Personnel includes: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Helen O'Connell, Ella Mae Morse (vocals); Jimmy Bryant, Merle Travis (guitar); Speedy West (steel guitar); Billy Liebert (accordion); Cliffie Stone (upright bass).
Includes liner notes by Bill Dahl.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl.
With a versatile baritone singing voice that he could reconfigure at will into all manner of accents, inflections, and styles ranging from country to rock & roll, gospel, and straight blues, Tennessee Ernie Ford had a career that was marked by steadiness and assurance. This tightly assembled 14-track collection has his biggest hits, including his cover of Merle Travis' "16 Tons" and a pair of classic boogies, "Shotgun Boogie" and "Smokey Mountain Boogie," as well as a manic version of "Mule Train" and a rousing "Stack-O-Lee," making it an excellent introduction to Ford's recorded work, without a lame track in sight. ~ Steve Leggett minimize