Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
Single by The Casinos
from the album Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Released	1967
Format	7" single
Genre	Doo-wop
Length	3:09
Label	Fraternity 977
Writer(s)	John D. Loudermilk
Producer(s)	Gene Hughes
The Casinos singles chronology
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (1967) "It's All Over Now" (1967)

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" is a song written by John D. Loudermilk. It was first released in 1962 by Don Cherry, as a country song ^[1] and again as a doo-wop in 1967 by the group The Casinos on its album of the same name, and was a number 6 pop hit that year. The song has since been covered by Eddy Arnold, whose version was a number 1 country hit in 1968, and by Neal McCoy, whose version became a Top 5 country hit in 1996.

Content

The song was written by Loudermilk, who also recorded it for his 1967 album Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse.^[2] It is played as a slow 12/8 shuffle, its lyric addressing a female lover at the beginning of a relationship.

The Casinos version

The Casinos released its version in 1967 from its debut album Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye. It reached number 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in January 1967, and was the group's only Top 40 pop hit. Musicians on the recording included Armstrong on organ Mickey Denton on guitar, Ray White on bass, and Bob Smith on drums. It also featured a brass section of trumpets and trombones...^[3] It was also a number 28 pop hit in the United Kingdom.^[4]

Chart positions

Chart (1967)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[5]	6
UK Singles Chart	28

Eddy Arnold version

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
Single by Eddy Arnold
from the album Walkin' in Love Land
B-side	"Apples, Raisins and Roses"
Released	August 31, 1968
Format	7" single
Genre	Country
Length	2:47
Label	RCA
Producer(s)	Chet Atkins
Eddy Arnold singles chronology
"It's Over" (1968) "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (1968) "They Don't Make Love Like They Used To" (1968)

In 1968, country music artist Eddy Arnold covered "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" on his album Walkin' in Love Land.^[6] Arnold has said that he was inspired to record the song after hearing Loudermilk perform it.^[7] Arnold's rendition was a Number One hit on both the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts and RPM Country Tracks charts, as well as reaching number 84 on the U.S. pop charts.

Chart positions

Chart (1968)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[8]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[9]	84
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening	6
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	57

Neal McCoy version

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
Single by Neal McCoy
from the album Neal McCoy
Released	May 18, 1996
Format	CD single, cassette single
Genre	Country
Length	3:17
Label	Atlantic
Producer(s)	Barry Beckett
Neal McCoy singles chronology
"You Gotta Love That" (1996) "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (1996) "Going, Going, Gone" (1996)

Neal McCoy covered the song in 1996 on his self-titled album. Released in May of that year as that album's lead-off single, it reached number 4 on the U.S. Billboard country charts and number 7 on the Canadian RPM country charts, as well as number 7 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. McCoy's cover was the seventh Top Ten country hit of his career.

Chart positions

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10]	7
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[11]	7
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12]	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[13]	72
US Country Songs (Billboard)[14]	44

Other versions

Andy Williams released a version in 1967 on his album, Born Free.

Bettye Swann recorded the song in 1969.

Glen Campbell recorded the song as a medley with Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds' "Don't Pull Your Love." This song was a number 27 pop hit and went to number 1 on the Easy Listening chart in 1976. The medley peaked at number 4 country chart.

Toby Beau included it in their second album More Than a Love Song in 1979. It reached 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and 7 on the Adult Contemporary list.^[15]

The 5th Dimension recorded the song in 1973, but it was not released until 2004 as a bonus track on their The Ultimate 5th Dimension album.^[16]

Joss Stone recorded a version of the song for her 2012 album "The Soul Sessions Vol. II."

Johnny Nash recorded a version in 1964 for Argo Records.

Frankie Valli recorded a cover version of this song for his 2007 solo album of covers, "Romancing The 60's".

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1976 (U.S.)

References

1. "John D. Loudermilk - 1960-1963". Retrieved 21 June 2010. First release was in the fall of 1962 by Don Cherry on the Verve label
2. "Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 hits (8 ed.). Billboard Books. p. 111.
4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 97. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
5. "The Casinos – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for The Casinos.
6. Greg Adams. "Walkin' in Love Land review". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
7. Streissguth, Michael (1997). Eddy Arnold: Pioneer of the Nashville Sound. Schirmer Books. p. 188.
8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 31.
9. "Eddy Arnold – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Eddy Arnold.
10. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9633." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. September 2, 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
11. "Neal McCoy – Chart history" Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 for Neal McCoy.
12. "Neal McCoy – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Neal McCoy.
13. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1996". RPM. December 16, 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
14. "Best of 1996: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
15. "Album Search for "more than a love song"". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
16. Liner notes - "The Ultimate 5th Dimension" - Arista Records - 2004