Black Cat: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight

by Tommy Collins

Overview

The purpose of this compilation is, according to the liner notes, to present 30 of Collins' "earlier, for the most part more lighthearted sides." Since Bear Family already has a five-CD Collins box, and since the single-disc The Capitol Collection does a good job of collecting his most popular work, this less focused anthology is of less immediate appeal to either general fans or collectors. That's especially the case considering it has some but not all of his biggest hits, though it boasts Bear Family's typically fine packaging. If you favor the more upbeat and energetic side of 1950s hillbilly, however, this could make a good starter package or sampler. Spanning 1951 to 1960, it showcases a country singer who might not have been as seriously ruminative as the top honky tonkers, or as rowdy as the most boisterous of his peers. But he was skilled at generating consistent, energetic early exponents of the Bakersfield sound, seldom approaching rockabilly, yet steering clear of the more polished country-pop gaining traction as the '50s progressed. Collins actually did get a little raucous and raw on the earliest (and only pre-Capitol) recording here, 1951's "Campus Boogie"; "Black Cat" has a hint of a rock & roll influence; and the latest sides, recorded after his brief retreat into religious life and music, is a bit more pop crossover-conscious. Yet mid-paced numbers would be his primary calling, cleanly produced by Ken Nelson and often featuring sterling picking by top guitarists like Buck Owens, Ferlin Husky, and Billy Strange. He won't displace the likes of Owens as a kingpin of the Bakersfield sound, but those who want to dig a little deeper than the biggest names in the genre will find this CD rewarding. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	11/21/2011
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127168979
Rank:	97191

Tracks

1. Campus Boogie
2. Black Cat
3. That's the Way Love Is
4. Smooth Sailin'
5. Let Down
6. You Gotta Have a License
7. Let Me Love You
8. You Better Not Do That
9. Untied
10. I Always Get a Souvenir
11. Whatcha Gonna Do Now
12. I Love You More and More Each Day
13. Love-A-Me, S'il Vous Plait
14. You're for Me
15. I'll Be Gone
16. I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail
17. It's Nobody's Fault But Yours
18. All of the Monkey's Ain't in the Zoo
19. Wait a Little Longer
20. What Kind of Sweetheart Are You
21. A Love Is Born
22. Heart's Don't Break
23. You Belong in My Arms
24. It Makes No Difference Now
25. I Guess I'm Crazy
26. O Mary Don't You Weep
27. Oklahoma Hills
28. I Got Mine
29. Back Cat [Stereo]
30. Think It Over Boys

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tommy Collins   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Bobby Austin   Bass
Billy Porter   Guitar
Ferlin Husky   Guitar
Lewis Talley   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Ralph Mooney   Guitar (Steel)
Roy Nichols   Guitar
Merrill Moore   Piano
Wynn Stewart   Guitar (Rhythm)
Charles Lee "Fuzzy" Owen   Bass
Wanda Collins   Vocals
Buck Owens   Guitar
Bill Woods   Fiddle
Wesley Buchanan   Guitar
Glen Wilds   Guitar
Leonard Sipes   Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Johnny Gilchrist   Guitar (Steel)
William Everett Strange   Guitar
Marion Z. "Pee Wee" Adams   Drums
Helen "Peaches" Price   Drums
George French, Jr.   Piano
J.R. Jelly Sanders   Fiddle
R.M. Bradshaw   Bass
Russell O'Neill   Fiddle

Technical Credits

Dick Reynolds   Composer
Jack Rhodes   Composer
Floyd Tillman   Composer
Werly Fairburn   Composer
Lewis Talley   Leader
Tommy Collins   Leader,Composer,Photography,Illustrations
Woody Guthrie   Composer
Wynn Stewart   Leader
Jimmie Davis   Composer
Wanda Collins   Composer
Richard Weize   Discography
Jack Guthrie   Composer
Buck Owens   Composer
Stefan Kohne   Reissue Producer
Hartford Taylor   Composer
Andreas Merck   Photo Scanning
Marcus Heumann   Mastering
R.A. Andreas   Photography,Illustrations
Karl Davis   Composer
Patrick Milligan   Discography
Ken Nelson   Producer