Track Listing

1. Sixteen Tons
2. Ballad of Davy Crockett
3. Mule Train
4. The Cry of the Wild Goose
5. Shot Gun Boogie
6. Mister and Mississippi
7. That's All (with Betty Hutton)
8. The Honeymoon's Over
9. In the Middle of an Island
10. The Roving Gambler

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34074 in Music
• Released on: 1993-07-13
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Bless His Little Pea-Pickin' Heart
One reviewer stops just short of calling Ernie Ford a "hick" and questions the appeal of the songs represented in this little album, claiming to have never heard of them. Well, let's look at the facts.

Yes he did sell millions of gospel/hymn LPs and EPs over the years and, for that reason, to many people whose musical tastes don't go beyond that genre this is the type of music for which he is best remembered. But the reality is, Ernie Ford appealed to a wide spectrum of musical preferences and that is born out by the fact that he also put 29 selections onto the Country singles charts, and 21 onto the pop charts between 1949 and 1976.

And here you get all three of his # 1 hits - Mule Train which reached # 1 Country [4 weeks at that spot] and # 9 Pop in 1949, the hilarious Shotgun Boogie which stayed at # 1 Country for FOURTEEN weeks in late 1950/early 1951 and reached # 14 Pop, and Sixteen Tons, TEN weeks at # 1 Country and EIGHT weeks at # 1 Billboard Pop Top 100 in 1955. The Cry Of The Wild Goose just missed the # 1 Country slot in 1950, settling for a # 2 as well as # 15 Pop. Not bad for a "hick" and, to boot, these will be recalled by many, if not that one reviewer.

The other seven selections here didn't fare too badly either. His version of The Ballad of Davy Crockett [there were several that year] made the Top 10 in both Country and Top 100 in 1955, and In the Middle Of An Island reached # 23 Top 100 in late summer 1957 with its flipside, Ivy League, registering as a "follow along" hit. Then there was the comical warning not to take the Bible too lightly in That's All, which made it to # 12 Country and # 17 Top 100 in March 1956, The Rovin' Gambler, a # 60 Top 100 that May, and First Born which topped out at # 46 Top 100 in December.

The Jack Fascinato orchestra backed him on all the hits in this package with the exception of tracks 2 (here he was back by the Cliffie Stone orchestra), 4, 6, and 7. To the reviewer who wondered about "One Suit" that was the flipside of another 2-sided hit for Capitol, 1957's The Watermelon Song [# 87 Top 100] and One Suit [# 93]. These are among the hardest to find of Ernie's Pop hits, along with the B-side to Sixteen Tons, "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" which reached # 78.

As I have mentioned in other reviews [Beach Boys, Young-Holt Unlimited], this EMI-Capitol 10 Best Series is one of the best such compilations to hit the market in the early days of CDs as all tracks are original hits and with excellent sound quality. The only drawback is the complete lack of liner notes.

My kids like it
I grew up listening to this singer's popular music (anyone out there know where to find his song "One Suit"?) but my husband didn't and he likes it too now. Some songs may be "rural" sounding but some numbers have a great sort of big band swing and a lot are just fun. His voice is surprisingly veratile and the arrangements are well done. Every song on here may not be my style but they aren't all the sometimes sappy hymn-style either. If you like his gospel songs that is no guarantee you'll like this for sure but if you just like his voice this will expand your appreciation of his abilities. And my kids really do like it.

Sixteen Tons of Fun
Not only do you get Sixteen Tons but there is also Shotgun Boogie and the Ballad of Davey Crockett. No wonder Mr. Ford was popular during the golden age of pop singers, the 1950's because as this CD shows his songs were fun and there is a feeling of joy in his voice.