"Dead or Alive" is a song written and recorded by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

singer-songwriter

Bill Anderson James William Anderson III (born November 1, 1937) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television host. His soft-spoken singing voice earned him the nickname "Whispering Bill" from music critics and writers. As a songwriter, hi ...

. It was released as a single in October 1959 via

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

and became a major hit.

Background and release

"Dead or Alive" was recorded in September 1959 at the

Bradley Studios Quonset Hut Studio is the nickname given to Bradley Studios, an independent recording studio complex established in 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee by brothers Harold and Owen Bradley. The first commercial recording studio facility in what would la ...

, located in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. The sessions were produced by Owen Bradley, who would serve as Anderson's producer through most of years with Decca Records. "Dead or Alive" was released as a single by Decca Records in October 1959. It spent a total of eight weeks on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Hot Country and Western Sides chart before reaching number 19 in February 1960. It was Anderson's third chart hit and third major hit as a recording artist. The song was not issued on a proper album following its release.

Track listings

7" vinyl single * "Dead or Alive" – 2:35 * "It's Not the End of Everything" – 2:37

Chart performance

References

{{authority control 1959 singles 1959 songs Bill Anderson (singer) songs Decca Records singles Song recordings produced by Owen Bradley Songs written by Bill Anderson (singer)