Please Help Me, I'm Falling Explained

Please Help Me, I'm Falling
Type:	single
Artist:	Hank Locklin
Album:	Please Help Me, I'm Falling
B-Side:	My Old Home Town
Released:	February 1960
Recorded:	January 5, 1960
Genre:	Country
Length:	2:21
Label:	RCA Victor
Producer:	Chet Atkins
Prev Title:	Blues in Advance
Prev Year:	1959
Next Title:	One Step Ahead of My Past
Next Year:	1961

"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording and was his second number one on the country charts.^[1] "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" spent 14 weeks at the top spot and spent nine months on the country chart and crossed over to the Hot 100 peaking at number eight.^[2]

Chart performance

Chart (1960)	Peak position
U.K. Singles Chart^[3]	9
Norway VG Lista^[4]	4

Answer record

Later in 1960, Skeeter Davis had a hit with an answer record titled "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too", which peaked at number two for three weeks on the Hot C&W Sides charts^[5] and number 39 on the Hot 100.^[6]

Cover versions

• During the early 1960s, Broadway Record Label released a version of this song on an EP - 45 rpm that featured "Vocals and Orchestra by Popular Artists," none of which are listed anywhere on the record label.^[7]
• In October 1963, The Everly Brothers recorded the song as one of the tracks on their album The Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits, featuring their covers of classic country songs.
• In June 1965, Vic Damone recorded the song as one of the tracks on his album You Were Only Fooling.
• On August 1, 1967, Charley Pride covered the song. His version was not released as a single and remained unreleased until it was included on his 1997 album The Essential Charley Pride.^[8]
• In 1973, John Fogerty covered the song on his first solo album Blue Ridge Rangers.
• In 1978, Janie Fricke released a cover version of the song as "Please Help Me (I'm Fallin' in Love with You)" and took it to number 12 on the country charts.^[9] Unlike Locklin's piano-based, bright mid-tempo version, Fricke's version is a ballad in the country pop vein.
• In 1989, Kirsty MacColl covered the song as b-side to her single "Days".
• In 1993, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette recorded their version of "Please Help Me (I'm Fallin' in Love with You)" for their album Honky Tonk Angels, and Loretta recorded a duet with Conway Twitty from the 1987 album Heartland Music.
• In 1996, Puff Johnson recorded a version of "Please Help Me (I'm Fallin' in Love with You)" for her album Miracle.
• Gladys Knight covered the song on her 2001 album At Last.
• In 2007, David Ball covered the song on his album Heartaches by the Number.
• In 2008, Patty Loveless covered the song on her album Sleepless Nights.

Notes and References

1. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 303.
2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition . Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 376.
3. Book: Guinness World Records British Hit Singles 15th Edition. 2002. 301. Guinness World Records Limited. London, UK. 0-85112-187-X.
4. Web site: norwegiancharts.com - Hank Locklin - Please Help Me, I'm Falling . norwegiancharts.com . 19 February 2012.
5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 100.
6. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition . Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 164.
7. Web site: live. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/Rxf7thksOFo. 2021-12-05. Please Help Me I'm Falling In Love With You - Broadway 45 Record . YouTube.
8. Web site: Original versions of Please Help Me I'm Falling by Charley Pride . SecondHandSongs . 2016-09-26.
9. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn. Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. 151. 2008. 978-0-89820-177-2.