Tennessee Ernie FORD – The Very Best of Tennessee Ernie Ford – 1951-1961

One of the biggest stars of the 1950s, TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD was a singer and radio & TV host who enjoyed enormous success in the C&W, Pop and Gospel fields.

Noted for his deep, rich, bass-baritone profundo, Tennessee Ernie is chiefly remembered for hairy-chested blockbusters like 'Kissin' Bug Boogie', 'Blackberry Boogie', 'Hey Mr Cotton Picker', 'The Honeymoon's Over', 'Give Me Your Word' (the latter a surprise UK #1) and his all-time biggest hit, the multi-million-selling 'Sixteen Tons'.

All are included on this 34-track collection, of which 22 of these sides made either the US Pop, C&W or UK charts.

These include a number of his celebrated duets, featuring Kay Starr, Helen O'Connell, The Dinning Sisters, Bucky Tibbs, Ella Mae Morse, Molly Bee and Betty Hutton.

This CD is complementary to a previous Jasmine release, 'Greatest Hits Vol.1' (JASMCD3553), which featured Ford's earliest hits between 1949 and early 1951.

Track Listing

1. OCEANS OF TEARS (with Kay Starr)
2. KISSIN' BUG BOOGIE
3. HEY GOOD LOOKIN' (with Helen O'Connell)
4. A ROOTIN' TOOTIN' SANTA CLAUS
5. ROCK CITY BOOGIE (with The Dinning Sisters)
6. HAMBONE (with Bucky Tibbs)
7. EVERYBODY'S GOT A GIRL BUT ME
8. BLACKBERRY BOOGIE
9. TENNESSEE LOCAL
10. I'M HOG-TIED OVER YOU (with Ella Mae Morse)
11. FALSE HEARTED GIRL (with Ella Mae Morse)
12. HEY MR COTTON PICKER
13. DON'T START COURTIN' IN A HOT ROD (with Molly Bee)
14. CATFISH BOOGIE
15. KISS ME BIG
16. THE HONEYMOON'S OVER (with Betty Hutton)
17. RIVER OF NO RETURN
18. GIVE ME YOUR WORD
19. THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT
20. HIS HANDS
21. SIXTEEN TONS
22. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BABY TO CRY
23. THAT'S ALL
24. THE ROVIN' GAMBLER
25. ROCK, ROLL, BOOGIE
26. FIRST BORN
27. THE WATERMELON SONG
28. ONE SUIT
29. IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ISLAND
30. IVY LEAGUE
31. SUNDAY BARBECUE
32. GLAD RAGS
33. LOVE IS THE ONLY THING
34. DARK AS A DUNGEON