Recorded 1964 Length 2:18 Writer(s) Ian Tyson | Genre Western Label Vanguard Language English | |
"Someday Soon" is a song composed by Canadian singer/songwriter Ian Tyson. He recorded the song with his wife, Sylvia Tyson, as the duo Ian & Sylvia in 1964. Although this version was not released as a single, the song has been recorded by Judy Collins, Moe Bandy and Suzy Bogguss, all of whom had chart success with it. Collins's version was issued as a single to the pop format, while Bandy's and Bogguss's versions were hit singles on country music radio.
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The song has also been recorded by the Kingston Trio in its 1965 Decca album The Kingston Trio (Nick-Bob-John), Tanya Tucker on her 1975 eponymous LP, Crystal Gayle, on her popular 1978 album When I Dream, the Canadian alternative country band One Hundred Dollars, on their 2008 album Forest Of Tears, and Lynn Anderson on her 1970 album "Stay There Till I Get There".
Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Ian & Sylvia's original recording
Ian Tyson first recorded this song while married to, and musical partner with, Sylvia Tyson in 1964 on the album Northern Journey. Of Ian Tyson, Richie Unterberger described this version as "clearly point[ing] toward his future C&W/cowboy direction."
Judy Collins version
In 1969, Judy Collins recorded the song for her album Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Released as a single in 1969, it spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #55. In Canada, her version reached #37 on the Top Singles chart published by RPM.
Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic described Collins's rendition favorably, calling it "one of the great story-songs of the 1960s" and praising Collins's vocals.
Moe Bandy version
In 1982, country music singer Moe Bandy covered the song on his album Rodeo Romeo for Columbia Records. It was the second and final single from that album. This version entered the country music charts in the U.S. and Canada, respectively reaching #21 and #36.
Suzy Bogguss version
Suzy Bogguss charted a recording of the song in 1991, from her album Aces on Liberty Records. It was released in September as the first single from that album, spending twenty weeks on the country singles charts and peaking at #12. The song also reached #16 on the RPM Country Tracks charts.
Bryan Buss of Allmusic described Bogguss's rendition as the "second strongest cut" on Aces, saying that her vocal performance "makes Bogguss an artist and not just a vocalist."