I never knew there was such an iconic performance of George Strait singing his debut single.
And if you’ve never seen this vintage video of a baby-faced George singing “Unwound” on a boat, today is your lucky day.
Written by Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus, the song was released in 1981 as George’s major label debut single and the lead single from his debut album Strait Country.
It was originally written for Johnny Paycheck, but he was in jail at the time, so it ended up falling in The King’s lap, ultimately launching his legendary career. It peaked at #6 on U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and became his first top-10 hit.
This specific video is actually from a show called Nashville On The Road that ran from 1975 to 1983, where they would film country artists performing at amusement and theme parks throughout North America. This footage of George was filmed in Florida.
You really have to be a hell of a performer to be floating on a boat, bobbing up and down in a cowboy hat, jeans and boots and still keep it all together with perfect vocals.
From floating on boats to selling out stadiums… here’s to the King.
The studio version:
