Various Artists – Speedy West In Session | Man Of Steel, 1948-1960

• Between the late 1940s and mid-1950s, the exciting steel guitar sounds of Wesley ‘Speedy’ West could be heard on dozens if not hundreds or thousands of recordings, from hillbilly to pop and far beyond and by artists as diverse as Doris Day, Spike
Jones, Tennessee Ernie, Bing Crosby and even Frank Sinatra – as well as finding time to record several dozen instrumental duets with his ‘regular’ guitar playing chum Jimmy Bryant.
• He may not have played on the 6000 sides that has been claimed in the past, but Speedy was certainly among the busiest session players of his time, and the 30 tracks featured on Jasmine’s new salute to his session work are but a small overview of a much bigger body of work that features his always recognisable stylings.
• It’s probably true to say that the pedal steel was introduced to pop sessions primarily because of Speedy, and though he was not the last or only steel player to work on pop sessions he was easily the busiest and most prolific – as well as always being the most immediately recognisable! This superb mixture of hits and rarities will provide any listener with an appetite to hear more
• If you don’t know the name of Speedy West, you will know the names of many of those he worked with – a master of his craft playing with masters and mistresses of theirs and truly an invincible “Man of Steel”.

Track Listing

1. STEEL GUITAR RAG - Speedy West with Cliffie Stone and his Hometown Hepcats
2. HILLBILLY BEBOP (Alternate Take) - Hank Penny
3. CANDY KISSES - Eddie Kirk
4. STEEL STRIKE - Cliffie Stone and his Hometown Gang
5. BOOGIE WOOGIE FEVER - Gene O’Quin
6. TATER PIE - Cliffie Stone and his Hometown Jamboree Gang
7. HEY GOOD LOOKING - Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford
8. RUN LITTLE EVA - Red Ingle
9. HOME SWEET OKLAHOMA - Roy Rogers with Frank Worth’s Orchestra and the Roy Rogers Riders
10. YOU’RE MY SUGAR - Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie
11. OAKIE BOOGIE (First Version) - Ella Mae Morse
12. COOL COOL KISSES - Helen O’Connell and Tennessee Ernie
13. I’VE TURNED A GADABOUT - Spike Jones and his Country Cousins
14. A FULL TIME JOB - Doris Day and Johnnie Ray with Paul Weston and his Orchestra
15. TENNESSEE NEWSBOY - Frank Sinatra with Orchestra under the direction of Axel Stordahl
16. FATBACK, LOUISIANA, U.S.A - Tennessee Ernie Ford with Cliffie Stone’s Orchestra
17. SETTIN’ THE WOODS ON FIRE - Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford
18. HONKY TONK BLUES - Jan Garber and his Orchestra
19. MISTER TAP TOE - Doris Day with Paul Weston and his Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir
20. SHENANDOAH SHUFFLE - The Lancers with Nelson Riddle’s Orchestra
21. CRYING STEEL GUITAR WALTZ - Jean Shepard and Speedy West
22. Y’ALL COME - Bing Crosby with the Cass County Boys
23. BLUE GUITAR - Sheb Wooley
24. COMMON FOLKS - Roberta Lee
25. HEY JOE! - Frankie Laine with Paul Weston and his Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir
26. SWEET THING - Dinah Shore with Harry Zimmerman and his Orchestra
27. LOOK-A HERE, BABY - Ramblin’ Jimmie Dolan
28. BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY - Cliffie Stone and his Orchestra
29. BLUE SUEDE SHOES - Bob Roubian with Cliffie Stone and his Orchestra
30. I’M A HONKY TONK GIRL - Loretta Lynn