If you've only heard George Jones in later years, when he was the king of the heartbreaking ballad, you'll find plenty here to discover – as his early recordings for Starday Records are something else entirely – and almost have George hitting a rockabilly mode at times! This set's got some of Jones' best early singles for the Texas label, plus some overlooked gems – wrapped together to offer a wonderfully vibrant picture of a superstar in the making – already a singer with a voice that few folks could match, equally well-suited to catchy upbeat numbers and some of the more heartfelt tracks that offset things nicely. Titles include "Accidentally On Purpose", "Tall Tall Trees", "No Money In This Deal", "Too Much Water", "If I Don't Love You", "Why Baby Why", "Eskimo Pie", "How Come It", "Accidentally On Purpose", "Hold Everything", "Maybe Little Baby", "Rock It", "Mexican Boogie", "Gonna Come Get You", "Taggin Along", "That's The Way I Feel", and "You Gotta Be My Baby". CD

Our favorite years of the Stanley Brothers – material recorded after they'd left the bigger labels, and really started to hit their stride for the smaller indies King and Starday Records! Both companies were completely faithful to the growing sound of bluegrass, and really let the brothers take off and soar – unlocking that amazing harmony style that made their vocals so wonderful, and really honing their instrumental skills – often working alongside the mandolin of Bill Napier, whose talents here are tremendous! The set's way nicer than you might expect from the Gusto label – much more in a Bear Family mode, with very detailed notes, session information, and lots of images – all to support over 100 classic tracks, with titles that include "I Saw The Light", "Wild Bill Jones", "I'd Worship You", "Just Dreamin", "Beneath The Maple", "If I Lose", "Daybreak In Dixie", "Lonely Tombs", "Pass Me Not", "Purple Robe", "Wings Of Angels", "The Angel Of Death", "Your Selfish Heart", "How Mountain Girls Can Love", and our favorite-ever recording of "Man Of Constant Sorrow". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really early record by a young, fresh-faced George Jones – his full length debut, actually – released in 1957 by Starday, not too long after his debut appearance at the Grand Ole Opry! George had been recording some artistically promising, if underselling singles for a couple years prior, including the now legendary rockabilly sides (on which he was billed as "Thumper" Jones), but this was his first full length showcase as a rising country singer. The title is pure showbiz, as George wouldn't be a big star for a couple more years. He was ready, though! The songs are great, and he wrote or co-wrote most of 'em – and oh man, that VOICE – this is where the legend begins, people! Includes the early classic "Why, Baby, Why", and a whole bunch of great tunes, including "You Gotta Be My Baby", "Ragged But Right", "It's OK", "Still Hurtin'", "Boat Of Life", "Let Him Know", "Play It Cool" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Stringbean may look a bit silly on the cover, but he's a dead serious banjo player – one of the greats of his generation, and an artist who's sometimes overlooked on his instrument, because of a penchant for humor in his live performances! And although some of the songs here have a bit of wit at the start, once things get going, Stringbean's in that great mix of old time styles that the Starday Records label was hitting hard in the 60s – one of the few strong outlets for more country-flavored work on banjo, at a time when so many of the folk revival kids wanted things steered a bit more their way! Needless to say, you probably never would have caught Stringbean headlining a club in the Village – but that difference is what makes a record like this so great to discover – as you'll hear on titles that include "Birdie", "Don't Bob Your Hair Girls", "Herdin Cattle", "Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy", "Give Me Back My Five Dollars", and "Wake Up Little Betty". CD

About as close as you'll get to a debut album from the great Dave Dudley – as the set takes his classic title track, mixes it with a few other indie singles – and adds in a few other truck-themed tunes from the Starday catalog for good measure! Dudley's got one of our favorite voices ever in country music – and his landmark "Six Days On The Road" set a whole new standard for road-based tunes – a winning track about a pill-popping, cop-dodging trucker heading home at the end of a long run! Dave sings some other great ones here – including "Last Day In The Mines", "Where Do I Go From Here", "It's Gotta Be That Way", "Cry Baby", and "Taxi Cab Driver" – and the set also features the instrumentals "Lee Highway Swing" by Chubby Wise, and "Hot Rod Guitar" and "Big Rig Guitar" by Joe Maphis. CD

