Words And Music Country Style - Tommy Collins

Smooth Sailin'

Words And Music Country Style
Tommy Collins
Capitol Records T776
1957

From the back cover: Tommy is only twenty-six years old, but he has developed an understanding of people and human situations that, turned into songs, has made him a young giant in the country and western musical field. Many country singers write their own material and accompany themselves, but few have cultivated this combination of talents with the depth and versatility of Tommy Collins.

Though Tommy always had dreams of becoming a singing star, common sense told him that he should prepare to earn a livelihood elsewhere, if a singing career proved too precarious; so he entered college with plans to become a chemical engineer. A job singing on an Oklahoma City radio station (his first professional singing job) interrupted the student life, and halted his engineering plans. He left the Oklahoma radio station for a hitch in the marines. After that he decided to move to California to live, and there he met Capitol recording star Ferlin Husky, who was to give his career a big boost. It wasn't long before Husky and Faron Young (another Capitol country star), and a legion of others were singing songs of the young writer, and not much longer before Tommy himself was signed to a recording contract.

Tommy's first single record was "You Gotta Have A License" and it sky rocketed him right into the hit class. Subsequent releases like "You Better Not Do That" and "It Tickles" kept him on the best-seller lists.

From Billboard - January 26, 1957: Here's a dozen country ballads, novelty songs, sacred items – all of them written and sung by Tommy Collins. Performances are good, and Capitol's engineering is better than most labels. But this package would have been better if it had included some of the great country standards written by others than Collins. As it is, it's fair package, with moderate potential.

All Of The Monkey's Ain't In The Zoo
How Do I Say Goodbye
Love-A-Me S'Lili Vous Plait
Those Old Love Letters From You
A Man We All Ought To Know
The Feet Of The Traveler
Smooth Sailin'
I'll Always Speak Well Of You
Think It Over Boys
I Think Of You Yet
Are You Ready To Go
Upon This Rock