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I'm Little But I'm Loud: The Little Jimmy Dickens Collection

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Imagine! Little Jimmy Dickens was added to the roster of the Grand Ole Opry way back in 1948. What is even more incredible is that at that point he had absolutely no background as a recording artist! Instead of recording, Little Jimmy Dickens had been plying his trade on the radio and doing live shows. Dickens had become acquainted with Roy Acuff in 1945 and while on a talent search in 1948 Acuff invited Dickens to come to Nashville and perform at the Opry. And the rest as they say is history. Little Jimmy Dickens, affectionately dubbed "Tater" more than a half century ago by his good friend Hank Williams Sr. has been wowing 'em at the Opry on and off for the past 56 years. He continues to delight Opry audiences even to this day.
Throughout his long career Little Jimmy Dickens was never a particularly prolific recording artist. The record shows that he managed a total of 19 appearances on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart between 1949 and 1972. This collection from Razor and Tie offers a real nice overview of this mans wonderful career. Of course you'll hear the biggest hits like 1949's "Country Boy" as well as "Hillbilly Fever" and my personal favorite "Out Behind The Barn". That one is clearly one of the best country tunes of all time!! Also included is Dickens improbable 1965 comeback hit "May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" which not only became a #1 country hit but quite inexpicably also rose to #15 on the pop charts. Other notable selections on this disc include "It May Be Silly (But Ain't It Fun)", the title tune "I'm Little But I'm Loud" and 1967's "Country Music Lover". This was the first CD I have purchased on the Razor & Tie label and I was very pleased to find a well notated 12 page booklet included. Little Jimmy Dickens was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983. He created his own little niche and occupies a very special place in the history of country music. Good for him!

When you see him guesting on the Grand Ole Opry it's hard to believe that James Cecil Dickens is really 83 years old [he turns 84 on December 19]. He is still as energetic as ever, singing his comedy-tinged tunes and playing a guitar that looks more like a bass fiddle in his hands.

But of all the Country Music Hall of Fame members [he was inducted in 1982], his original hit singles remain among the hardest to find in one spot. To that end the multi-disc Bear Family set comes closest, although there are items missing there too, including 1954's Out Behind The Barn, and it's just a bit expensive for something that is not complete.

This one from Razor & Tie of New York isn't too bad in that regard, but in a 22-selection compilation they also include way too many tracks that were either failed singles or which we simply do not associate with Jimmy. These would be 7 to 10 and 12 to 16, although I guess they had to include track 7 since it was their choice for the CD's title after all. But others, such as Y'All Come [Arlie Duff] and Take Me As I Come [Ray Price] are more associated with other artists, even though he did write some of them.

You do, however, get 11 of the 19 hit singles he registered between 1949 and 1972, along with one B-side, although in that instance [Life Turned Her That Way] they omit the hit A-side [He Stands Real Tall - # 21 in May 1965].

Hit first eight Columbia hits are here, beginning with the double-sided smash Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait} b/w Pennies For Papa. The A-side reached # 7 in May 1949 and the flip then charted in September, reaching # 12 - both billed to Jimmie Dickens. In between, Country Boy peaked at # 7 in July, and even as Pennies For Papa was charting, My Heart's Bouquet was on its way to # 10.

In 1950 he added two more, A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed [# 6 in February] and Hillbilly Fever [# 3 in May], then faced a 4-year drought before returning to the charts in September 1954 with Out Behind The Barn which levelled off at # 9.

Then came a long 8-year gap before he returned, still with Columbia, with one of my favourite Jimmy Dickens tunes, the mmelancholy The Violet And A Rose which reached # 10 in December 1962. Another full year would then pass before Another Bridge To Burn topped out at # 28. It seems his audience preferred to see the comical Jimmy rather than hear serious tunes, and this is borne out by the fact that his next hit didn't come until July 1965 when the above-mentioned He Stands Real Tall became yet another medium hit.

So, that October, he obliged them with one of the funniest songs ever put to record - May The Bord Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose - which not only became his best hit ever [and only # 1], but also reached # 15 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100. I always though the follow-up When The Ship Hit The Sand was just as funny, but it only made it to # 27 in MArch 1966, followed that July by Who Licked The Red Off Your Candy [# 41]. Neither of those is included here.

His last Columbia hit, however, is here. That came in May 1967 when Country Music Lover made it to # 23. On all but his first two gits for the label they had billed him as "Little" Jimmy Dickens. Moving over to Decca, they dropped the "Little" for How To Catch An African Skeeter Alive [# 69 in July 1968] and When You're Seventeen [# 55 in February 1969], but again neither is here. They do, however, include his third and last Decca hit, (You've Been Quite A Doll) Raggedy Ann, which stalled at # 75 in May 1970.

