Kenny Rogers & The First Edition – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)

Song

"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" is a counterculture era song written by Mickey Newbury and, in 1968, a chart hit for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Said to reflect the LSD experience, the song was intended to be a warning about the dangers of using the drug.

First recorded on October 10, 1967, by Teddy Hill & the Southern Soul as a single on Rice Records (Rice 5028 b/w "Stagger Lee") and produced by Norro Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewiscovered the song on his album Soul My Way released November 1, 1967.

"Just Dropped In ..." by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (with KennyRogers on lead vocals) peaked at number five on the Billboard charts. It was Rogers' first top ten hit. The song captures the short-lived psychedelic era of the late 1960s, stands apart from the country folk harmonies that characterized most of the First Edition's catalog, and got the group their first national TV audience on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

It was the group's second single from their eponymous album, The First Edition. Producer Mike Post reversed a few riffs to create the intro; the solo played by Glen Campbell was heavily compressed and a tremolo effect was used to achieve its sound. Another studio guitarist, Mike Deasy, provided the acoustic lead guitar parts.

Recorded by Jimmy Valentine at "Valentine Recording Studios" located in Valley Village California.

When Rogers signed with United Artists Records, in the mid-1970s after the group split, he re-recorded the track for his Ten Years of Gold album.

Album

The First Edition is the debut studio album by the group The First Edition. Kenny Rogers sang the lead vocals on two tracks "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" and "Dream On".

"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" became the only hit single from the album and marked the start of things to come, with Rogers soon becoming the lead singer of the group and the group being renamed "Kenny Rogers & The First Edition".

This album was re-issued as a 180 Gram Limited Edition by Golden Lane records in 2010 (as # CLP-LP-1822) While the cover art and back art is exactly the same as the original Reprise record, the record itself is poor quality, and the inner sleeve has the original Alcoa Aluminum sweepstakes ad, on one side, but on the reverse side it has an updated Biography of The First Edition written by Dave Thompson.

The producer of this album (and also the band's second and third albums), Mike Post gained later renown for the theme music for many TV dramas such as Hill Street Blues, Magnum, P.I., Law & Order and others.

Artist

Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, sometimes billed as The First Edition, was an eclectic pop band whose styles ranged from rock and roll to R&B, folk, and country.

Its core members were Kenny Rogers (lead vocals and bass guitar), Mickey Jones (drums and percussion) and Terry Williams (guitar and vocals). The band formed in 1967, with folk musician Mike Settle (guitar and backing vocals) and the operatically-trained Thelma Camacho (lead vocals) completing the lineup.

As the 1960s counterculture was heating up, The First Edition signed with Reprise Records in the summer of 1967 and had its first big hit in early 1968 with the pop-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (US No. 5).

After only one more chart hit, "But You Know I Love You" (US No. 19), the group, newly billed as "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition", once again hit the top ten, this time in the summer of 1969 with the topical "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" (US No. 6, UK No.2).

For the next six years, First Edition bounced between country rock, pop and psychedelic rock, enjoying worldwide success. By the mid 1970s, frontman Kenny Rogers would embark on a solo music career, becoming one of the top-selling country artists of all time.

Si, si, oh si
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Mi sono svegliato questo mattino
Con il tramonto scintillante
Ho trovato la mia mente dentro
Un sacchetto di carta marrone, ma poi
Sono inciampato su una nuvola
E cadde a un massimo di otto miglia
Mi sono dilaniato in un cielo frastagliato
Sono appena entrato per vedere
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Si, si, oh si
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Ho spinto la mia anima in un buco nero profondo
E poi l'ho seguito
Mi guardai strisciare fuori
Mentre stavo cercando di entrare
Mi sono alzato così stretto che non potevo rilassarmi
Ho visto così tanto che mi sono rotto la testa
Sono appena entrato per vedere
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Si, si, oh si
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Qualcuno ha dipinto il pesce d'aprile
In grandi lettere nere su un cartello senza uscita
Ho avuto il piede sul gas
Come ho lasciato la strada
E ho distrutto la mia mente
Otto miglia da Memphis
E non ho niente di ricambio
Otto miglia verso l'alto
Downtown da qualche parte
Sono appena entrato per vedere
In che condizioni era la mia condizione

Ho detto che sono appena entrato per vedere
In che condizioni era la mia condizione
Si, si, oh si