Blanket on the Ground
{{Short description|1975 song}}
{{For|the album|Blanket on the Ground (album)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Blanket on the Ground
| cover = Blanket_on_the_Ground_-_Billie_Jo_Spears.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Billie Jo Spears
| album = Blanket on the Ground
| B-side = Come on Home
| released = January 1975
| recorded = 1974
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 3:23
| label = United Artists
| writer = Roger Bowling
| producer = Larry Butler
| prev_title = See the Funny Little Clown
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = Stay Away from the Apple Tree
| next_year = 1975
}}
"Blanket on the Ground" is a song written by Roger Bowling and recorded by American country music singer Billie Jo Spears. It was released in February 1975 as the second single and title track from the album Blanket on the Ground. Irish born singer Philomena Begley covered the song as the lead single from her 1975 LP of the same name. The single was released on August 4, 1975, in Ireland and August 6, 1975, in the United Kingdom reaching number 1 and number 4 in Ireland and the UK respectively.
Content
The song is sung from the point of view of a middle-aged woman who coaxes her hesitant husband outdoors to make love in the moonlight.{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits|last=Roland |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Roland |year=1991 |publisher=Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York |page=62}}
Chart performance
The song reached #1 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Country Singles chart,{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=327}} and #78 on the Hot 100 pop charts. In the United Kingdom, the song reached #6 on the pop charts.
{{col-begin|width=67%}}
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=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1975)
!Peak |
|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=286}}
| style="text-align:center;"|20 |
| {{singlechart|Austria|15|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| {{singlechart|Flanders|21|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| {{singlechart|Wallonia|50|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks
| style="text-align:center;"|2 |
| {{singlechart|Ireland2|11|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=November 3, 2018}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch40|13|year=1975|week=38|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|15|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| {{singlechart|New Zealand|11|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| South Africa{{Cite web|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(A-B).html|title = South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Songs (A-B)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|15 |
| {{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|6|artist=Billie Jo Spears|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=790}}
| style="text-align:center;"|78 |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Billie Jo Spears}} |
| {{singlechart|West Germany|39|songid=10424|artist=Billie Jo Spears|song=Blanket on the Ground|accessdate=August 7, 2021}} |
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=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Philomena Begley version
{{Infobox song
| name = Blanket On The Ground
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Philomena Begley
| album = Blanket On The Ground
| released = August 4, 1975
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 3:51
| label = Sony Music Ireland
| writer = Roger Bowling
| producer = Nigel Wright
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"Blanket On The Ground" was covered by Country music artist Philomena Begley as the lead single from her 1975 LP of the same name. The single was released on August 4, 1975, in Ireland and August 6, 1975, in the United Kingdom. The LP was re-released on CD in 1988.
Background
Begley's cover took her to number five in the Irish chart.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=209}} Spears also released the song in the United Kingdom and in Ireland at the same time as Begley, but Begley's version received the highest sales, as Spears' version only went to number 11.{{cite web|url=http://www.iangallagher.com/philomenabegley.html |title=Philomenabegley |website=Iangallagher.com |access-date=August 12, 2013}} Begley occasionally performed the song with Spears and later recorded a tribute song to her after the American star's death in 2011. Begley's edition has been re-recorded a number of times since and is featured on her 'Greatest Hits' album.
=Chart performance=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1975)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Ireland|1|artist=|Philomena Begley song= Blanket On The Ground|week=23|year=1985}} |
| UK Chart{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/20110403/7502/ |title=2011-04-09 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive |publisher=Official Charts Company |date=April 9, 2011 |access-date=March 1, 2012 }}
| style="text-align:center;"|4 |