Sweet City Woman

"Sweet City Woman" is a 1971 song by Canadian rock band The Stampeders, appearing on their debut album Against the Grain (retitled Sweet City Woman in the US). It features a banjo as a primary instrument, which is also mentioned in the lyrics: "The banjo and me, we got a feel for singing."

"Sweet City Woman"
Single by The Stampeders
from the album Against the Grain
B-side	"Gator Road"
Released	May 1971
Recorded	1971
Genre	Rock, country rock
Length	3:27
Label	Bell, Philips, MWC
Songwriter(s)	Rich Dodson
Producer(s)	Mel Shaw
The Stampeders singles chronology
"Gator Road" (1971) "Sweet City Woman" (1971) "Devil You" (1971)

Chart performance

The single spent four weeks as a number 1 hit in Canada, and reached number 8 in the US.[1] It also climbed to number 1 on the Canadian country music and adult contemporary charts. The song was also marketed in Canada by Quality Records with instrumental and French lyric versions.

Weekly charts Chart (1971) Peak position Australia KMR[2] 32 Canadian RPM Top Singles[3] 1 Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary[4] 1 Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1 US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Billboard Easy Listening[5] 5 US Cash Box Top 100 7

Year-end charts Chart (1971) Rank Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[7] 58 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[8] 32

Awards

The band and song won numerous Juno Awards in 1972, including Best Single,[9] Songwriter of the Year (guitarist Rich Dodson), Record Producer of the Year (Mel Shaw), and the band was named Canada's Top Group.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many musicians over the years, including:

• British band The Dave Clark Five, in 1971, as the Stampeders single failed to chart in the UK.
• American country music artist Johnny Carver, in 1977. Carver's version peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
• Tompall & the Glaser Brothers, whose release went to number 34 on the same chart in 1980.
• Canadian country music band Jo Hikk, on their 2009 album Ride.
• Rapper Kyprios, who released "City Woman", a song which blended a rerecorded version of "Sweet City Woman" with original lyrics, in 2011.
• "Champagne music" bandleader Lawrence Welk, on his Go Away Little Girl album.
• In 1971 German Singer Buddy Caine released a German version

Use in media

The song can be heard during a flashback scene in the Better Call Saul episode "Inflatable," and in the Canadian commercial for "Dempster's Bread Farmer".

Personnel

• Produced by Mel Shaw
• Engineered by Terry Brown
• Recorded at Toronto Sound, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Rich Dodson – vocal, banjo, lead electric guitar
• Ronnie King – bass
• Kim Berly – drums

References

1. "Sweet City Woman - The Stampeders". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
2. "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
3. "RPM 100 Singles". Canada.ca. Library and Archives Canada. August 14, 1971.
4. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-08-14. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
5. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 226.
6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
7. "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
8. Billboard. 1971-12-25. p. 15. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
9. White, Adam (1988). The Billboard Book of Hits. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8285-7.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Origin Stories: Rich Dodson on The Stampeders’ “Sweet City Woman” from JulietteJagger.com.