Even though his hit-making ability was seemingly at a standstill, Schneider was unwilling to throw in the towel, and he secured the services of one of Nashville’s top producers, Jimmy Bowen, who had just ended his association with Warner Brothers Records. John planned to record and release a new album, paying for it out of his own pocket, but frustration mounted when Music City’s publishers repeatedly pitched him songs in the same vein as “It’s Now Or Never.” Going through demo after demo at Welk Music, John finally told company rep Bob Kirsch to play him a song that he personally liked, but felt it wasn’t suited for Schneider. Kirsch pulled out an eight-year-old song called “I’ve Been Around Enough To Know,” and John immediately decided to record it.
Jo-El Sonnier had originally cut a Cajun version of “I’ve Been Around Enough To Know,” partly translated into French, for Mercury in 1975 and writers Dickey Lee and Bob McDill had given up hope of it ever being recorded again. When Bowen arrived at MCA, he had John’s first single for the label released in a most unusual manner. Realizing Schneider’s teen-idol image, MCA shipped copies to the nation’s 75 most-important country radio stations with no identification on the record. Only three programmers recognized Schneider – many thought it was George Strait – but they all committed to play it. “I’ve Been Around Enough To Know” required a longer-than-normal sixteen weeks to reach #1 on November 10, 1984, but it brought Schneider a new respectability in the process.