"Double S" is a song written by Bill Anderson and

Buddy Killen William Doyce “Buddy” Killen (November 13, 1932 – November 1, 2006) was an American record producer and Music publisher (popular music), music publisher, and a former owner of Trinity Broadcasting Network and Tree International Publishi ...

. It was first recorded by its co-writer and 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 1978 via

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

and became top 40 hit single.

Background and release

"Double S" was recorded in August 1978 at

Bradley's Barn Bradley's Barn was a music recording studio founded in the mid-1960s by Owen Bradley. The studio was built in a converted barn on farmland in the Nashville suburb of Mount Juliet, and was the site of numerous notable recordings by artists includ ...

studio in

Mount Juliet, Tennessee Mt. Juliet (also referred to as Mount Juliet) is a city located in western Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. A suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is approximately east of downtown Nashville. Mt. Juliet is located mostly between ...

. The session was produced by

, who had recently become Anderson's producer after many years of working with

Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician, bandleader and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was a chief architect of the 1950s and 60s Nashville sou ...

. Killen would continue producing Anderson until his departure from MCA Records. The studio session for the song included the recording of its B-side entitled, "Married Lady." "Double S" was released as a single by MCA Records in October 1978. The song spent nine 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 Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

before reaching number 30 in December 1979. It was among Anderson's final top 40 singles of his career. It was also his first single to not become a major hit since 1975. In Canada, the single only reached number 43 on the RPM Country Songs chart in 1978. It was first released on his 1979 studio album, '' Ladies Choice''.

Track listings

7" vinyl single * "Double S" – 6:22 * "Married Lady" – 4:20

Chart performance

References

{{authority control 1978 singles 1978 songs Bill Anderson (singer) songs MCA Records singles Songs written by Bill Anderson (singer) Songs written by Buddy Killen