Eddy Arnold, the first country star who aspired to succeed in both the country and the pop music markets, didn’t make it with the first wave of Nashville Sound stars in the 1950s. Despite a hit streak that began in 1945, his success flattened in the late ’50s. It wasn’t until 1965 when orchestrated hits such as “What’s He Doing In My World” resonated with adult pop record buyers.
After five-plus years of unabashedly rural-sounding, staggeringly successful 1940s hits, Arnold (who passed away in May 2008) entered a second phase around 1951 that maintained his popular ballad sound with occasional forays into hotter music and a few experiments. That era is comprehensively covered in this 166-song, 7-disc box set.
Arnold still recorded with his touring band the Tennessee Plowboys, which he expanded by hiring country-jazz virtuoso Hank Garland. At the New York recording sessions, studio musicians augmented the band.
Along with gospel, Arnold pulled off some bracing uptempo tunes. A few, such as “There’s Been A Change In Me” and “Hep Cat Baby”, were hits; similar numbers are heard here for the first time.
His pop quest hit snags. “I Really Don’t Want To Know”, recorded with voices in 1954, scored only in the country field. A 1955 re-record of his earlier hit “The Cattle Call”, with Hugo Winterhalter’s Orchestra reached # 1 in country (the symphonics angered many traditionalist fans and disc jockeys) with only modest pop sales. In all, this set is a fascinating, sometimes surprising look at Arnold’s quest for universal fame, which took him another decade.
Eddy Arnold, pickin’ with Hank Garland