His final two hits, also as Jimmy Dickens, came for United Artists , with Everyday Family Man reaching # 70 in February 1971, and Try It, You'll Like It going to # 61 in May 1972.

As with any Razor & Tie product the sound reproduction is excellent and you do get informative liner notes. Easily the best of the North American releases as mosty of the others available offer up remakes.

OH! What can one say about Little Jimmy. So much fun. And this CD has all of the ones--and more--that he sang to us when he was up here in Anchorage (about 1960 the first time). He liked it so well, and we loved him so much, we were able to get him to come back.
He is remarkable. He remembers everyone. And he can have his back to you when you quietly aim the camera at him, and before you get it focused he has turned around with a big smile. No one told him, he just KNEW!
One of my most prized shots is of him in his "little pink pajamas" (his western outfit he wore both times he was here). I gave the picture to him and he really liked it.
I had a hard time finding his cds until someone suggested I try Amazon.com. For a lot of down-home fun you have got to listen to this cd.It'll make you laugh and your toes tickle.

Jean Flynn
Anchorage, Alaska

Little Jimmy Dickens (or as he puts it: Willie Nelson after taxes) has never received the credit he deserves for his talent. Probably this is due to the 'novelty' label that he wears (and as noted above, encourages). It's true that many of the songs in this collection are considered novelty songs. Even so, songs like "Take and old cold Tater and wait" and "Sleepin' at the foot of the bed" are meaningful to those who've lived that kind of childhood. Perhaps if you haven't, it just goes right by you and seems silly (which to some extent it is).

There is also more to Little Jimmy than comedy. He could write and sing a country ballad with the best of 'em. Just listen to tracks like "Pennies for Papa" and "My Heart's Bouquet". And the final track is one of the best tear-jerkers you'll ever hear.

It's too bad there isn't a bigger and better Little Jimmy Dickens collection out there. Until there is, this one will do

This is the CD to pick up if you want to learn about the style of Little Jimmy Dickens. Everything here is original and unlike some of the Greatest Hits LP's that abound out there on the market for collectors, this is stripped of all of the fake stereo of years past that plauged songs like "Ya'll Come" & others. This IS the only CD to own if you want the hits and/or a good intro to his music. All who buy it will enjoy.

Wednesday, September 02, 1998

Little Jimmie Dickens was an original of the 50s. He was a great showman. This country music great was also a pretty good singer.

Though most of his hits are considered novelty songs, one song "Take Me As I Am Or Let Me Go," was recorded by many great country music singer that came after Little Jimmie Dickens was no longer popular. Don Gibson had a great recording of the song, as did other country greats.

"Take an old cold tater and wait," was a song that most country boys could identify with. I was a real country boy until I was 12 years old. And my country heritage stayed with me, to a large degree. When I first heard this song on the radio in the 1950s, I enjoyed it very much. It always made you feel good when you heard the song.

"Out behind the barn," was one of Dickens largest hits. Another novelty tune that made you feel good when you listened to it. It's an upbeat song, as most of Dickens hits were.

Sleeping at the foot of the bed was another Little Jimmie Dickens tune that is a feel good song that country boys from the 1940s could identify with.

Little Jimmie Dickens did some great ballads. But he was not known for them in his own period of popularity. More than one of his ballads became standards in country music. In the 50s, Little Jimmie Dickens was never identified with his great ballads, love songs that moved you. His identity was always with his novelty songs.

The musicians on Little Jimmie Dickens Recordings were incredible talented. Grady Martin is one of the all time great Nashville Studio Guitarist who played on thousands of country music recordings that came out of Nashville in the 1950s, 60s, and on into the 1970s. Grady Martin came to Nashville when he was about 15 years old, and worked professionally as a guitarist. He is a gifted guitarist who I heard is now touring with Willie Nelson. Nashville got rid of most of the great 50s and 60s studio musicians in the 1980s, so Grady Martin had to go back on the Road Again, with Willie Nelson.

I saw Little Jimmie Dickens on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s. He made a great impression on me. As art of his band were twin guitars. His two guitarists were playing dark green Gretch Electric Guitars that were simply beautiful. I can still see those two guitars as Little Jimmie Dickens looked over at them when they took their break between verses.

If you like real country music, before Elvis came and changed everything, Little Jimmie Dickens recording is a great one to have. However, you can see in his jump tune, his fast novelty tunes, that country music was headed where Elvis would eventually take it and change music for all time.

A great recording.