Grandpa Jones – Bread and Gravy – The Complete Recordings, 1952-1955

A superstar of traditional country music and bluegrass for over half a century, and a regular on Nashville's 'Grand Ole Opry' from the 1940s until (quite literally) the day he died, Louis Marshall 'Grandpa' Jones had a longevity that few of today's top country talents will ever be able to match. He was far from being a Grandpa when he first recorded in the 1940s, but his whiskery, curmudgeonly persona caught on quickly with the public and kept him popular until he was a Grandpa several times over in real life.

Grandpa was a prolific artist from the minute he first set foot in a recording studio. His many earlier and later 1940s and 50s recordings have been comprehensively anthologised in the digital era. Somewhat surprisingly, though, nearly four years' worth of recordings that he cut for RCA Victor between 1952 and 1956 have largely been overlooked by compilers - until now, that is.

'Bread And Gravy' brings together every single one of Grandpa's recordings from this period, with many of them being reissued for the first time in nearly 50 years and, indeed, some of them for the first time ever! As well as thirty solo recordings - all of them cut with the cream of 50s Nashville's session musicians - you'll find duets with his wife Ramona and Kitty Wells' daughter Ruby - plus 5 duets with his great friend, comedienne Minnie Pearl.

As a further bonus, we include all of Minnie's own solo recordings from the same period - and in most cases, the same sessions - as her duets with Grandpa.

This is unvarnished hillbilly music, the likes of which is seldom heard in a Nashville recording studio anymore. 'Bread And Gravy' is a window on a world long since passed, but still as highly enjoyable to look through (and listen to!) as it was more than 70 years ago.

Track Listing
Disc 1

1. RETREAT CRIES MY HEART - Grandpa Jones
2. MOUNTAIN LAUREL - Grandpa and Ramona Jones
3. STOP THAT TICKLIN' ME - Grandpa Jones
4. T.V. BLUES - Grandpa Jones
5. I'M NO COMMUNIST - Grandpa Jones
6. PICKIN' ON ME - Grandpa Jones
7. SASS-A-FRASS - Grandpa Jones
8. THE CLOSER TO THE BONE - Grandpa Jones
9. OLD RATTLER'S SON - Grandpa Jones
10. DEAR OLD SUNNY SOUTH BY THE SEA - Grandpa Jones
11. PAP'S CORN LIKKER STILL - Grandpa Jones
12. BREAD AND GRAVY - Grandpa Jones
13. YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET - Grandpa Jones
14. YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR LOVE - Grandpa Jones
15. MY HEART IS LIKE A TRAIN - Grandpa Jones
16. THE NEW VITAMINE - Grandpa Jones
17. Y'ALL COME - Grandpa Jones
18. THE TRADER - Grandpa Jones
19. OLD RATTLER - Grandpa Jones
20. OLD BLUE - Grandpa Jones
21. SOME MORE MOUNTAIN DEW - Grandpa Jones
22. LOOKING BACK TO SEE - Grandpa Jones and Ruby Wells
23. STANDING IN THE DEPOT - Grandpa Jones
24. A HIGH SILK HAT AND A GOLD TOP WALKING CANE - Grandpa Jones

Disc 2

1. PAPA LOVES MAMBO - Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl
2. GOTTA MARRY OFF OUR DAUGHTER - Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl
3. KEEP ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE - Grandpa and Ramona Jones
4. SOME LITTLE BUG IS GOING TO FIND YOU - Grandpa Jones
5. GOOSEBERRY PIE - Grandpa Jones
6. OLD DAN TUCKER - Grandpa Jones
7. MATRIMONY RIDGE - Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl
8. SPRING FEVER - Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl
9. HERD O' TURTLES - Grandpa Jones
10. IN THE FUTURE - Grandpa Jones
11. THE CHAMPION - Grandpa Jones
12. WHAT HAS SHE GOT - Grandpa Jones
13. KISSIN' GAMES - Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl
14. I'M GETTING GRAY HAIR - Grandpa Jones
15. HOW TO CATCH A MAN (On The Minnie Pearl Plan) - Minnie Pearl
16. AND THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME - Minnie Pearl
17. MEN (Uh-Huh) - Minnie Pearl
18 I WISHT THEY WOULD! - Minnie Pearl
19. I WONDER WHERE THAT MAN O' MINE HAS WENT - Minnie Pearl
20. JEALOUS HEARTED ME - Minnie Pearl
21. NEVER BEEN KISSED - Minnie Pearl
22. HUNTIN' SEASON - Minnie Pearl
23. ME - Minnie Pearl