Pancho & Lefty was recorded in November 1982 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Spicewood, Texas, and produced by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Chips Moman. Epic issued it as FE 37958. The US label carries a 1982 copyright date, and a Canadian pressing is date-coded January 1983. Original copies spell the title “Poncho & Lefty” on the cover and label; later pressings correct it.
The title song, by Townes Van Zandt, was the last piece to arrive. In the Van Zandt documentary Be Here to Love Me, Nelson recalls that the album was nearly finished but lacked a big song for a single, until his daughter Lana suggested “Pancho and Lefty.” Neither he nor Haggard had heard it. Nelson cut it with his band that night, and Haggard, who had gone to sleep on his bus, was fetched to sing his part. Nelson takes the lead vocal, with Haggard on the last verse. Praguefrank’s session listing for the date, 9 November 1982, names Grady Martin, Reggie Young, Johnny Christopher, Moman and Lewis Talley on guitars, Mike Leech on bass, Johnny Gimble on violin and mandolin, and Bobby Emmons and Bobby Wood on keyboards. Discogs also credits Gene Chrisman on drums, Don Markham on saxophone and Mickey Raphael on harmonica.
“Pancho and Lefty” reached number one on the Billboard country singles chart in the week of 23 July 1983. The second single, Haggard’s own “Reasons to Quit,” peaked at number six. The album went to number one on the Top Country Albums chart on 9 April 1983 and spent eight weeks there in all that year, and it reached number 37 on the Billboard 200. Haggard and Nelson made a second album together, Seashores of Old Mexico, in 1987.
Tracklist
- 1 Pancho and Lefty alt version 4:47
- 2 It's My Lazy Day 2:49
- 3 My Mary 3:17
- 4 Half a Man 4:12
- 5 Reasons to Quit 3:32
- 6 No Reason to Quit 3:15
- 7 Still Water Runs the Deepest 2:45
- 8 My Life's Been a Pleasure 3:24
- 9 All the Soft Places to Fall 3:33
- 10 Opportunity to Cry 3:58
