7. “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” Freddy Fender (#8, 1975)
Freddy Fender’s trademark tune initially became a regional hit in 1959, artfully combining rockabilly, blues, and conjunto torch song sensibilities into a new genre that became known as Tex-Mex. In 1975, following the success of “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” a new, country-flavored recording of “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” became Fender’s second straight No. 1 hit on the country charts and a No. 8 hit on the pop charts.
This article appears in November 8 • 2002.
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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.
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