Red Sovine - Collection 1949-59 (2021)

Red Sovine was a country singer and songwriter, associated very much with the honky-tonk style, whose career had two fairly distinct eras where he enjoyed success, separated by a fallow period in the early 1960s. Although he went to have more hits from 1964 through to 1981, this collection deals with the first decade or so of his career, when he established his reputation and had his initial chart success. His appearances on “Louisiana Hayride” in its early years alongside Hank Williams brought him a contract with Williams’ label MGM, and he also became closely associated with honky-tonk star Webb Pierce. This great-value 56-track 2-CD collection comprises most of his A & B sides from his MGM and Decca releases during this era, including duets with Webb Pierce and Goldie Hill. It features his country chart entries during these years, including the Top 5 hit “Hold Everything (Till I Get Home)” and the No. 15 “If Jesus Came to Your House”, plus his No. 1 duet with Webb Pierce “Why Baby Why”, his No. 5 duet with Webb Pierce “Little Rosa”, along with his No. 14 duet with Goldie Hill “Yankee Go Home”. He was an artist whose music through the 1950s was very much of its era, matching his stylish and flashy suits, and this collection offers a comprehensive overview of that key first decade of his career.