The Country Side Of Jim Reeves

 

Highway To Nowhere

The Country Side Of Jim Reeves

Produced by Chet Atkins

Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee

Recording Engineer: Bill Porter

RCA Camden CAL 686

1962

From the back cover: At the time of Jim Reeves' big pop-country hit Four Walls, a big-time TV producer watched Jim perform on the Steve Allen show and was heard to remark, "This boy could be a combination of a new Bin Crosby and a new Gary Cooper."

He was referring to the young Texas-born farm boy's easy-going mellow baritone baritone and quietly dignified manner. But the truth of the matter is that Jim Reeves doesn't want to be anybody but himself.

This is the most graphically shown by what happened after Four Walls. It might have been easy, following a pop-country hit of this magnitude, for Reeves to turn his back on the country music field and go diligently after the large money to be reaped in the strictly pop market. Jim made his choice to sing pop, to sing any good song, but definitely never to stop singing the songs of the hill and the range for the people that loved them – and loved him for the way he performed them.

Here in this album the wisdom of his decision is vividly displayed. Here are the performances and early hits that formed the solid foundation of Jim's career: My Lips Are Sealed and Yonder Comes A Sucker, the first a poignant ballad, the second a wry reflection on the fortunes of love. For more earthy traditional Americana, there's A Railroad Bum.

From Billboard - March 17, 1962: Little need be said here except that this is the fine, mellow-voiced Jim Reeves with some of his top offerings, a few of them quite recent ones, and all of them neatly packaged for low price ($1.98) market-place. The selections include "Highway To Nowhere," "Yonder Comes A Sucker," "Fallen Star," and a brace of others. This is real bargain wax for the retail outlets in the strong c.&w. territories.

A Railroad Bum

Blue Side Of Lonesome

Waintin' For A Train

I Won't Forget You

My Lips Are Sealed

Most Of The Time

When Two Worlds Collide

Yonder Comes A Sucker

A Fallen Star

Highway To Nowhere