Hank Thompson - Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys [12CD Box Set] (1996)

Title: Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys
Year Of Release: 1996
Label: Bear Family Records [BCD 15904 LK]
Genre: Country, Western Swing
Quality: FLAC (tracks+cue,log,scans) / WAV (tracks,scans)
Total Time: 14:17:23
Total Size: 3.42 gb / 8.45 gb
WebSite: Album Preview

Copies of the 1996 Hank Thompson box have been changing hands for up to Dollar 500 on auction sites! That's good news if you want it and you have five hundred spare dollars...but now there's good news for everyone else who didn't get it upon release. In the course of cleaning house, we found 500 books for the box . So we're re-pressing 500 copies of the box to go with the book. First come, first served. Don't wait and decide you want it after the price has gone back to Dollar 500!

Hank Thompson began his career singing Ernest Tubb-style honky tonk, the sound heard on his first small-label regional hits. Signed to Capitol in 1947, national hits came quickly, and E.T. himself got Hank on the Opry in 1949. Realizing he wanted something different, Hank quit, headed home to Texas and organized a dynamic, Western Swing version of his Brazos Valley Boys band, led by Billy Gray. Not only did they put a danceable sound behind Hank's honky tonk vocals (a formula George Strait repeated 30 years later), they reflected a highly successful convergence of the two related Texas genres. The results were landmark hits like The Wild Side Of Life, Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Wake Up, Irene, Honky Tonk Girl, Wildwood Flower and Squaws Along The Yukon. Along with Hank's ebullient voice, came steel guitar virtuosity from Lefty Nason (the man who created the distinctive Thompson steel sound), Curly Chalker, Bobby Garrett and Bobbie White can be heard. So can brillant fiddling from Curly Lewis, Keith Coleman and Billy Armstrong, with guitar picking from Hank's friend Merle Travis and, on occasion Joe Maphis.

This 12-CD set includes all of Thompson's 1946-47 Globe and Bluebonnet recordings, as well as his complete 1947-1964 Capitol recorded output. Included are all three of his live LPs including the 1961 ‘Hank Thompson At The Golden Nugget', the first live LP ever done by a solo country singer. Also included is an 84-page hardcover with rare photos and memorabilia from Thompson's own archives, a complete discography and a newly-researched biography by Rich Kienzle.

:: TRACKLIST ::

1-1 Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love
1-2 Whoa Sailor
1-3 California Women
1-4 What Are We Gonna Do About The Moonlight
1-5 A Lonely Heart Knows
1-6 Starry Eyed Texas Gal
1-7 Humpty Dumpty Heart
1-8 Today
1-9 Don't Flirt With Me
1-10 Rock In The Ocean
1-11 My Heart Is A Jigsaw Puzzle
1-12 Yesterday's Mail (chat & false start)
1-13 Yesterday's Mail
1-14 I Find You Cheatin' On Me
1-15 Second Hand Gal
1-16 You Broke My Heart (chat & false start)
1-17 You Broke My Heart
1-18 Mary Had A Little Lamb
1-19 You Remembered Me
1-20 California Women
1-21 The Green Light
1-22 What Are We Gonna Do About The Moonlight
1-23 All That Goes Up Must Come Down
1-24 Standing On The Outside Looking In Now
1-25 Tomorrow Night
1-26 My Front Door Is Open
1-27 Soft Lips
1-28 Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love
1-29 Whoa Sailor
1-30 The Grass Looks Greener Over Yonder
1-31 She's A Girl Without Any Sweetheart

2-1 Take A Look At This Broken Heart Of Mine
2-2 Give A Little, Take A Little
2-3 A Cat Has Nine Lives
2-4 Beautiful Texas
2-5 Daddy Blues
2-6 How Do You Feel
2-7 New Rovin' Gambler
2-8 Humpty Dumpty Boogie
2-9 Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore
2-10 When God Calls His Children Home
2-11 If I Cry
2-12 A Broken Heart And A Glass Of Beer
2-13 The Devil In My Angels Eyes
2-14 Playin' Possum
2-15 Where Is Your Heart Tonight
2-16 Those Things Money Can't Buy
2-17 Hangover Heart
2-18 I Ain't Cryin' Over You
2-19 You Were The Cause
2-20 I'll Be Your Sweetheart For A Day
2-21 Love Thief
2-22 Teardrops On The Tea Leaves
2-23 The Wild Side Of Life
2-24 Waiting In The Lobby Of Your Heart
2-25 Don't Make Me Cry Again
2-26 Cryin' In The Deep Blue Sea
2-27 The New Wears Off Too Fast
2-28 You're Walking On My Heart
2-29 It's Better To Have Loved A Little
2-30 How Cold Hearted Can You Get

