Song Of The Day 8/3/2013: Sanford Clark - "They Call Me Country"

It's a nice to discover a daffy piece of music, but finding out Lee Hazlewood wrote it just doubles the pleasure. Sanford Clark is at least partially responsible for the success, such as it was, of one of the most eccentric songwriters to ever crawl out of bed from beneath a cluster of empty whisky bottles and a vague sense of something burning somewhere. Clark recorded Lee's song "The Fool" (credited to an assumed name, "Naomi Ford") and it became his only hit single. It emboldened Hazlewood to go to California and try to mess up some perfectly good business luncheons. Clark continued to record Hazlewood's songs throughout the '60s, including "They Call Me Country" in 1968. Everything about this song screams Hazlewood's name, especially the dry wit and the guitar hook in the chorus to which Clark wordlessly sings along. You know, like George Benson used to do in the '70s, except he had many more notes to contend with. This freakin' rules.