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Harper Valley P.T.A. movie clip / singer Jeannie C. Riley

Uploaded by kanabel on Dec 8, 2007

Jeanne Riley had cut a demo record for one of her songwriter friends, Royce Clark called "The Old Town Drunk." It was a sarcastic ballad of the old drunk that everyone in town made fun of until one day when they found his hat floating in the river and his shoes next to the river bank. The whole town got concerned and started dragging the river looking for his body. All the while the old town drunk was on the hillside, overlooking the entire scene, laughing. He finally came down and told the folks he was glad he was so well thought of.

When the song was played for producer Shelby Singleton of Plantation records. He wanted to know, "who's that girl doing the singing?" Shelby had been presented a song from a struggling songwriter named Tom Hall called "Harper Valley P.T.A." but he was not sold on the song due to the arrangement and the voice of the singer on the demo. It was a definite copy of the song "Ode to Billy Joe" which was a hit a year prior. The voice of the singer was just too smooth, he thought. This song need punch and sarcasm. But once he heard Jeannie's rendition of "The Old Town Drunk," it clicked. And he said, get me that girl and a song I've got called "Harper Valley P.T.A." and I will cut you a million seller.

On friday, July 26, 1968 Jeannie had been working for Passkey Music on Music Row as a receptionist. She closed the door to the office at 5 o'clock and walked next door to Columbia Studio. It was a hot, humid evening. The producer, Shelby Singleton, kept saying the song was "just right" for her voice, just right to catch the angry mood of a nation fed up with hypocrisy. Jeannie glanced at the music and listened as Jerry Kennedy, the session leader, begin his cadence countdown. She began to tap her foot to the beat, she stepped up to the microphone. Suddenly she was into the song.

From the very fist word her mood and lyrics came together in a magical blend.
She stood close to the mike and let it pour out. There wasn't a sound as the last echo of the guitars faded. Then one of the musicians said "Great Gawd A'mighty."

It had taken 15 minutes to cut the first tape. Then someone suggested that they change the line "... the day that momma broke up the Harper Valley P.T.A." to "...the day my momma socked it to, the Harper Valley P.T.A." The lyrics, the music, literally made Jeannie the Harper Valley girl. Caught up in it, she snorted and sneered the anger of the world. That was it. What the world heard was what was done that Friday night in July 1968 by Jeannie C. Riley.

JEANNIE C RILEY - HARPER VALLEY PTA w Lyrics

Uploaded by SpindleRecords on Apr 13, 2007

Rare Original Vintage Performance. Sorry about the sound. This was from a promotional Reel to Reel BETA tape I found in a television station I worked at in the mid 1990's. It was only marked "For Local Affiliates - From your Friends at the Club Vegas" - My assumption is that these promotional videos were made by a music production facility to promote the artists on locally-produced music shows. I really have no idea as to the true origin or specific year!

LYRICS

I want to tell you all a story 'bout a Harper Valley widowed wife
Who had a teenage daughter who attended Harper Valley Junior High
Well her daughter came home one afternoon and didn't even stop to play
She said, "Mom, I got a note here from the Harper Valley P.T.A."

The note said, "Mrs. Johnson, you're wearing your dresses way too high
It's reported you've been drinking and a-runnin' 'round with men and going wild
And we don't believe you ought to be bringing up your little girl this way"
It was signed by the secretary, Harper Valley P.T.A.

Well, it happened that the P.T.A. was gonna meet that very afternoon
They were sure surprised when Mrs. Johnson wore her mini-skirt into the room
And as she walked up to the blackboard, I still recall the words she had to say
She said, "I'd like to address this meeting of the Harper Valley P.T.A."

Well, there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there and seven times he's asked me for a date
Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice whenever he's away
And Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town?
And shouldn't widow Jones be told to keep her window shades all pulled completely down?

Well, Mr. Harper couldn't be here 'cause he stayed too long at Kelly's Bar again
And if you smell Shirley Thompson's breath, you'll find she's had a little nip of gin
Then you have the nerve to tell me you think that as a mother I'm not fit
Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites

No I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just this way
The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A.
The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A.