Red Headed Stranger - Background and Recording

Background and Recording

In 1973 Nelson signed a contract for US$25,000 per year with Atlantic Records, the first country artist signed by the label. His first album with Atlantic was the critically acclaimed Shotgun Willie, which was followed by Phases and Stages. Due to the success of these recordings, Nelson signed with Columbia Records, and was given complete creative control.

The album is based on the song "Red Headed Stranger". Nelson often received requests to play the song when he was a DJ in Fort Worth, Texas, where he hosted a show for children. Nelson was inspired to write a complete story that included details of events prior to the ones described in Red Headed Stranger. Nelson wrote the songs during his return to Austin, Texas, after a ski trip in Colorado. Nelson spontaneously composed the songs while his then-wife Connie Koepke wrote down the lyrics.

The recording took place in a studio in Garland, Texas, at a cost of US$20,000. Nelson featured arrangements of acoustic guitar, accompanied by piano, played by his sister, Bobbie, as well complementary arrangements of drums, harmonica and mandolin. The sparsely instrumented acoustic arrangements caused Columbia directors to doubt the wisdom of releasing the album as presented, feeling it was under-produced and no more than a demo. However, Nelson had complete creative control, and it was released without any further modifications.