In 1986, after almost 30 years on Columbia Records, Country music legend Johnny Cash released his first album on Mercury Records – Class Of ’55, in collaboration with fellow Sun Records alumni Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Seven years later, his last recording before signing with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings would be another collaboration, “The Wanderer”, with U2.
Johnny Cash was one of the most imposing and influential figures in post-World War II country music. With his deep, resonant baritone and spare percussive guitar, he had a basic, distinctive sound. Cash didn't sound like Nashville, nor did he sound like honky tonk or rock & roll. He created his own subgenre, falling halfway between the blunt emotional honesty of folk, the rebelliousness of rock & roll, and the world-weariness of country. Cash's career coincided with the birth of rock & roll, and his rebellious attitude and simple, direct musical attack shared a lot of similarities with rock. However, there was a deep sense of history – as he would later illustrate with his series of historical albums – that kept him forever tied with country. And he was one of country music's biggest stars of the '50s and '60s, scoring well over 100 hit singles…
A 3 CD boxed set which includes 73 songs - all the original recordings, and a booklet from Mercury with a 5,700 word essay by Colin Escott, 84 rare photographs, brief biographies on all 73 Artists. The 3 CDs provide over 3 hours of total playing time.
A 3 CD boxed set which includes 73 songs - all the original recordings, and a booklet from Mercury with a 5,700 word essay by Colin Escott, 84 rare photographs, brief biographies on all 73 Artists. The 3 CDs provide over 3 hours of total playing time.
In May 1956, the Texan label Starday issued a wild rockabilly single by Thumper Jones. Its top side, the kinetic “Rock It”, was primal, uncontrolled and wild. The flip, “How Come It”, was less frenzied but still driving and infectious. Original pressings of the two-sided pounder in either its 45 or 78 form now fetch at least Ј200. This is not your usual rockabilly rarity though. The record’s label credited the songs to a Geo. Jones. Thumper Jones was a pseudonymous George Jones (1931–2013), who was cashing in a hip style: the only time he did so with rockabilly.
Digitally remastered two CD set containing four Smash/Mercury Records albums from The Killer, dating from 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1978. Together features Jerry Lee's sister Linda Gail and the album included the US Country Top 10 single 'Don't Let Me Cross Over'. Live At The International and In Loving Memories - The Jerry Lee Lewis Gospel Album are what they say they are Keeps Rockin was his last for Mercury and with producer Jerry Kennedy. Like the others in this package, the album made the US Country charts, and also produced the Country hit 'I'll Find It Where I Can'. His gospel performances of "The Old Rugged Cross" and "The Lily of the Valley" and live renditions of "Jambalaya, " "Take These Chains from My Heart" and "Flip, Flop and Fly" join his country Top 10s "Don't Let Me Cross Over" and "I'll Find It Where I Can, " his spins on "Blue Suede Shoes, " "Roll Over Beethoven, " "Sweet Little Sixteen" and more.
The eight CDs that make up this collection document the second rise of Count Basie's big band. The second band had been created at the urging of Billy Eckstine, who convinced Basie that even though the era of the large jazz-swing orchestra – an era he was an architect of – was by all appearances over, he could make a real go of it with his brand of blues and swing.
In 1968, Carl Perkins re-signed with Columbia Records, and immediately released one of the best records of his career, Restless. Already a star of the Johnny Cash Show, Carl Perkins was now back in the charts, and his career was once again on the upturn. The 4 CDs in this box cover all of his recordings from his second tenure with Columbia (1968 to 1972) and all of the Mercury recordings (1973 to 1975).