Great work from the mighty Red Sovine – an artist who's maybe best known for his recitation-heavy records of the 70s, but who could also be a hell of a country singer on early material like this! Make no mistake, there's still plenty of the tearjerking material that Red would lean on more heavily in later years – but the approach here is tempered with a bit more of that lean 60s production that Starday Records did so well – the kind of no-nonsense style that made them such a great change from some of the major label country on the charts. Titles include "A Kiss & The Keys", "Don't Let My Glass Run Dry", "Too Much", "Nobody's Business", "Anytime", "Letter Edged In Black", "More From Habit Than Desire", and "Long Night". CD

Nobody put together a truck driving country record better than the Starday/Nashville label in the 60s – and this sweet little set is a perfect tribute to their talents! The set's full of cool, groovy, truck-themed tunes from the indie underground of the time – not the polished pop work of the big labels, but close-to-the-ground cuts from a company who really gave a lot of new ideas a chance – ideas, in this case, that had a lot to do with the rising role of the truck driver, and all the complications of interstate travel! There's plenty of nicely obscure tunes here – and maybe a few that you'll know from other collections, but which are more than appreciated in this company too. Titles include "When I Come Drivin Through" by The Willis Brothers, "Big Mack" by Johnny Bond, "Truck Drivin Son Of A Gun" by Red Sovine, "Convoy In The Sky" by The Willis Brothers, "The Gear Jammer & The Hobo" by Red Sovine, "That's Truck Drivin" by Slim Jacobs, "Man Behind The Wheel" by George Morgan, and "Thunder On The Road" by Johnny Bond. CD

That's a mighty classy truck stop on the cover of this album – and the set's a mighty classy batch of trucker-themed tunes from the catalog of Starday Records! These aren't the shlocky truck country tunes of the 70s, but instead some great material from the postwar years – a time when the interstates were really opening up, and the role of the truck was about to surpass the role of the train. The tunes here all mark the new challenges of the time, sometimes with a good deal of humor – and titles include "Gears" by Johnny Bond, "Man Behind The Wheel" by George Morgan, "Long Haul Weekend" by The Willis Brothers, "Big Footed Dan" by Benny Martin, "Big Rig Guitar" by Joe Maphis, "Truck Driving Buddy" by Frankie Miller, "Sleeper Cab Blues" by Tom O'Neal, and "Pinball Machine" by Lonnie Irving. CD

The great Hawkshaw Hawkins was taken from us all too soon – a singer who died in the same plane crash that took the lives of Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas – and like both of those artists, he was just on the cusp of his career at the time, still with plenty of greatness to offer! That's definitely the case here, in a collection that features some of his classic King Records hits, plus other material too – all of which have Hawkins operating at a level that rivals some of the postwar country greats on labels like RCA or Decca! There's real star power at work here – not pop or commercial country – but just a rock-solid focus in the lead, and an ability to craft a lyric that really sends a tune over the top with his performance. Titles include "A Heartache To Recall", "I Suppose", "Somebody Lied", "I'm Waiting Just For You", "I'm Slowly Dying Of A Broken Heart", "Loaded With Love", and "Some Of These Nights". CD

Think what you want about Grandpa Jones from his later appearances on TV – at this point in his career, the man's a hell of a banjo player, and a really great singer too – one who's able to mix wit with deft instrumentation, all at a time when he was really growing into the character he'd created for himself! Jones' real identity is Louis Marshall – hardly yet a grandpa at this point in his career, but blessed with this nicely crackling voice that's really distinct, and which encouraged his character – this completely charming way of putting across a lyric, as you'll hear on cuts that include "Fast Moving Night Train", "She's Gone & Left Another Broken Heart", "Stay In The Wagon Yard", "Are There Tears Behind Your Smiles", "My Little Nagging Wife", and "I Don't Know Gee From Haw". CD

