The Best Of The Willis Brothers

 

Ring Of Fire

The Best Of The Willis Brothers

Front Photo by Dan Quest

Album Produced by Don Pierce

Album Cover Design by Dan Quest Art Studio, Nashville

Starday SLP 466 STEREO

1970

From the back cover: It has not been a case of "overnight success" for the Willis Brothers. They started working on their "seniority" (as Minnie Pearl put it) at KMBC in Shawnee, Oklahoma and from there went to the "Brush Creek Folly" show on KMBC in Kansas City, Missouri. World War Two interrupted their career temporarily as it did so many of our boys,  but after four years on the payroll of Uncle Sam, Guy, Skeeter and Vic come back into the country music spotlight. Originally known as the Oklahoma Wranglers, the boys were the first group to back the late Hank Williams, and later became known as the original "Drifting Cowboys". They were also the first featured on the NBC-TV network show "Midwestern Hayride", from WLW, Cincinnati. Other credits to the fabulous Willis Brothers include two Columbia motion pictures and recordings for RCA Victor, Coral and Mercury. Starday Records and Don Pierce are proud to have them in the "family". Don once commented, "There are many recording stars, but there are only a few great Country Music entertainers. The Willis Brothers are both." What more can I say he is right.

There are a few more words that I can add concerning the Willis Brothers that have not already  been said, many times, so I will quote my friend, the immortal Johnny Cash by saying, "quit reading this liner note, and take the record home and play it!" – Dixie Deen

Give My Forty Acres

Ring Of Fire

Gonna Buy Me A Jukebox

Somebody Knows My Dog

Private Lee

Bob

There Goes My Farm

Buying Popcorn

Nashville Ace In The Hole

Six Foot Two By Four

Ode To Big Joe

Blues Stay Away From Me

Other Songs By Leiber & Stoller - Morris / Bolcom

 

Ready To Begin Again

Other Songs By Leiber & Stoller

Joan Morris, Mezzo-Soprano

William Bolcom, Piano

Engineering & Musical Supervision: Marc J. Aubort, Joanna Nickrenz (Elite Recordings, Inc.)

Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig (Masterdisk Corp.)

Cover Illustration / Cleo's View (1968) by Howard Kanovitz - Reproduced courtesy of the Wilhelm-Lembruck Museum, Duisburg, West Germany

Coordinator: Teresa Stern

Design & Art Direction: Paula Bisacca

Piano by Baldwin

Nonesuch H-71346

1978

From the back cover: Joan Morris (b. Portlan, Oregon) is well known as a specialist in a wide range of American popular and theater song from the mid-19th century to the present. Since 1973, Miss Morris has toured with her husband William Bolcom throughout the United States and Europe. She has recorded for Columbia, RCA, and Nonesuch.

William Bolcom (b. Seattle) has been instrumental in bringing serious attention to American vernacular music, and his own compositions are a fusion of classical and popular elements. As pianist, he is heard on Columbia, Jazzology, RCA, the School of Music label of the University of Michigan (where he has been professor of composition since 1973), and Nonesuch.

Let's Bring Back World War I

Longings For A simpler Time

I've Got Them Feeling Too Good Today Blues

I Ain't Here

Tango

Humphrey Bogart

I Remember

Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots

Ready To Begin Again

Is That All There Is?

Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs

Moon River - Pete King

 

You've Come Home

Moon River

The Pete King Chorale and Orchestra

Cover Photo: George Daniel - Photo Researchers

Kapp Medallion 

Kapp Records, Inc. ML-7533

1961

Moon River

Sleepy Lagoon

Willow Weep For Me

Far Away

The Day The Snow Is Meltin'

High On A Windy Hill

The Wayward Wind

Beyond The Sea

You've Come Home - Sung  by Beth Adlam

Lullaby Of Leaves

Ebb Tide

The Day The Rains Came

Dave Dudley Sings Six Days On The Road

Before My Time

Dave Dudley Sings 

Six Days On The Road

Cover by Stuart Kloner

Golden Ring LPGR-110

Distributed by Soma Records

From the back cover: Singing and entertaining are nothing new to Dave Dudley. He's been doing that since his father gave him a guitar when he was nine years old. Dave mastered the use of that guitar in his home town of Spencer, Wisconsin, and entertained many amateur show audiences all over that area with songs and guitar playing.

After a hitch in Uncle Sam's Navy, Dave returned to the entertainment world with a night club act in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The White Sox baseball team wanted Dave to entertain audiences too... by pitching baseball. He was considered an excellent prospect until he injured his arm while hurling for a farm club in Texas.

His injured arm didn't affect his singing or guitar playing, and in 1949 Dave Dudley began his professional singing career. He was billed as "The Texas Stranger" on his own half-hour live show on WSPT in Stevens Point.

