I Wouldn't Be a Man

"I Wouldn't Be a Man" is a song written by Mike Reid and Rory Bourke. Originally recorded by Don Williams, it has also been covered by Billy Dean and Josh Turner. Williams's version of the song was a Top Ten country hit in late 1987–early 1988, while versions by Dean and Turner also charted.

"I Wouldn't Be a Man"
Single by Don Williams
from the album Traces
B-side"The Light in Your Eyes"[1]
ReleasedOctober 1987
GenreCountry
Length3:21
LabelCapitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)Mike Reid
Rory Bourke
Producer(s)Don Williams
Garth Fundis
Don Williams singles chronology
"I'll Never Be in Love Again"
(1987)		 "I Wouldn't Be a Man"
(1987)		 "Another Place, Another Time"
(1988)

Don Williams version

Williams' version of the song appears on his 1987 album Traces for Capitol Records.[2] It was released as a single in October of that year and his version peaked at number nine on the Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts published by Billboard,[1] and number seven on the Canadian country music charts published by RPM.

Chart positions
Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] 9
Canadian RPM Country Tracks[4] 7

Billy Dean version
"I Wouldn't Be a Man"
Single by Billy Dean
from the album It's What I Do
ReleasedOctober 21, 1996
GenreCountry
Length4:24
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Mike Reid
Rory Bourke
Producer(s)Tom Shapiro
Nancy H. Williams[5]
Billy Dean singles chronology
"That Girl's Been Spyin' on Me"
(1996)		 "I Wouldn't Be a Man"
(1996)		 "In the Name of Love"
(1997)

Billy Dean recorded the song for his 1996 album It's What I Do, also released through Capitol Records. His version of the song was the third single from it, spending fourteen weeks on the country charts and peaking at number 45 by January 1997.[6]

Background

In October 1996, Dean told Billboard magazine that he chose to cut the song because he thought that it was different from the material that he had cut before; he called it a "one-on-one, man-to-woman song". He recorded the vocals in one take. He also said that he had heard Mike Reid, the original co-writer, sing it and it "knocked [him] out".[7] Richard Murray directed the video for Dean's version.[8]

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the tune boasts a "romantic lyric and wistful melody." She goes on to call Dean's rendition "bluesier" than Williams' "straight-ahead country cut." She says that while it is impossible to top Williams' original "sensitive rendering", Dean manages to do a "more-than-adequate job" of bringing the song back to life.[9]

Music video

The music video was directed by Richard Murray and premiered in late 1996.

Chart positions

"I Wouldn't Be a Man" debuted at number 69 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 2, 1996.

Chart (1996–1997) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10] 32
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 45

Josh Turner version
"I Wouldn't Be a Man"
Single by Josh Turner
from the album Haywire
ReleasedOctober 25, 2010
GenreCountry
Length3:32
LabelMCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)Mike Reid
Rory Bourke
Producer(s)Frank Rogers
Josh Turner singles chronology
"All Over Me"
(2010)		 "I Wouldn't Be a Man"
(2010)		 "Time Is Love"
(2012)

In late September 2010, Universal Music Group Nashville announced that Josh Turner's version of the song would be the third single from his album Haywire. He began filming the music video for it on September 27, 2010, under the direction of Peter Zavadil.[12][13] The song debuted at number 56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of November 13, 2010.

Critical reception

Juli Thanki of Engine 145 thought that Turner's rendition of the song sounded like he was "phoning it in".[14] Bobby Peacock of Roughstock rated it 4 stars out of 5, saying that Turner "finds the right balance of emotions". He also thought that it was better than both Williams' and Dean's versions.[15]

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Zavadil and premiered in late 2010.

Chart positions
Chart (2010–2011) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[16] 18
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 92

Year-end charts
Chart (2011) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[18] 67

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[19] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 464. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. "Traces". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  3. "Don Williams Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "RPM Country Tracks for February 6, 1988". RPM. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  5. It's What I Do (CD liner notes). Billy Dean. Nashville, Tennessee: Capitol Records Nashville. 1996. 30525.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Whitburn, p. 119
  7. Price, Deborah Evans (26 October 1996). "They're Playing My Song". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 43. p. 44.
  8. "Music video for "I Wouldn't Be a Man"". CMT. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  9. Billboard, August 26, 1995
  10. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9797." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. January 20, 1997. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  11. "Billy Dean Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  12. "Josh Turner appears tonight on NBC Nightly News". Universal Music Group Nashville. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  13. ""I Wouldn't Be a Man" video". Vevo. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  14. Thanki, Juli. "Haywire review". Engine 145. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  15. Peacock, Bobby (2 December 2010). "Josh Turner — "I Wouldn't Be a Man"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  16. "Josh Turner Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  17. "Josh Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  18. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  19. "American single certifications – Josh Turner – I Wouldn't Be a Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
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