Billie Jo Spears – Blanket On The Ground

“Blanket on the Ground”, a song written by Roger Bowling, was recorded by Billie Jo Spears for the United Artists label, was recorded on November 4, 1974, at American Studios, 1111 17th Ave. South, Nashville, TN, Billie Jo She was accompanied in the recording session of the album by: Bill Sanford (guitar), Jim Colvard (guitar), Jimmy Caps (guitar), Ed Bruce (guitar), Pete Drake (steel), Tommy Allsup (bass guitar), Larry Butler, Bob Moore and Henry Strzelecki (bass), Buddy Harman and Kenny Malone (drums) and The Jordanaires (Background vocals). With the production of Larry Butler, the song was released in January 1975, on April 26, 1975, reached # 1 of the US Hot Country Songs charts, remaining a total of 17 weeks in the charts. On Canadian RPM Country Tracks, it reached at # 2. It was the first and only number one in Billie Jo’s career.

The song was included in Billie Jo’s seventh studio album, Blanket on the Ground (United Artists 1975), the album was released in February 1975, on December 24, 1975, reached # 4 of the US Top Country charts Albums, remaining a total of 23 weeks in the charts.

About the song:

Many artists have a “career record”, a song which becomes so well-known that it swamps anything else they do. With Billie Jo Spears, it was her 1975 single, “Blanket on the Ground”, a song which suggested putting the romance back into a marriage. “It became controversial,” said Spears, “as many of the listeners thought I was singing ‘sleep around’ instead of ‘slip around’. The country fans thought it sounded like a cheating song, and they don’t like girls who sing cheating songs. “ With a few more plays, everyone realized what the song was about and it became an international bestseller.

Some Versions:

Jean Shepard 1975 (United Artists Records)
Patsy Powell 1975 (Folk Heritage Records)
Johnny Chester 1976 (Music for Pleasure)
Allison Durbin 1976 (Bullet Records)
Larry Butler 1977 (United Artists Records)
Stella Parton 2016 (Raptor)
Laura Aston 2018 (Legacy Records)

Miquel Batlle Garriga
mbatllegarriga@gmail.com

Billie Jo Spears – Blanket On The Ground Lyrics

Come and look out through the window
That big old moon is shinin’ down
Tell me now don’t it remind you
Of a blanket on the ground

Remember back when love first found us
We’d go slippin’ out of town
And we’d love beneath the moonlight
On a blanket on the ground

I’ll get the blanket from the bedroom
And we’ll go walkin’ once again
To that spot down by the river
Where our sweet love first began

Just because we are married
Don’t mean we can’t slip around
So let’s walk out through the moonlight
And lay the blanket on the ground

Oh, remember how excited
We used to get when love was young
That old moon was our best buddy
We couldn’t wait for night to come

Now you know you still excite me
I know you love me like I am
Just once more I wish you’d love me
On the blanket on the ground

I’ll get the blanket from the bedroom
And we’ll go walkin’ once again
To that spot down by the river
Where our sweet love first began

Just because we are married
Don’t mean we can’t slip around
So let’s walk out through the moonlight
And lay the blanket on the ground

Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Do do do do do do