View source for The Day the World Stood Still (song)

{{Infobox song
| name          = The Day the World Stood Still
| cover         = Charley Pride--The Day the World Stood Still.jpg
| type          = single
| artist        = [[Charley Pride]]
| album         = [[The Country Way]]
| B-side        = "Gone, on the Other Hand"
| released      = {{Start date|1967|12}}
| recorded      = July 31, 1967
| studio        = [[RCA Studio A]], Nashville, Tennessee
| genre         = {{hlist|[[Country music|Country]]|traditional country<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web |title=''The Country Way'': Charley Pride: Songs, Reviews, Credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-country-way-mw0000890845 |website=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref>}}
| length        = {{duration|m=02|s=30}}
| label         = [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]]
| writer        = {{hlist|Jerry Foster|[[Bill Rice]]}}
| producer      = {{hlist|[[Chet Atkins]]|[[Jack Clement]]|[[Felton Jarvis]]}}
| prev_title    = [[Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger]]
| prev_year     = 1967
| next_title    = [[The Easy Part's Over]]
| next_year     = 1968
}}
'''"The Day the World Stood Still"''' is a song written by Jerry Foster and [[Bill Rice]], and recorded by American [[country music]] artist [[Charley Pride]]. It was released in December 1967 as the second single from the album ''[[The Country Way]]''. The song was Pride's sixth single and his fourth major hit as a recording artist.
==Background and content==
Under the supervision and guidance of [[Jack Clement]], Charley Pride became country music's first commercially-successful African-American recording artist. With his first two singles failing to become successful, Pride finally had his first major hit in 1967 with "[[Just Between You and Me (Charley Pride song)|Just Between You and Me]]." He would have several more top ten hits that followed this hit, including "The Day the World Stood Still."<ref name="Allmusic Bio">{{cite web |last1=Vinopal |first1=David |title=Charley Pride: Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charley-pride-mn0000165818/biography |website=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref> The song was co-written by songwriters Jerry Foster and [[Bill Rice]]. The song was recorded on July 31, 1967 at the RCA Victor Studio. Two additional tracks were also recorded at the same session, including "Crystal Chandeliers." Jack Clement co-produced the song with Chet Atkins and Felton Jarvis.<ref name="Liner Notes">{{cite journal |last1=Pride |first1=Charlie |title="The Day the World Stood Still"/"Gone, on the Other Hand" (Vinyl Single Insert Information) |journal=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor Records]] |date=December 1967}}</ref>
==Release and reception==
"The Day the World Stood Still" was released as a single via RCA Victor Records in December 1967. It was Pride's sixth single released in his music career.<ref name="Billboard Singles">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc.|year=2008|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> It spent a total of 17 weeks on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Country Songs]] chart and peaked at number four on the list in March 1968.<ref>{{cite magazine |title="The Day the World Stood Still" chart history |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/charley-pride/chart-history/csi/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref> The song was Pride's fourth major hit and fourth top ten hit in a row.<ref name="Billboard Singles"/> In addition, it also became a hit in Canada, reaching number five on the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Country Singles chart in 1967.<ref name="RPM Country Songs">{{cite web |title=Search results for "Charley Pride" under Country Singles |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=Charley+Pride&ChartEn=Country+Singles& |website=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref> It was later released on Pride's 1967 studio album on RCA titled ''[[The Country Way]].''<ref name="Allmusic"/>
==Track listings==
'''7" vinyl single'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Charley Pride -- "The Day the World Stood Still" (1967, Single) |url=https://www.discogs.com/Charley-Pride-The-Day-The-World-Stood-Still/release/11970058 |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref>
* "The Day the World Stood Still" – 2:30
* "Gone, on the Other Hand" – 2:29
==Chart performance==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1967–1968)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
! scope="row"| Canada Country Songs (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref name="RPM Country Songs"/>
| 5
|-
{{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|4|artist=Charley Pride|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 24, 2020}}
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day the World Stood Still}}
{{Charley Pride singles}}
[[Category:1967 singles]]
[[Category:1967 songs]]
[[Category:Charley Pride songs]]
[[Category:RCA Victor singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Clement]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chet Atkins]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Felton Jarvis]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jerry Foster]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bill Rice]]