Customer Reviews

Proper Introduction to Tennessee Ernie Ford: Rock

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To assign 3 stars to a CD because it doesn't contain a particular song does not fit the spirit of the intent of the review system. First of all, this large series from Proper Records of the U.K., each containing the heading "A Proper Introduction To," does not lay claim to being a greatest hits compilation. Secondly, a scan of the contents would have revealed that this "introduction" to Ford covers his earliest hits (14 of them) for Capitol from 1949 to 1953 when he was billed simply as Tennessee Ernie, and that Sixteen Tons was not among them.

This generous 30-track volume covering The Old Pea Picker, Tennessee Ernie Ford (born in Fordtown, Tennessee on February 13, 1919) delivers 13 of his first 14 hits along with all but 4 of their B-sides, and is presented in a fold-out cardboard jewel case containing two pages of background information written in October 2003 by Adam Kamorowski and, with the exception of the final track which shows only the Capitol label number, a complete discography of the contents, including the musicians involved. The sound quality is excellent

He first hit the charts in April 1949 with Tennessee Border which made it to # 8 on what then passed for the Country charts b/w I Got The Milk 'Em In The Morning Blues on Capitol 15400. Shortly thereafter he had Country Junction top out at # 14 in May b/w Philadelphia Lawyer on Capitol 15430, followed in September by Smokey Mountain Boogie, which also hit # 8 b/w You'll Find Her Name Written There (one of the B-sides omitted) on Capitol 40212.

Then, in November/December came the smash Mule Train which rose to # 1 and stayed there for 4 weeks and also became his first Pop cross-over when it reached # 9 b/w Anticipation Blues, itself a # 3 Country, on Capitol 40258. That success continued into 1950 when The Cry Of The Wild Goose got to # 2 Country/# 19 Pop in March b/w The Donkey Serenade (not here) on Capitol F40280.

Later that summer he then paired with Capitol's premier female Pop vocalist, Kay Starr, to take I'll Never Be Free to # 2 Country/# 3 Pop on Capitol F1124 b/w Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own, also with Kay, which hit # 5 Country# 22 Pop. He then closed out 1950 with a blast, taking Shotgun Boogie to # 1 Country, where it stayed for 14 weeks, as well as # 14 Pop on Capitol F1295 b/w I Ain't Gonna Let It Happen No More.

Early in 1951 he then paired with Joe "Fingers" Carr (real name Lou Busch) for Tailor Made Woman, a # 8 Country b/w Stack-O-Lee (not here) on Capitol F1349, and later in June his version of Mr. And Mississippi reached # 2 Country/# 18 Pop on Capitol F1521 b/w She's My Baby. This volume then skips over both sides of his next hit, The Strange Little Girl, which peaked at # 9 Country in June on Capitol F1470 b/w Kentucky Waltz.

But they do provide his next two, although not their flipsides, as Blackberry Boogie got to # 6 Country in September 1952 b/w Tennessee Local on Capitol F2170, and Hey, Mr. Cotton Picker made # 8 Country in June 1953 b/w Three Things (A Man Must Do) on Capitol 2443.

Also here are the failed singles Cincinnati Dancing Pig/Bright Lights And Blond Haired Women (Capitol 1174 in 1950), I Don't Know (Capitol 2338 in 1952) - the flip, Sweet Temptation, is omitted - You're My Sugar - duet with Kay Starr (Capitol 1567 in 1951) - the flip Oceans Of Tears is omitted, Rock City Boogie/Streamlined Cannonball (Capitol 1911 in 1952) and Kissin' Bug Boogie/Woman Is A Five Letter World (Capitol 1775 in 1961) - both with The Dinning Sisters, Hey Good Lookin'/Cool Cool Kisses - duets with Helen O'Connell (Capitol 1809 in 1951), I'm Hog Tied Over You - duet with Ella Mae Morse (Capitol 2215 in 1952) - the flip False Hearted Girl is omitted, and Catfish Boogie (Capitol 2602 in 1953) - the flip Kiss Me Big is left out.

Just an excellent compilation covering this Country Music Hall Of Fame member (inducted in 1990) who passed away at age 72 on October 17, 1991.

Other CDs offered by Proper in this series include the likes of Julia Lee, Howlin' Wolf, Peggy Lee, Little Walter, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. Giants of their various genres all, and if the sound quality is as good as this one, they will be gems I'm sure.

Someone must have the rights to his greatest song tied up! I've checked out 5 "greatest hits" collections, none of which have this, his most well known song.