| Wedding Bells | |
| Type: | single |
| Published: | Hometown Music Co., Inc.[1] |
| Artist: | Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys |
| B-Side: | I've Just Told Mama Goodbye |
| Released: | May 1, 1949 |
| Recorded: | March 20, 1949[2] |
| Studio: | Castle Studio, Nashville |
| Genre: | Hillbilly, Honky-tonk, Country blues |
| Label: | MGM 10401 |
| Prev Title: | Lovesick Blues |
| Prev Year: | 1949 |
| Next Title: | Mind Your Own Business |
| Next Year: | 1949 |
"Wedding Bells" is a song written by Claude Boone and recorded by Hank Williams on MGM Records. It peaked at No. 2 on the Best Selling Retail Folk chart in 1949.[3]
"Wedding Bells" was first recorded by the Knoxville radio veteran Bill Carlisle on King Records in 1947. According to the country music historian Colin Escott, Claude Boone, who played guitar for the Knoxville bluegrass star Carl Story, bought the song for 25 dollars from James Arthur Pritchett, a local musician and drunk who performed under the name "Arthur Q. Smith".[4] The song's narrator describes his despair over the love of his life marrying another man. According to Boone, Williams called it "the prettiest song he'd ever heard".[4] Williams recorded it at Castle Studio in Nashville on March 20, 1949, with Fred Rose producing and was supported by Dale Potter (fiddle), Don Davis (steel guitar), Zeb Turner (electric guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar) and Velma Williams (bass). "Wedding Bells" was significant because it was the first single following Williams' biggest hit, "Lovesick Blues".
The recording session for "Wedding Bells" took place after Williams' first ever flight. He telegrammed the producer Fred Rose before takeoff, "Flight 58 will arrive at 5:45. I hope."