3-1 How Cold Hearted Can You Get
3-2 Rub-A-Dub-Dub
3-3 I'd Have Never Found Somebody New
3-4 Where My Sweet Baby Used To Walk
3-5 I'll Sign My Heart Away
3-6 Yesterday's Girl
3-7 John Henry
3-8 The Letter Edged In Black
3-9 Mother The Queen Of My Heart
3-10 At The Rainbow's End
3-11 When You're Lovin', You're Livin'
3-12 You Don't Have The Nerve
3-13 I Saw My Mother's Name
3-14 No Help Wanted
3-15 Go Cry Your Heart Out
3-16 Wake Up, Irene
3-17 A Fooler, A Faker
3-18 Breakin' The Rules
3-19 We've Gone Too Far
3-20 If Lovin' You Is Wrong
3-21 Tears Are Only Rain
3-22 Annie Over
3-23 This Train
3-24 The Little Rosewood Casket
3-25 Gloria
3-26 Honky-Tonk Girl
3-27 Jersey Bounce
3-28 Sunrise Serenade
3-29 Johnson Rag
3-30 Dardanella

4-1 When Your Love Burns Low
4-2 A New Deal Of Love
4-3 Baby I Need Lovin'
4-4 I'd Do It Again
4-5 Dusty Skies
4-6 A Lonely Heart Knows
4-7 The New Green Light
4-8 Tomorrow Night
4-9 Today
4-10 Simple Simon
4-11 Most Of All
4-12 Breakin' In Another Heart
4-13 Too In Love
4-14 String Of Pearls
4-15 Big Beaver
4-16 Panhandle Rag
4-17 Wildwood Flower
4-18 Honey, Honey Bee Ball
4-19 Quicksand
4-20 You Can Give Me Back My Heart
4-21 Don't Take It Out On Me
4-22 Red Skin Girl
4-23 Westphalia Waltz
4-24 Don't Be That Way
4-25 It Makes No Difference Now
4-26 Anybody's Girl
4-27 Taking My Chances
4-28 I'm Not Mad, Just Hurt
4-29 The Blackboard Of My Heart
4-30 Across The Alley From The Alamo
4-31 Weeping Willow

5-1 Prosperity Special
5-2 I'll Be Your Sweetheart For A Day
5-3 Under The Double Eagle
5-4 Don't Flirt With Me
5-5 Standing On The Outside Looking In Now
5-6 My Front Door Is Open
5-7 Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love
5-8 Humpty Dumpty Heart
5-9 Whoa Sailor
5-10 I Find You Cheatin' On Me
5-11 The Grass Looks Greener Over Yonder
5-12 You Remembered Me
5-13 You'll Be The One
5-14 I Don't Want To Know
5-15 Someone Can Steal Your Love From Me
5-16 Old Napoleon
5-17 I Was The First One
5-18 Rockin' In The Congo
5-19 Hang Your Head In Shame
5-20 The Gypsy
5-21 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
5-22 I Didn't Mean To Fall In Love
5-23 A Girl In The Night
5-24 Don't Look Now
5-25 Bubbles In My Beer
5-26 Headin' Down The Wrong Highway
5-27 Drivin' Nails In My Coffin
5-28 Lawdy, What A Gal
5-29 After All The Things I've Done
5-30 Make Room In Your Heart

6-1 I Wouldn't Miss It For The World
6-2 Klishama Klingo
6-3 Li'l Liza Jane
6-4 If I'm Not Too Late
6-5 Just An Old Flame
6-6 How Do You Hold A Memory
6-7 Beaumont Rag
6-8 Summit Ridge Drive
6-9 Woodchopper's Ball
6-10 Bartender's Polka
6-11 Wednesday Waltz
6-12 Gold And Silver Waltz
6-13 Skater's Waltz
6-14 Fifty Year Ago Waltz
6-15 La Zinda Waltz
6-16 The Anniversary Waltz
6-17 Let Me Call You Sweetheart
6-18 What Will I Do On Monday
6-19 You're Going Back To Your Old Ways Again
6-20 I've Run Out Of Tomorrows
6-21 Shenandoah Waltz
6-22 Signed, Sealed And Delivered
6-23 In The Valley Of The Moon
6-24 The Warm Red Wine
6-25 Squaws Along The Yukon
6-26 Two Hearts Deep In The Blues
6-27 Gathering Flowers

7-1 Little Blossom
7-2 Deep Elem
7-3 Rovin' Gambler
7-4 Cocaine Blues
7-5 May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?
7-6 I'll Be A Bachelor Till I Die
7-7 Three Times Seven
7-8 Bumming Around
7-9 I Left My Gal In The Mountains
7-10 Teach 'Em How To Swim
7-11 Drunkard's Blues
7-12 Dry Bread
7-13 Lost John
7-14 I Guess I'm Getting Over You
7-15 What Made Her Change
7-16 Total Strangers
7-17 Just One Step Away
7-18 Coconut Grove
7-19 Tuxedo Junction
7-20 Give The World A Smile
7-21 Love Thief
7-22 The Gypsy And The Tealeaves
7-23 Soft Lips
7-24 Cryin' In The Deep Blue Sea
7-25 Hangover Heart
7-26 How Do You Feel
7-27 Those Things Money Can't Buy
7-28 Give A Little, Take A Little
7-29 Rock In The Ocean

