Tennessee Ernie Ford featuring Billy Strange & Glen Campbell: Classic Trio Albums, 1964 & 1975
Although he was born in Bristol, Tennessee, Ernest Jennings Ford, known as “Tennessee Ernie Ford”, gained much of his fame by working and performing in California as a radio announcer, television performer (including appearing on three episodes of “I Love Lucy”) and recording artist. His “The Shotgun Boogie”, “Sixteen Tons”, “I’ll Never Be Free” (with Kay Starr), and “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett” were major hits of the 1950s.
I especially like his two “Civil War” albums, which have been reissued by the prestigious German Bear Family label. Bear Family have also produced a 5-CD box set of his recordings from 1949 to 1960 (“Tennessee Ernie Ford: Portrait of an American Singer, 1949-1960”).
A particularly impressive Tennessee Ernie Ford Bear Family reissue is this disc: “Tennessee Ernie Ford featuring Billy Strange & Glen Campbell: Classic Trio Albums, 1964 & 1975”, featuring two albums in which Ernie is accompanied only by an acoustic guitar (played by either Billy Strange or Glen Campbell) and an upright bass―a sort of “Tennessee Ernie Ford Unplugged” reissue.
The albums are: “Country Hits … Feelin’ Blue” (1964) and “Ernie Sings & Glen Picks” (1975).
Ford’s rich bass-baritone voice effortlessly handles older country music classics from the likes of “Born To Lose”, “No One Will Ever Know” and “Trouble In Mind” through to the more contemporary (for 1975) “Loving Her Was Easier” and “For The Good Times”, all the time accompanied by flawless acoustic guitar picking that enhances the songs without intruding unnecessarily.
This is top-notch country music that’s easy on the ears and a joy to listen to. Usually, I’m happy if about four or five songs on an album are likeable to my ears, but every track on this compact disc is a winner. Because of Ernie’s rich voice and the acoustic backing (devoid of steel guitars and fiddles), the songs would likely appeal not only to country music afficionados but fans of popular music as well.
As is usual for Bear Family albums, the set includes comprehensive liner notes― in this case an impressive booklet by country music authority Dr Ted Olson (professor of Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, OldTime and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University).
Olson briefly outlines Ford’s life, placing the recordings on this compact disc in the context of his career. The set has been produced to Bear Family’s impeccable standards of mastering, presentation and documentation (including a discography of the recordings).
Highly recommended.
The CD can be ordered from Bear Family in Germany, Amazon USA and Australia where postage might be cheaper, and other outlets as well.
