Ed Henry - Country and Eastern (Reissue) (1967/2017)

Children of the ‘70s will likely remember the old Chevrolet commercial brought to you by “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and America’s favorite car.” The repetitive albeit beloved jingle was written by a man named Ed Labunski, known in the advertising world as the Polish Cowboy.

Edward Henry Labunski (b. May 14, 1937, New York City) was the son of a Polish composer who became the head of the composition department at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. A graduate of the college himself, Ed soon made a career of songwriting and composed jingles for the likes of General Electric, B.F. Goodrich, Lipton Tea and Quaker Oats.

In 1967, under the name Ed Henry, Labunski released his first album, “Country and Eastern.” Comprised of 10 self-composed songs the album received little press, but a short review in the July 2, 1967, edition of Billboard Magazine offers a comparison to Roger Miller.

“Ed Henry is a country boy but he’s no rube. He knows what the score is and he tells it in his own songs with a wry approach that blends laughter and truth. There’s a lot of Roger Miller in Henry but enough of his own identity comes through to give this newcomer a chance for a big score.”...