One of the coolest entries in the Starday Records series of truck-themed collections in the 60s – partly because this one features material by just a small core of artists, and also because there's a fair bit of bluegrass in the mix as well! The tunes still have the truck-heavy tones of the other work of the time – but the vibe here is much more bluegrass than country (although we love country truck records too!) – and showcases some of the excellent artists who were being recorded by Starday at the time, with a very lean, respectful sound that holds up wonderfully over the years! Titles include "Truck Driver's Queen", "Hot Rod Kids & Women Drivers", "Truck Driver's Woman", and "Long White Line" by Moore & Napier; "Little Mountain Road", "Crossroads", and "Brand New Road" by Reno & Smiley; and "Gear Jammer" and "Truck Drivin Daddy" by Jimmy Logsdon. CD

Chugging country guitar from Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith – one of the hottest country instrumentalists of the 50s! Smith's heard here in a nicely understated setting – a Starday session from the 60s, with a great back to basics vibe that really focuses on his tight work on the strings – set up on tunes that have a nicely rompin rhythm, but which always feature Smith breaking out in a mighty sharp solo! Titles include his classic "Guitar Boogie" – plus "11 String Strut", "Flat Top Hari Kari", "Guitar Hop", "Maggie Blues On Guitar", "Troubled Mind Blues", and "Philadelphia Guitar". CD

Cowboy Copas went down in the same plane that took the lives of Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins – but before that tragic early end, he cut some great work for King and Starday Records – tunes like these that really transform the older mode of cowboy country, and serve things up in a lean, clean style that's a lot more like other King material from the time! Sure, Copas is wearing a cowboy hat on the cover – but most of these tunes are far more country than western – well-crafted indie sides that have more of a honky tonk vibe than you'd expect, and which sit nicely next to 50s classic recordings by folks like Ernest Tubb or Lefty Frizell. Titles include "Sunny Tennessee", "Thinkin Tonight", "My Autobiography", "Flat Top", "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down", and "Signed Sealed Then Forgotten". CD

Overlooked early work from the great George Jones – done during that very fertile time of recording, when he was moving between releases on the Starday and Mercury labels, both of whom left a fair bit of material in the can! Jones isn't the heartbreaking balladeer of his later, boozier years – and here he moves between a great range of material that includes some upbeat rockers that have George almost crossing into rockabilly modes, with a really youthful sort of zest, and plenty of great basslines pumping things up at the bottom! Titles include "It's OK", "Eskimo Pie", "Uh Uh No", "I'm Ragged But I'm Right", "Don't Do This To Me", "No Money In This Deal", "Seasons Of My Heart", and "Long Time To Forget". CD

T Texas Tyler is one of those country artists who kind of slipped under the wire – a great singer, and one with a heck of a lot of character – but also one who never fully got his due back in the day! This early 60s set is a great one – and captures Tyler with the kind of timeless charm he could bring to a recording – maybe more 50s overall, in the mode that made Starday a great label for holding on to older sounds and older audiences – but also delivered with that lean quality of some of the better 60s work, no overdone arrangements or any attempt to polish things up for the charts! The set's full of unusual material – including two tracks perfect for Father's Day, "Dad Gave My Dog Away" and "Just Like Dad" – plus "I Found Myself", "Morning Glory", "Courtin In The Rain", and "Sunset Years Of Life". CD

The biggest classic ever from Red Sovine – a landmark record from the CB Radio years of trucker country music! Red Sovine had cut many records for King and Starday before Teddy Bear, but the set's a perfect summation of the more sentimental style he brought to his music – which often included a bit of recitation too – with a quality that's even better here than in early years, given the aging quality of Sovine's voice! Instrumentation is a bit out of time – maybe more late 60s than mainstream 70s country – but that's also a real part of the charm of the record – as Red reminds the America of the disco years that out on the road, there was a very different way of life still going on. Titles include the megahit "Teddy Bear", plus "Love Is", "1460 Elder Street", "18 Wheels Hummin Home Sweet Home", "Does Steppin Out Mean Daddy Took A Walk", "Last Mile Of The Way", "Daddy", and "Bootlegger King". CD