Charley Pride

Country Music legend Charley Pride honours 5 decades of recording with a brand new greatest hits, ’50 Golden Years Of Pride’. This comprehensive 52 track double CD features 18 US country numbers ones from his RCA years, along with the finest moments from his personally owned recordings of the last 2 decades.

Charley Pride - Four Charley Pride Albums (1968-1970) {2CD Set BGO Records BGOCD1181 rel 2015}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 798 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 297 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 36 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1968-70, 2015 BGO Records / RCA Victor / Sony Music | BGOCD1181
Country / Country Pop / Nashville Sound

BGO's 2015 release groups Charley Pride's second four albums onto two CDs: 1968's Songs of Pride…Charley, That Is; In Person and The Sensational Charley Pride, both from 1969; and 1970's Just Plain Charley. By this point, Pride established himself as a star and so RCA was willing to take some chances. Songs of Pride doesn't rely on well-known tunes but rather contains a bunch of new songs, largely written by Jerry Foster and Bill Rice, songs that helped align Charley closer to the modern sound of country in 1968, while In Person demonstrates his in-concert charm and skill. Sensational and Just Plain Charley pick up on Songs of Pride and they're both excellent examples of walking the line between modern sounds – the Bakersfield of Merle Haggard and the proto-outlaw of Kris Kristofferson – and the Music City machine, records that are enough of their time to evoke their era but classic enough to transcend it. This is Charley's peak in many ways and it's a pleasure to have them so easily available on this set.

Charley Pride - Four More Charley Pride Albums (1970-1971) {2CD Set BGO Records BGOCD1201 rel 2015}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 689 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 252 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 47 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1970-71, 2015 BGO Records / RCA Victor / Sony Music | BGOCD1201
Country / Country Pop / Nashville Sound

Four albums from Sledge, Mississippi-born Charley Pride taken from a purple patch (1970-1971) in his long and illustrious career are squeezed onto this twin cd set (it is as if BGO are trying to make up for lost time such the succession of releases coming out). Pride possessed one of the finest singing voices to ever grace a country, or otherwise stage; up there with velvet tones of Jim Reeves and from more recent times Vince Gill. He was that good, and if you don’t believe just go and check out the manner in which he effortlessly eases through the likes of such classic fare as “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone”.

Charley Pride - Country Charley Pride (1966) + Pride Of Country Music (1967) {2013 Music City Records Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 388 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 154 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 22 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1966, 2013 RCA / Music City Records / Sony Music | 05310
Country / Country Pop / Nashville Sound

A few months back, in the British magazine Country Music People, someone asked why RCA now Sony did not do a complete albums set for Waylon Jennings and Charley Pride, just as has been done for Johnny Cash and John Denver. Waylon and Charley each recorded some 3 dozen original albums for RCA but whereas Waylon has had all but a half dozen or so reissued on CD, exactly the opposite is true for Charley and of the handful of albums reissued 3 were on the now defunct Koch label and are generally unavailable. This release of his first two albums from 1966 and 1967 is therefore immensely welcome. These were fantastic mid 60s period country albums, yes quite a few covers but great renditions of songs from great writers: Harlan Howard, Cindy Walker and Mel Tillis wrote the first 3 tracks. Co-producers were Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson and Jack Clement who sadly passed away earlier this year. The latter wrote or co-wrote 7 of the songs.

Charley Pride - The Country Way (1967) + Make Mine Country (1968) {2014 Music City Records Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 402 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 149 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 21 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1967-68, 2014 RCA / Music City Records / Sony Music | 05316
Country / Country Pop / Nashville Sound

There needs to be at least 5 more available stars for this cd set. Charley Pride's 3rd Album, "The Country Way" was the best album of his entire career! It could have been a Greatest Hits album - all of the songs are THAT good!! Charley is way over due for a boxed set on his entire RCA career, but - hopefully - that will happen soon. You cannot go wrong with this cd. In fact, buy 5 and give to your friends and neighbors. If there is a greater demand for these 60's country music super stars on cd, someone will put out more of all of the deserving artists.