Golden Hits Of The 60s” 

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JIMMY ELLEDGE

“Funny How Time Slips Away”

(Willie Nelson)

RCA Victor 7946

No. 22    January 20, 1962

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As a penned piece, Willie Nelson’s “Funny (How Time Slips Away),” is possibly his finest.  (Okay, he also

wrote contenders:  “Night Life” and “Crazy.”)   “Funny” has chartings have been numerous (Billy Walker

#23, 1961, Johnny Tillison #50, 1963, JOE HINTON #13, 1964, Narvel Felts  #12, 1975, Dorothy Moore

#58/#7, 1976, Danny Davis/Willie Nelson/the Nasville Brass #41, 1980, the Spinners #43, 1983).  Jimmy

Elledge likewise shoulda seen the chat listings many times.   The kid was talented, with a clarity and

vocal range that could have stilled competition.   Unfortunately, Jimmy entered the music markets when

a harsh line separated “true” country boys from pop and that rock stuff.   Jim was a natural to be

country crooner.   It was a gamble, a gamble with life-long consequences, but RCA saw fit in their

waxing wisdom to packaged him as a potential teen idol; and dare they, even hinted that he could

rock’n’roll with the best of ’em.   And he could, though near no one would ever get to discover such.

He was born in Nashville, on January 8, 1943.   He took to playing the piano when six and played in his

grammer schools orchestra.   Momma, Mae Carter Elledge, encouraged her boy and when the timing was

right, legend tells, she took him in to see Chet Atkins “the Magic Man” at RCA.   Atkins or someone

apparently did rightly size the lad up, because he was promptly signed to the label.   “Funny”, may or

may not, have been his first recording, not many have taken the care to write down his history.

Whatever the case, “Funny” had it all; all that Jim was ever goning to bring to the best of his many

records.   It was pop with a punch and country smooth, too; and oh so soulful.   RCA was patient with

him, when his fine-fine often two-sided follow-ups forgot to chart, or even to be played.   For years, six

years they stuck with him.   “What a Laugh”, if you can find it in some used record scag pile, was a

Brenda Lee-ish ballad.   “A Legend in My Time” was sticky-pure C&W.   “I Miss You Already” was winner,

a must hit.   “Bo Diddley” was hot, too hot for a country boy…Ah, they were good records all.

Those label leaders at RCA knew he was good, too; darn good.   They knew it would happen, that sooner

or much later he was going to get his fair share.   Yeah, well, there’s no sure things in this life.   And it

never happened.

It’s good to hear, though, that after all these years somewhere out there Jimmy Elledge hasn’t lost soul

and is still singing.   Best wishes, Jim.