Allentown Jail
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"Allentown Jail" | ||||
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Single by The Lettermen | ||||
B-side | "Two Brothers" | |||
Released | 1963 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Irving Gordon | |||
The Lettermen singles chronology | ||||
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"Allentown Jail" is a folk-style song, written by Irving Gordon.[1]
Background[]
it tells the story of a man who is caught stealing a diamond for his girlfriend and ends up in the Allentown jail.
Recordings[]
- In 1951, Jo Stafford recorded this song. It was released as a single on Columbia Records.
- In 1960, Kathy Linden recorded it as her first single on Monument Records.[2]
- The Kingston Trio recorded a version in 1962, as the song became popular in the folk scene. The trio had plans of releasing it as a single, but the single never came to fruition. Their version has since been released on various CD compilations of their works.
- In 1963, a more harmonic arrangement was performed by The Lettermen and released as a single. This version incurred some success, but only to a minor degree.
Other recordings[]
- Other artists who recorded this song include The Seekers, The Springfields, Billy Strange and British singers Lita Roza and Karen Young. There is also a French adaptation of the song, "Les prisons du roy", by Edith Piaf, which was later covered by Marianne Faithfull.
References[]
- ^ "Song: Allentown Jail written by Irving Gordon". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "Kathy Linden - Allentown Jail". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
Categories:
- 1951 songs
- 1960 singles
- 1963 singles
- Songs written by Irving Gordon
- The Lettermen songs
- Jo Stafford songs
- Kathy Linden songs
- Capitol Records singles
- Monument Records singles
- Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania