Hard To Find 45s On Cd: Pop & COUNTRY CLASSICS [Audio CD]

 

 

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In this volume of Eric Records' "Hard To Find 45s..." series, are tunes that, in most instances, registered on both the pop and country charts. The emphasis is on the country here with all these tracks being top-10 with the exception of two top-15 charters and one that did not make the country charts. While some of these tunes are not strictly hard to find on CD, they provide an interesting trip through the country, and often pop, music of the late 50s right up into the 80's. Some of the standout selections here include Frank Ifield's "I Remember You", the pop-only entry here with its cleverly integrated quasi-yodeling, Bobby Edwards' "You're The Reason" and "I'm Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home", Lefty Frizell's brother David's country-only novelty chart-topper. As has come to be expected, these Eric CDs present their tracks in the best possible sound quality and in stereo whenever possible. In this volume, only tracks 1-4,6,7 are in mono. Add to this piece's musical attributes the accompanying comprehensive liner notes booklet and you have another outstanding issue in Eric Records' small but potent library of classic pop tunes on CD. This, as with the other CDs in the series, is a highly desireable addition to any collection of music of the genre.

Eric Records has quietly been returning numerous original singles to circulation with their "Hard to Find 45s on CD" series. This volume turns their focus to nineteen tracks, dating from 1957's "Gone" by Ferlin Husky, and continuing through 1983's "Baby I Lied" by Deborah Allen, that found success on both the pop and country charts. Also included are a pair of tracks (Frank Ifield's "I Remember You" and David Frizzell's "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home" that only made one chart (pop and country, respectively), but had crossover potential, and are difficult to find on CD.

Eric Records' usual attention to detail (true stereo where available, chart position and date) is supplemented by excellent liner notes by Greg Adams. The background on the bands and songs is especially enlightening for pop fans approaching songs that originated in the country realm, and vice-versa. Even more interesting is how his notes follow the arc of the music's dual absorption of country and mainstream pop influences, from the original Nashville Sound of Ferlin Husky's "Gone" through the nearly unrecognizable country influence of Sylvia's new-wave, synthesizer-based "Nobody."

Throughout there are terrific memories (check the song list!), many of which are very difficult to find elsewhere on CD (or, if found, often turn out to be other than the original 45 take or mix). Eric Records' meticulous approach to selecting masters and converting them to the digital realm, complemented by their excellent ears for selecting and organizing tracks, has resulted in a truly superb spin.

Eric Records has done it again. Just when you thought the "once-heavily played, but now completely ignored" genre has reached its acme, along comes Hard To Find 45s On CD: Pop & Country Classics.
This CD ranges in a time period from Ferlin Husky's 10-week No. 1 country smash, "Gone" in 1957 to David Frizzell's novelty, "I'm Gonna Hire A Wino (To Decorate Our Home)," which topped the C&W charts in 1982.
If you're like me (and you must be to be interested in these compilations), you have seen the sad demise of the all-inclusive Top 40 AM radio era in which I grew up. The same station, within the same hour, would play the Beatles, Martha & The Vandellas, Roger Miller, Elvis Presley, Clyde McPhatter, Lawrence Welk, Bill Anderson, The Everly Brothers, Smokey Robinson...Well, you get the point.
Today, radio has balkanized to the point that each subgroup is neatly divided and the word "crossover" has become obscene. Thank goodness Eric has the foresight and SOUL to bring wistful individuals like yours truly an opportunity to trip back through Memory Lane - for 62 minutes and 26 seconds, at least.
Some of my favorites in this collection include "I Remember You." by Frank Ifield, though not a country hit by the Austrailan crooner, is nevertheless one of my picks. Other tunes which make me smile in this compilation, the extremely-silly "Tennessee Bird Walk," Henson Cargell's country classic, "Skip A Rope," Billy Grammar's fiesty, "Gottoa Travel On," and my favorite county hit of the 1960s, "Saginaw, Michigan (how this great Lefty Frizzell number could have only reached No. 85 on the Hot 100 in January of 1964 - at the same time that Bobby Vinton's "There! I Said It Again" rule the charts - is FAR beyond my feeble ability to comprehend).
Moving into the 1970s, a weak decade for most music, Eric salvages my palatte with "Easy Loving," and the goofy, but catchy Bellamy Brothers ("Let You Love Flow") hit, "If I said You Had a Beautiful Body, etc.", the 1975 double No. 1,"Hey, Won't You Play Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song (B.J. Thomas' second chart-topper since "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"), and the great Roy Clark with his only Top 40 pop hit, "Yesterday When I Was Young."
The song from the 1980s that I most enjoy on this CD is Sylvia's C&W No. 1, "Nobody," which also broke into the pop top 15.
All told, I can, again, give an unqualified thumbs up and five stars to Eric's latest compilation, with a fevered hope for many, many more to come.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove of hard to find country classics
This 21 track compilation features tracks that have all been hits on the pop and country charts at the same time with these exceptions: the David Frizzell honky tonkin' "I'm... Read more

Published on Jun 26 2002 by Bradley Olson

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great set of tough to find oldies
After several outstanding earlier volumes covering the 50s and 60s (plus two discs devoted to instrumental favorites) the great folks at Eric Records have come up with another... Read more

Published on Jun 25 2002 by S. Paradoa

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