Charley Pride Rca Country Legends CD

Personnel includes: Charley Pride (vocals); Billy Grammer, Peter Wade, Chip Young, Jerry Stembridge (guitar); Lloyd Green, Charles O'Neal (steel guitar); Johnny Gimble, Tommy Williams (fiddle); Bill Pursell, David Briggs (piano); Mike Leech, Billy Sanford, Roy Huskey Jr. (bass); Jerry Carrigan, D.J. Fontana, Jimmy Isbel (drums); Hurshel Wiginton, June Page, Dolores Edgin, Joseph Babcock (background vocals).
Producers include: Jack Clement, Chet Atkins, Felton Jarvis, Bob Ferguson, Jerry Bradley.
Compilation producer: Rob Santos.
Includes liner notes by Rich Kienzle.
Don't think of this as a definitive hits compilation. Instead, think of it as a perfect introduction to Charley Pride at his peak, proof that he was a genuine country talent, not just a hitmaker. He had a powerful baritone that worked equally well with hard country and country-pop, which may be the reason why he leaned toward the latter as his career progressed. This, however, captures him at the peak of his powers, concentrating primarily on the harder material but adding some pop for balance. This may dilute the portrait of his career somewhat, but it does a terrific job in summarizing his skills and importance. Yes, some familiar items are missing, but for the curious listener looking for confirmation of Pride as a country singer, this is the compilation to get. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Charley Pride was the first African-American country superstar, and these days it's hard to believe that his earliest records, like his 1965 debut "Snakes Crawl At Night," (written by Mel Tillis) were originally released without his picture on the 45 sleeve. By 1967 and "Just Between You and Me," however, country fans knew him and embraced him. This compilation, which includes those two songs, features no less than 12 (!) Number One country hits, each sung by Pride in his unmistakable twangy baritone. High points include terrific covers of Hank Williams (a 1979 version of "Honky Tonk Blues"), rockabilly cult figure Harold Dorman's "Mountain of Love," and "Busted," the 1963 Ray Charles hit.