(Jim Stafford)
Australia
#8 Sydney
#9 Melbourne
#3 Brisbane
#3 Adelaide
#5 Perth
Co-charted in Sydney, Brisbane & Adelaide with the original version by Jim Stafford.
Single on Image by Australian country singer-songwriter-guitarist of Latvian heritage who grew up in Ascot Vale, Melbourne.
♫ Listen at YouTube
Cash Backman (Arvids Krastins, b. 1947) seems to have been everywhere and appeared with everyone during a long career performing at clubs and festivals around Australia.
Backman’s album Thirty Years On was completed in the early 2000s with producer Mick Hamilton (ex-Vibrants).
Further reading: 1. Cash Backman at Kimbo’s History of Australian Music. 2. Singles and albums discographies at discogs.com.
(Jim Stafford)
USA
Original version
#12 USA #20 UK #8 Sydney #10 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #3 Adelaide #5 Perth
Co-charted in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth with Australian cover version by Cash Backman.
Single on MGM by Nashville-based, Florida-born singer-songwriter,
♫ Listen at YouTube
Jim Stafford (b. 1944) took six of his humourous country singles onto the pop charts 1973-1975 and hosted The Jim Stafford Show for a season on ABC. His biggest mainstream hits were Spiders & Snakes (1973, #3 USA), My Girl Bill (1974, #12) and Wildwood Weed (1974, #7). He was married to singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry for a time in the late 70s.
Further reading: Jim Stafford at All Music Guide with biography by Steve Huey.
Pop ArchivesAustralia's premier song history site since 2004
Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2026. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…