P Gleespen
From:
Toledo, OH USA
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Posted 11 May 2006 10:10 am |
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I'm thinking about picking up one or both of the Little Jimmy Dickens box sets that Bear Family Records put out. I'm trying to figure out which one to get first.
The info I can find online doesn't tell me much about the players in his band...I know B.E. played with Dickens, but from when to when?
Any ideas? I'm sure I'll eventually get 'em both (along with the Connie Smith box set, sweet!)...
On a side note, I know Bear Family isn't a US label. Do the artists get paid properly from the sales of Bear Family products? Just kind of curious about that... |
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Walter Stettner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 11 May 2006 10:58 am
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The LJD sets are both great, the first one covers the early material from 1949 to 1957, steel players include Pete Kirby (Brother Oswald), Coy Crank, Bud Isaacs, Gordon Flynn, Walter Haynes, Joe McCauley and Buddy Emmons, the second set continues until 1966, steel players are Walter Haynes, Sonny Burnette, Jimmy Day, Buddy Emmons and Pete Drake.
Both sets are worth every buck you pay.
To your sidenote: Bear Family is the world's best known (and probably biggest) reissue label for country, rockabilly and related roots music styles. They have won numerous prices for their releases. Everything they do is an official release, if the artist is still alive, usually he/she contributes with interviews, photos etc., also BF only releases the set if the artist gives approval. Bear Family usually produces their sets by using the original master tapes, that means they negotiate with the original record label and get access to their archives. Most of their sets include new tracks that were never released up to date or different takes of the same song.
Another important point is the booklet. The articles are usually written by the best experts, writers like Rich Kienzle, Charles Wolfe and others have done great work for them. Both articles for the LJD boxes were written by Eddie Stubbs.
The boxes are usually quite expensive, but if you buy them, you can usually trust you get your money's worth...
Just a little story that happened when the second LJD box was released: Richard Weize was compiling the material, as usual in chronological order. Four of the later Columbia masters were considered lost and the box was released. He did some more research and was finally able to track down the tape with the four "lost" tracks...but the box set was already released! What did he do? He reissued CD 4 of the set, with the four new tracks and offered a free copy to everybody who bought the original set! 
Forgive me if I sound like a sales agent for the label, the only way I am connected to their business is as a customer. I just did a quick count, I have more than 60 of their box sets in my collection!
Kind Regards, Walter
www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf |
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P Gleespen
From:
Toledo, OH USA
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Posted 11 May 2006 11:27 am
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Hey, thanks for all the info Walter. That's really helpful.
I've got 3 of the Ernest Tubb sets, the Ray Price set and the Wynn Stewart set. They are all treee-mendous, and you're right about the booklets, they're really well put together. |
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