Unveiling the Tale Behind The Kendalls‘ Country Classic: “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away”
Prepare to journey back to 1977, where Royce and Jeannie Kendall, the country music duo, hit the jackpot with their chart-topping hit, “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away.” This monumental record was born from an album crafted in the blink of an eye. They walked into the recording studio with their material in hand and, astonishingly, finished the LP in just one day. They arranged three recording sessions, separated by one-hour breaks. In those brief interludes, while the band caught their breath, Royce tirelessly added extra harmony to their tracks. The following night, he and the sound engineer worked their magic to bring the final masterpiece to life. In sum, it took a mere day and night to complete this extraordinary project.
The journey to “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away” began a few months before that pivotal day. Songwriter Jerry Gillespie approached Royce and Jeannie Kendall at a Nashville recording studio with a song he believed was a perfect fit for their distinctive harmonies. However, due to being unsigned at the time, they had to bide their time. Their big break came when they were signed by the Ovation label, and they earmarked “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away” for their debut recording with the label. Royce, with his keen ear for music, sensed the song’s “catchy” melody, a sign that it could captivate audiences and become a hit. During the recording session, Ron Oates, the keyboard player, suggested adding a funky clavinet, which would later become a signature sound in the Kendalls‘ future releases.
Surprisingly, Ovation Records didn’t see the potential in “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away” as a hit. Instead, they chose a cover of Kitty Wells’ 1955 classic, “Making Believe,” as the album’s lead single. Unfortunately, around the same time, Emmylou Harris released her own version of the song, extinguishing any hopes for The Kendalls. The label then moved forward with “Live And Let Live” as a second single, relegating “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away” to the B-side. However, many radio stations began flipping the record over, recognizing the magic of “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away.” Ovation quickly realized the potential and started promoting the song. On August 6, 1977, the song made its debut on Billboard’s country singles chart at a modest #77. Fast forward nine weeks to October 8th, and the song began an impressive one-month reign at the top, despite its daring “cheatin'” theme. Remarkably, the song also found its way onto many gospel radio stations, where it gained substantial airplay. It seems the programmers at these stations missed the song’s lyrical content, and one can only imagine the surprised reactions from their listeners!
The year 1978 brought a wave of accolades for the Kendalls. “Heaven’s Just A Sin Away” clinched a Grammy award and the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year honor. Fast forward to November 30, 1982, and the album that Royce and Jeannie Kendall recorded in a single day was certified gold, having sold an impressive 500,000 units.
Album: Heaven’s Just a Sin Away
Artist: The Kendalls
Released: 1977
Awards: Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year
Lyrics
Heaven’s just a sin away, oh-whoa, just a sin away
I can’t wait another day, I think I’m giving in
I love to hold you tight, oh-whoa, be with you tonight
But that still won’t make it right ’cause I belong to him
Oh, way down deep inside, I know that it’s all wrong
Your eyes keep tempting me and I never was that strong
Devil’s got me now, oh-whoa, gone and got me now
I can’t fight him anyhow, I think he’s gonna win
Heaven’s just a sin away, oh-whoa, just a sin away
Heaven help me when I say I think I’m giving in
Oh, way down deep inside, I know that it’s all wrong
Your eyes keep tempting me and I never was that strong
Devil’s got me now, oh-whoa, gone and got me now
I can’t fight him anyhow, I think he’s gonna win
Heaven’s just a sin away, oh-whoa, just a sin away
Heaven help me when I say I think I’m giving in
Heaven’s just a sin away, oh-whoa, just a sin away
I can’t wait another day, I think I’m giving in
I love to hold you tight, oh-whoa, be with you tonight
But that still won’t make it right ’cause I belong to him
