| "Born to Lose" | |
|---|---|
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| Single by Ted Daffan's Texans | |
| A-side | "No Letter Today"[1] |
| Published | May 29, 1943 by Peer International Corp., New York[2] |
| Released | February 20, 1943[3][4] |
| Recorded | February 20, 1942[5] |
| Studio | CBS Columbia Square Studio, Los Angeles |
| Genre | Western swing, Hillbilly |
| Length | 2:41 |
| Label | Okeh 6706[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Frankie Brown (Ted Daffan)[2] |
| Producer(s) | Art Satherley |
"Born to Lose" is a song written by Ted Daffan. Recorded by his band Ted Daffan's Texans, with vocal by Leon Seago, on February 20, 1942,[1] it was released as a double A-side single exactly one year later, at the height of the Second World War. This was Daffan's most successful record, as well as the most successful release of "Born to Lose"; it remained on the hillbilly chart for 82 weeks. The song has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash.[6] Probably the most famous version is found on Ray Charles's 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.[7] Released as a single (as a flip side to "I Can't Stop Loving You"), his recording peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100,[8] which earned Charles a platinum disc in 1962. Daffan's version of "Born to Lose" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[9]
In December 1938, Columbia Broadcasting System (aka CBS Radio) injected a breath of fresh air into the recovering record industry by purchasing American Record Corporation (ARC), the rights to Columbia, Okeh, and their respective record catalogues and artists. They promptly renamed all Columbia Record Corporation. Though they lost the rights to the Brunswick and Vocalion labels to Decca, Columbia took over for Brunswick, and Okeh was revived to replace Vocalion (and serve as Columbia's Hillbilly and Race label). ARC's former A&R man/producer Art Satherley, one of the best known execs in the business
In the late 1930s, Ted Daffan was working on his song writing and steel-guitar skills, mostly in association with Cliff Bruner and Decca Records. He had just written "Truck Driver's Blues", and was working with Jimmie Davis on "Worried Mind". Satherley, who recalled Daffan from a previous encounter, flew down to Houston and signed Daffan to a recording contract with the Columbia subsidiary Okeh. (Daffan's recordings consisted mostly of self-penned material, which made Satherley uneasy. It wasn't company policy to take so many songs from one writer, so he suggested that Daffan adopt a nom de plume for the purpose of disguising his identity. 'Frankie' was plucked out of thin air, and 'Brown' was his mother's maiden name.)[10]
- ^ a b c "OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6500 - 6747 (end of series)". www.78discography.com. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1943). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1943 2 Music Last Half of 1943 New Series Vol 38 Pts 2-3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- ^ "The Billboard". Google Books. February 13, 1943. p. 63. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "RolandNote.com: The Ultimate Country Music Database". rolandnote.com. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Russell, Tony (2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 241. ISBN 0195139895.
- ^ "Johnny Cash song: Born To Lose, lyrics". www.traditionalmusic.co.uk. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Ray Charles | Artist Bio". Country Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ tolsen (2013-01-02). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (second ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 30. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "TED DAFFAN Vol. 2 – Lonesome Highway. BACM CD646 | British Archive of Country Music". Retrieved June 12, 2022.