"Almost Persuaded" is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Epic Records producer Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966. It is not to be confused with the Christian hymn of the same name.^[1]

Content

The song is about a married man who, while patronizing a tavern, sees a beautiful young woman and is instantly smitten. Forgetting that he is married, he nearly succumbs to temptation. However, when the two share a slow dance, he notices a reflection of his wedding ring literally in her eyes and, remembering his vows to his wife, leaves.

Legacy

"Almost Persuaded" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart starting in August 1966^[2] and has since gone on to become a country standard. The song was also a moderate pop hit, reaching twenty-four on the Billboard pop chart and was David Houston's only top 40 entry on the pop charts.^[3]

For 46 years and two months, no No. 1 song matched the chart-topping longevity of "Almost Persuaded," until Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" notched its ninth week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of December 15, 2012.

The song won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording of 1966.^{[citation needed]}

Other versions

Later in 1966, singer-comedian Sheb Wooley, performing as Ben Colder, released a parody version entitled "Almost Persuaded No. 2." Here, an already-drunk man enters a barroom, sits down at a table and attempts to make conversation with a young woman seated there. The two dance briefly until the woman's boyfriend steps in and makes the man leave.

Colder's version reached No. 6 on the Hot Country Singles chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Some cover versions of the original song include:

• Crispian St. Peters released a cover of the song on his 1966 album Follow Me. It reached #52 on the UK Singles Chart in 1967.^[4]
• The Statler Brothers in 1966
• George Jones in 1983
• Merle Haggard in 1986
• Tammy Wynette in 1967, who coincidentally recorded a number of duets with Houston
• Patti Page in 1966
• Charlie Rich in 1974
• Tanya Tucker in 1977
• Hank Williams, Jr. in 1990
• Johnny Paycheck in 1968
• Tennessee Ernie Ford
• Lefty Frizzell
• Bill Haley
• Etta James
• Louis Armstrong
• Pozo-Seco Singers in 1967
• Country Teasers
• Beth Rowley
• Faron Young, appearing on numerous Faron Young greatest hits compilations and various artist compilations
• Hootenanny Singers made a Swedish version "Början till slutet" in 1967. Swedish lyrics by Stig Anderson aka Stikkan Anderson
• Ragnar Bjarnason recorded the tune in 1968 with Icelandic Lyrics as "Hafið lokkar og laðar".

Charts

David Houston

Patti Page

Ben Colder ("Almost Persuaded No. 2")

Etta James

Merle Haggard