8-1 Take A Look At This Broken Heart Of Mine
8-2 She's A Girl Without Any Sweetheart
8-3 A Fooler, A Faker
8-4 A Six Pack To Go
8-5 Will We Start It All Over Again
8-6 She's Just A Whole Lot Like You
8-7 There My Future Goes
8-8 Too In Love
8-9 Teach Me How To Lie
8-10 It's Got To Be A Habit
8-11 It's My Fault
8-12 I'd Like To Tell You
8-13 I'll Be Around
8-14 Just An Old Faded Photograph
8-15 I Dreamed Of An Old Love Affair
8-16 Sing Me Something Sentimental
8-17 Paying Off The Interest With My Tears
8-18 I Keep Meeting Girls Like You
8-19 My Old Flame
8-20 Just A Little While
8-21 I've Convinced Everybody But Myself
8-22 I Gotta Have My Baby Back
8-23 Oklahoma Hills
8-24 Hangover Tavern
8-25 Honky Tonk Town
8-26 I'd Look Forward To Tomorrow
8-27 How Many Teardrops Will It Take
8-28 Drop Me Gently

9-1 That's The Recipe For A Heartache
9-2 Blue Skirt Waltz
9-3 I Cast A Lonesome Shadow
9-4 San Antonio Rose
9-5 Detour
9-6 I Don't Hurt Anymore
9-7 Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
9-8 Beer Barrel Polka
9-9 The Wild Side Of Life
9-10 Yesterday's Girl
9-11 Wabash Cannon Ball
9-12 Then I'll Keep On Loving You
9-13 Shot-Gun Boogie
9-14 Back Street Affair
9-15 You Nearly Lose Your Mind
9-16 The Eyes Of Texas
9-17 The More In Love Your Heart Is
9-18 I Wasn't Even In The Running
9-19 The Luckiest Heartache In Town
9-20 Whatever Happened To Mary
9-21 Twice As Much
9-22 Just To Ease The Pain
9-23 Reaching For The Moon
9-24 Stirring Up The Ashes

10-1 Paper Doll
10-2 2 There's No You
10-3 3 You Always Hurt The One You Love
10-4 4 September In The Rain
10-5 5 Till Then
10-6 6 That's All There Is To That
10-7 Breakin' In Another Heart
10-8 8 How Do You Hold A Memory
10-9 9 Don't Take It Out On Me
10-10 10 I'd Have Never Found Somebody New
10-11 11 It's Better To Have Loved A Little
10-12 12 Just An Old Flame
10-13 Life's Sweetest Moment
10-14 14 I'm Gonna Practice Freedom
10-15 15 Then I'll Start Believing In You
10-16 16 In The Back Of Your Mind
10-17 17 Here Comes Santa Claus
10-18 18 Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons
10-19 It's Christmas Every Day In Alaska
10-20 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
10-21 Blue Christmas
10-22 Silver Bells
10-23 It's Christmas Time
10-24 I'd Like To Have An Elephant For Christmas
10-25 White Christmas
10-26 Little Christmas Angel
10-27 Mr. & Mrs. Snowman
10-28 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
10-29 We Wish You A Merry Christmas

11-1 Intro
11-2 Honky-Tonk Girl
11-3 I Guess I'm Getting Over You
11-4 I'll Step Aside
11-5 Orange Blossom Special
11-6 I Didn't Mean To Fall In Love
11-7 John Henry
11-8 Nine Pound Hammer
11-9 She's Just A Whole Lot Like You
11-10 10 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
11-11 11 Steel Guitar Rag
11-12 12 Just One Step Away
11-13 13 Lost Highway
11-14 14 A Six Pack To Go
11-15 15 Intro
11-16 16 Annie Over
11-17 Drop Me Gently
11-18 Forgive Me
11-19 Rose City Chimes
11-20 You're Walking On My Heart
11-21 Oklahoma Hills
11-22 That's The Recipe For A Heartache
11-23 Darling What More Can I Say
11-24 Hangover Tavern
11-25 I'll Sign My Heart Away
11-26 Teach Me How To Lie
11-27 Cincinnati Lou

12-1 Intro
12-2 Deep In The Heart Of Texas
12-3 My Heart Is A Playground
12-4 Charmaine
12-5 How Many Teardrops Will It Take
12-6 The New Wears Off Too Fast
12-7 Rub-A-Dub-Dub
12-8 Intro
12-9 Beautiful Texas
12-10 Will We Start It All Over Again
12-11 River Road Two Step
12-12 I Cast A Lonesome Shadow
12-13 Simple Simon
12-14 There's A Little Bit Of Everything In Texas
12-15 The Eyes Of Texas

12"-sized 12-CD-Box set with 329 tracks and about 856 minutes of play.
Contains all of Thompson's 1946-47 Globe and Bluebonnet recordings, as well as his recordings for Capitol 1947-1964 and three live records, a.o. "Hank Thompson At The Golden Nugget" from 1961.
Includes also a vinylsized 84-paged book with a biography, a discography and many rather rare photographs.