{{Short description|1951 song by Curley Williams}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox song | name = Half as Much | cover = | alt = | published = {{Start date|1951|10|17}} Acuff-Rose Publications<ref>{{Cite book|last=Library of Congress. Copyright Office.|url=https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyr355libr|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries 1951 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 5 Pt 5A|date=1951|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|others=United States Copyright Office|language=English}}</ref> | type = single | artist = Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys | album = | B-side = Let's Turn Back the Years | released = {{Start date|1952|3}} | recorded = {{Start date|1951|8|10}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hank Williams Sessions|url=https://jazzdiscography.com/Artists/hank-williams/hank-williams-recording-sessions.php|access-date=2021-10-21|website=jazzdiscography.com|archive-date=2022-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023034315/https://jazzdiscography.com/Artists/hank-williams/hank-williams-recording-sessions.php|url-status=live}}</ref> | studio = Castle Studio, Nashville | venue = | genre = Country & Western, Honky-tonk | length = {{Duration|m=2|s=42}} | label = MGM | writer = Curley Williams | producer = Fred Rose | prev_title = Honky Tonk Blues | prev_year = 1952 | next_title = Jambalaya (On the Bayou) | next_year = 1952 }} {{Infobox song | name = Half as Much | cover = | alt = | type = single | artist = Rosemary Clooney | album = | B-side = Poor Whip-Poor-Will (Move Over, Move Over) | released = {{Start date|1952|4|4}} | recorded = {{Start date|1951|8|23}} | studio = | venue = | genre = Traditional pop | length = {{Duration|m=2|s=48}} | label = Columbia | writer = Curley Williams | producer = Percy Faith | prev_title = Tenderly | prev_year = 1952 | next_title = Botch-A-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina) | next_year = 1952 }}
"'''Half as Much'''" is an American country song written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Country Singles chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=387}}</ref>
==Hank Williams version== According to the 2004 book ''Hank Williams: The Biography'', Williams was not too enamoured with "Half as Much" and only recorded it at producer Fred Rose's insistence.{{sfn|Escott|Merritt|MacEwen|2004|p=178}} Williams recorded it at a session at Castle Studio in Nashville on August 10, 1951. He was backed by Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Sammy Pruett (lead guitar), Howard Watts (bass), probably Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), and either Owen Bradley or Fred Rose on piano.{{sfn|Escott|Merritt|MacEwen|2004|p=345}} "Half as Much" is notable for being the only Hank Williams recording to feature a solo barroom piano at its conclusion. Two months after Williams recorded "Half as Much," Curly Williams recorded it for Columbia Records, so Rose held back Hank's release until March 28, 1952, to clear the way for Curley's release on November 2, 1951.{{sfn|Escott|Merritt|MacEwen|2004|p=178}}
==Cover versions== *Also in 1952, Rosemary Clooney recorded a number-one, hit version for Top 40 markets in the US, this version also went to number three in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/90/rosemary-clooney/|title=ROSEMARY CLOONEY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127081749/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/90/rosemary-clooney/|url-status=live}}</ref> *Patsy Cline (1962), *Ray Charles (1962) *Eddy Arnold (1964) *Sharon Redd (1967) *Alberto Semprini, piano with rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the second song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 18) - Part 1" along with "Here in My Heart" and "Isle of Innisfree" in London on November 11, 1952. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10385. *Alma Cogan with orchestra conducted by Frank Cordell recorded it in London on August 1, 1952. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B-10338. *George Jones recorded the song for his 1960 LP ''George Jones Salutes Hank Williams''. *Kitty Wells released the song on Decca in 1960. *Marty Robbins released a version on Columbia Records. *Carl Smith recorded the song for Hickory. *Hank Williams steel guitarist Don Helms released an instrumental version in 1962 on Smash Records. *George Hamilton IV recorded the song on ABC Records. *Don Gibson covered the song for RCA. *Glen Campbell included it on his 1973 album ''I Remember Hank Williams''. *Petula Clark (1974) *Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn recorded the song as a duet for their 1988 album ''Making Believe''. *Emmylou Harris (1992) *Cake (1998) *Van Morrison (2006) *Sylver (2010).
==Chart performance== ===Hank Williams version=== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Chart !Position |- | 1952 | Billboard Country Singles | #2 |- |}
===Rosemary Clooney version=== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Chart !Position |- | 1952 | Billboard Pop Singles | #1 |- | 1952 | UK Singles Chart | #3 |- |}
==See also== * Billboard Top Country & Western Records of 1952
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography== * {{cite book|last1=Escott|first1=Colin |author-link1=Colin Escott|last2=Merritt|first2=George |last3=MacEwen|first3=William |title=Hank Williams: The Biography|year=2004|publisher=Little, Brown|location=New York}}
{{Hank Williams}} {{Rosemary Clooney}}
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Category:1951 songs Category:1962 singles Category:Hank Williams songs Category:Patsy Cline songs Category:Glen Campbell songs Category:1967 debut singles Category:Sharon Redd songs Category:Pop standards Category:Rosemary Clooney songs Category:Song recordings produced by Fred Rose (songwriter) Category:Songs written by Curley Williams Category:MGM Records singles
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