B Singles Chart",[48] No. 103 on Cash Box's "Looking Ahead" chart,[49] and No. 15 on "Cash Box Top 100 R&B".[50]

References
  1. https://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/ual3642
  2. Randy Cordova, "12/13: 10 great Vikki Carr songs", The Arizona Republic, December 6, 2014. Accessed July 26, 2015
  3. C. Mackenzie, "The Gramophone", Volume 47, (1969)
  4. https://www.45cat.com/record/ua50292
  5. "Hot Country Singles", Billboard, July 6, 1968. p. 36. Accessed December 3, 2015.
  6. "Top C&W Singles", Record World, June 29, 1968. p. 52. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  7. Cash Box Country Top 50, Cash Box, July 6, 1968. p. 36. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  8. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100", Billboard, May 25, 1968. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  9. "Looking Ahead", Cash Box, May 18, 1968. p. 22. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  10. Billy Vera - With Pen in Hand, norwegiancharts.com. Accessed July 14, 2016.
  11. "Rhythm & Blues", Billboard, June 15, 1968. p. 28. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  12. Hot 100 - Billy Vera With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  13. Adult Contemporary - Billy Vera With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  14. Cash Box Top 100, Cash Box, July 27, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  15. "100 Top Pops", Record World, July 27, 1968. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  16. "Record World's Top Non-Rock", Record World, July 20, 1968. p. 14. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  17. "The RPM 100", RPM Weekly, Volume 9, No. 22–23 August 3, 1968. p. 5. Accessed December 3, 2015.
  18. "Juke Box Top 25", Record World, July 13, 1968. p. 16. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  19. "From The Music Capitals of the World", Billboard, November 9, 1968. p. 62. Accessed December 3, 2015.
  20. With Pen in Hand - By: Vikki Carr, MusicVF.com. Accessed July 26, 2015
  21. Vikki Carr - With Pen in Hand, norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  22. Grigware, Don. "BWW Interviews: Legendary Pop Singer Vikki Carr Talks About Her New Album Viva la Vida", Broadway World, October 15, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  23. Vikki Carr - Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  24. "For Once in My Life - Vikki Carr". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  25. Hot 100 - Vikki Carr With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  26. Adult Contemporary - Vikki Carr With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  27. "Top Records of 1969", Billboard, December 27, 1969. p. 17. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  28. "The RPM 100", RPM Weekly, Vol 11, No. 20. July 14, 1969. p. 5. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  29. "Adult", RPM Weekly, Vol 11, No. 20. July 14, 1969. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  30. Diane Telgen, "Notable Hispanic American Women", VNR AG, (1999) p. 76
  31. "Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening", Billboard, July 5, 1969. p. 60. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  32. Cash Box Top 100, Cash Box, July 12, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  33. "100 Top Pops", Record World, July 19, 1969. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  34. "Record World Top Non-Rock", Record World, July 12, 1969. p. 19. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  35. "You've come a long way Bobby.", Billboard, October 5, 1974. p. BG-20. Accessed December 2, 2015.
  36. Hot 100 - Bobby Goldsboro With Pen In Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  37. Adult Contemporary - Bobby Goldsboro With Pen In Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  38. Cash Box Top 100, Cash Box, October 14, 1972. p. 4. Accessed July 13, 2016.
  39. "The Singles Chart", Record World, October 14, 1972. p. 27. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  40. "This Guy's In Love With You - Jerry Vale". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  41. Adult Contemporary - Jerry Vale With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  42. "Next In Line - Conway Twitty". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  43. "Dorothy Moore - Dorothy Moore". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  44. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Dorothy Moore With Pen in Hand Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  45. "Billboard Hot Soul Singles", Billboard, January 28, 1978. p. 96. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  46. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100", Billboard, February 4, 1978. p. 30. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  47. "The Singles Chart", Record World, February 11, 1978. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  48. "The R&B Singles Chart", Record World, February 11, 1978. p. 50. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  49. "Looking Ahead", Cash Box, January 28, 1978. p. 54. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  50. "Cash Box Top 100 R&B", Cash Box, January 28, 1978. p. 51. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
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