ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Narvel Felts

(born (Nov. 11, 1938)

Career Highlights

Barn Dance Affiliate: Louisiana Hayride

Grand Ole Opry

Film, Night Club, Radio & TV

• Austin City Limits, 4
• Billy Bob's Texas, 2
• Ernest Tubb’s  Midnight Jamboree, 3
• Gilley’s Club, 2
• Hee Haw, 4
• Nashville Now, 4
• Pop Goes the Country, 4 

1-Film, 2-Night Club, 3-Radio, 4-TV 

Billboard Chart Data 

• No. 1 Singles: 0
• Top-20 Singles:11
• Crossover Singles: 0
• Charted Singles: 42
• Chart Years Active: (1973-1987)

Career Labels:

• Cinnamon Records (1973-1974)
• ABC/Dot Records (19741977)
• ABC Records (1978-1979
• MCA Records (1979)

Billboard Top-20 Singles

1. Drift Away -1973
2. All in the Name of Love
3. When Your Good Love Was Mine -1974
4. Reconsider Me* -1975
5. Funny How Time Slips Away
6. Somebody Hold Me (Until She Passes By)
7. Lonely Teardrops -1976
8. My Prayer
9. My Good Thing's Gone
10. The Feeling's Right -1977
11. Ever Lasting Love -1979

*-Biggest Chart Single

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reconsider Me: The Narvel Felts Story

Narvel Felts, who was born in Keiser,Arkansas enjoyed his greatest success during the 1970s. Raised inMissouri where he attendedBernieHigh School, Felts was discovered during a talent show at the school. He had been encouraged to participate in the show by some of his classmates, and it just so happened that a talent agent was attending the performance at the time.

Felts made his first professional recording at the age of 16. Marvel launched his career with the help of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Felts enjoyed modest pop success in 1960 with a remake of the Drifters "Honey Love." However, it wasn't until the 1970s when he began experiencing moderate success on a national level as a country singer.

Felts broke into the national spotlight in 1973, with a cover of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" (No. 8, 1973). His follow-up single, "All in the Name of Love," just missed breaking into the top–ten. Felts continued to produce moderate chart activity during the next couple of years when he recorded for ABC-Dot Records.

That year, he charted his biggest hit with "Reconsider Me," which topped out at number 2 on Billboard. Felts became known to his fans as "Narvel the Marvel." A series of moderate chart activity carried him through the 1970s, including "Funny How Time Slips Away" (No. 12, 1975), "Lonely Teardrops" (No. 5, 1976) and “Everlasting Love" (No. 14, 1979).

It’s perplexing that Felts didn’t achieve greater chart success. He had a very distinct voice and certainly wasn’t lacking in talent. He was also with a major label (ABC/DOT, MCA). It’s possible that competition was his demise, although looking through his song catalog, very good songs. Country music was a very crowded and completive field during the 1970s. Some were seasoned artists from the 1960s and others were aspiring newcomers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Narvel Felts Complete Album Discography

The following is a list of albums that Narvel Felts recorded during the years (1973 – 1975), when he placed singles on the Billboard chart.

Cinnamon (1973):

1973: “Drift Away” CIN-5000: Drift Away(No. 8), Come Early Morning, There's More To Love Than Meets The Eye, Tilted Cup Of Love, 12th Of Never, All In The Name Of Love (No. 13), Raindrops, Before You Have To Go, Rockin' Little Angel, Foggy Misty Morning

1973: “When Your Good Love Was Mine” CIN-5002: When Your Good Love Was Mine (No. 14), Fraulein, Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms, My Part Of Forever (Is All I Can Give), Restless Wind, We'll Have Our Day Someday, She Loves Me Like A Rock, I Can Wrap My Arms Around The World, Look Homeward Angel, Bitter And The Sweet. 

ABC/DOT (1975 – 1979)

1975: “Narvel Felts” Dot DOSD-2025: Reconsider Me (No. 2), Blue Darlin', Slip Away, Let My Fingers Do The Walking, I Remember You, I May Never Get To Heaven, Honey Love, Gone, No One Knows, Guess Who, Funny How Time Slips Away (No. 12)

1975: “Narvel the Marvel” Dot DOSD-2033: Somebody Hold Me (Until She Passes By) (No. 1), Lonely Teardrops(No. 5), Baby Warm, Blue Darlin', I'm Afraid To Be Alone, End, Don't Worry Bout Me, Band Of Gold, Blue Suede Shoes, I Just Had You On My Mind, Away

1975: “Greatest Hits” Dot DOSD-2036: Drift Away, Before You Have To Go, I Want To Stay(No. 26), Fraulein, Raindrops (No. 33), When Your Good Love Was Mine, Foggy Misty Morning, Look Homeward Angel, She Loves Me Like A Rock, (I Can) Wrap My Arms Around The World, All In The Name Of Love

1976: Doin’ What I Feel, Dot DOSD-2065: My Prayer(No. 14), My Good Thing's Gone, Oh Boy, I'm Getting High Remembering, Me, Once The Magic Is Gone, Lonely Kind Of Love, Moments To Remember/Blueberry Hill/I Don't Hurt Anymore/Don't Worry Bout Me, If Ever Two Were One, Garden Of Eden, Compliments Of My Heart

1977: The Touch of Felts, Dot DO-2070: Just For Me, Warm And Tender Love, Empty Chair, Remember, I Don't Hurt Anymore, Feelin's Right, Somewhere Between Laughs And Tears, Stand By Me, Another Crazy Dream, When We Were Together

1977: Narvel, Dot DO-2095: Please, I Will,SeaOfLove, Why, I Wish I Could Dream Forever, To Love Somebody (No. 22), Runaway (No. 3), Free, Never A Night Goes By, Blue Darlin' (No. 34)

1978: Inside Love, ABC AY-1080: Magic Moments, In The Still Of The Night, Love Won't Come My Way Again, Easy, Do You Want To Fly, Half Heaven Half Heartache, Save Me For The Last, Just Keep It Up And See What Happens (No. 31), Lie To Me, That All Over Feeling

1979: One Run For the Roses, ABC AY-1115: One Run For The Roses (No. 26), Everlasting Love (No. 14), In The Still Of The Night, You Got Your Troubles, You're A Heartbreaker, Slip Away, Let's Get Back On The Lovin' Tracks, Small Enough To Crawl, Stirrin' Up Feelin's, Never Again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, written and compiled by Richard Bell. Roots of Country Music. Oct. 15, 2009.