Jimmy Dean - Complete Mercury & Columbia Singles As & Bs 1955-62 (CD)

Jimmy Dean was a country singer and radio and TV personality and actor whose primary claim to musical fame came with the iconic landmark 1961 crossover pop/country hit "Big Bad John", although he had many other significant hits over the years. Born in Texas, he became a professional entertainer after leaving the USAF in the late '40s, and graduated to being a popular performer on various radio shows, and with his band The Texas Wildcats made some recordings in the early '50s. When he was hosting the popular Washington, D.C. radio program 'Town and Country Time', he was signed by Mercury in 1955, making a number of records with them without a hit until signing to Columbia in 1957, scoring his debut hit "Deep Blue Sea" with his first Columbia release. It was with his unique narrative recitation "Big Bad John" that he came to true national and international prominence, making No. 1 in the US pop and country charts and reaching No. 2 in the UK. Other hits in similar style followed, notably "Dear Ivan" and "P.T. 109", the latter a tribute to John F. Kennedy's legendary wartime exploits. This great-value 51-track 2-CD set comprises all his A and B sides on the Mercury and Columbia labels during this key era of his career, and features all his eleven hits during these years, as well as some early Mercury titles which are otherwise unavailable on CD.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. False Pride
2. Big Blue Diamonds
3. Find 'Em, Fool 'Em and Leave 'Em Alone
4. My World Is You
5. Freight Train Blues
6. Glad Rags
7. Hello Mr. Blues
8. I Found Out
9. Losing Game
10. Happy Child
11. Look on the Good Side
12. Do You Love Me
13. Bumming Around
14. Nothing Can Stop My Love
15. What This Old World Needs
16. A Fool in Love
17. Deep Blue Sea
18. Love Me So I'll Know
19. Little Sandy Sleighfoot
20. When They Ring the Golden Bells
21. Makin' Up My Mind
22. Starlight Starbright
23. School of Love
24. You Should See Tennessee, Mam'selle
25. My Heart Is An Open Book
26. Shark in the Bathtub
27. Sing Along
28. Weekend Blues
29. Counting Tears

Disc: 2

1. Stay a Little Longer
2. There's Still Time, Brother
3. Thanks for the Dream
4. Little Boy Lost
5. There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight
6. It's Been a Long, Long Time
7. Give Me Back My Heart
8. Big Bad John
9. I Won't Go Huntin' with You, Jake
10. Oklahoma Bill
11. Dear Ivan
12. Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette
13. To a Sleeping Beauty
14. The Cajun Queen
15. P.T. 109
16. Walk on, Boy
17. Steel Men
18. Little Bitty Big John
19. Please Pass the Biscuits
20. Little Black Book
21. Gonna Raise a Ruckus Tonight
22. A Day That Changed the World