Today after touring the Miswest with his own "Dave Dudley Trio," and becoming a very popular Dee Jay, Dave is no longer a stranger to anyone who knows anything about the Country-Western and Pop music fields.

In 1961, following his hit record "Under Cover Of Night," Dave and Johnny Voit started their own duo. Johnny is the great lead guitarist you will enjoy hearing on this album.

The fall of 1962 brought Dave to the Golden Ring Record Company. His first release on the Golden Ring label was the well-known "John Henry." On April 1, 1963 Dave recorded the title tune of this album, "Six Days On The Road," which has since become a world-wide hit. Now  you have an album of 12 new Dave Dudley winners!

Six Days On The Road

I Feel A Cry Coming On

Boo On You

Then I Can Go To Bed

Last Day In The Mines

Before My Time

Taxi-Cab Driver

That's Pretty Good For Me

Above And Beyond

Yesterday's Lover

Lonely Corner

Barbara Allen

Great Jazz Pianists Of Our Time

 

I Surrender Dear

Great Jazz Pianists Of Our Time

Oscar Peterson

Erroll Garner

Art Tatum

A&R Coordinator: Ethel Gabriel

RCA Camden CAS-882(e)

1965

I Can't Escape From You - Erroll Garner

I Surrender Dear - Oscar Peterson

(When Your Heart's On Fire) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Art Tatum

Erroll's Blues - Erroll Garner

Flying Home - Oscar Peterson

Stairway To The Stars (Based on "Park Avenue Fantasy") - Erroll Garner

Cherokee - Art Tatum

Back Home Again In Indiana - Oscar Peterson

Erroll's Bounce - Erroll Garner

Out Of Nowhere - Art Tatum

More Hits - Pete King

 

Theme From Ben Casey

More Hits

Pete King Orchestra And Chorale

KAPP Records KL-1291

Stranger On The Shore

Al-Di-La

Would You Like To Take A Walk?

Half As Much

Gigot

Caterina

Theme From Ben Casey

Lemon Tree

Tico-Tico

Funny Way Of Laughin'

Sixteen Going On Seventeen

Three O'Clock In The Morning

Night In Madrid - Laurindo Almeida / Jose Barroso

 

Canción Sentimental 

Night In Madrid

Jose Barroso Troupe

Music Composed by Laurindo Almeida

Photography: Joe Tauber

Cover Design: Rosentwieg

Recorded in Hollywood, California

Crown CST 161

1959

Sueno Espanol

Noche En Madrid

Danza Andaluza

Salud Señor Gordon

Bravo Matador

Danza Flamenca

Soledad

Canción Sentimental 

Obstination

Canción De Amour

Tokyo Rhapsody - Vicente Gomez

 

Sweet Memories

Tokyo Rhapsody

Vicente Gomez

Directed by Charles Bud Dant

Decca Records DL 4948

1968

The Nearness Of Your Shadow

Tokyo Rhapsody

So Young, So Alone

Blue Kimono

Green Horizon

Home Is Where The Heart Is

My Sake, My Tears

Tokyo Girl

Life Is A Blue-Green

The Dear Days Of Youth

Sweet Memories

Walk Over The Bridge

Themes To Remember - Stanley Wilson

 

87th Precinct

Themes To Remember

Stanley Wilson And His Orchestra

Decca Records DL 74481

1964

From the back cover: Stanley Wilson is superbly skilled in the art of creating this kind of music backdrop on television. As music director of the huge Revue Studios, he supervises and conducts more scoring sessions that anyone in the history of Hollywood. It's a big job, but Stanley Wilson's background prepared him for it.

He switched from pre-medical studies to music while still in college, and studied arranging and composition while playing a hot trumpet in jazz bands for three years. By the time he was twenty-five, he had become the arranger for Freddy Martin's orchestra and a number of top radio shows.

Stanley Wilson got into movie work with MGM, doing arrangements for a number of musicals featuring Jeanette MacDonald, Jimmy Durante, and Lauritz Melchior. He rose to musical director at Republic Pictures, and for the last decade has been the music man at Revue. His television credits include writing and conducting the theme music for such top shows as Alfred Hitchcock, G. E. Theatre, Wells Fargo, M-Squad and others.

Teakwood Nocturne

87th Precinct

Premiere

Wide Country Theme

Somewhere A Bird Is Singing

All In My Mind

The Virginian

Monaco

Lydia

Markham Theme

Tomorrow

Trailmaster Theme

Persuasive Percussion - Command Quadraphonic

 

The Breeze And I

Persuasive Percussion

Cover Photo & Design: George S. Whiteman

Command Quadraphonic CQD 40000

A Product of ABC Records, Inc.

1971

I'm In The Mood For Love

Whatever Lola Wants

Misirlou

I Surrender Dear

Orchids In The Moonlight

I Love Paris

My Heart Belongs To Daddy

Taboo

The Breeze And I

Aloha Oe

Japanese Sandman

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing