Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry’s duet of “Let It Be Me” is nothing less of a musical masterpiece. The song’s message and melody, combined with the dreamy vocal performance of the two top country singers of the late Sixties, can definitely soothe your tired soul and make you believe in love again.
“Let It Be Me,” an intimate romantic tune released by the Everly Brothers late in 1959, was first popularized in France during the Fifties and was titled “Je t’appartiens.” And then, it became a favorite song to cover and record among many artists, including Betty Everett and Jerry Butler, Willie Nelson, Bobby Goldsboro and Dolly Parton, and Ray Charles. But it was two Southern artists, Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry, who were Capitol Records’ new rising stars at the time, that really knocked the song to be their own. The track was part of their self-titled country-lounge classic album released in 1968.
As Jeanette Leech of Discover Music laid it out, it was ‘easy-listening silk, light on the ear, and good for the mood.’ Campbell’s tenor that had always drawn listeners to his songs harmonized by Bobbie’s high yet pleasing pitch blended so well and spoke volumes of sentimental passion. They definitely conveyed the song’s message of manifesting the happiness of finding one’s true love. No wonder it became a hit of its time and a classic to the new generation (and the generations to come).
Their duo did not last long after their label shelved a second album, but Campbell continued to perform this song with different artists, including his daughter Debby. Though admittedly, his favorite would still be Bobbie Gentry. In an interview just right before a live performance, Campbell shared that the duet was just a product of them singing old songs, and he just requested that they sing along to “Let It Be Me,” which was one of his favorite songs not knowing they would end up producing a masterpiece.
Campbell, who died last August 2017 after battling Alzheimer’s, confessed that his duet LP with Gentry was definitely a career highlight. And it was always one of his favorite albums to play in the car on CD.
Listen to Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry’s duet cover of “Let It Be Me” in the video below.
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Bobbie Gentry, glen campbell