I’ve been suffering from a slight Tex Ritter obsession the last few weeks. I found the first 2 sets of studio recordings, and I want to eventually get this set of transcriptions. Would love to see the rest of his recording career covered in a box.
It would be great with a box from late 50s to his death so we could have Tex in stereo. Tex Ritter ~ Just Beyond The Moon
It's not that. I'm hoping this means more resources/manpower will be moved from dvd department to the box set department...
2 CD boxes is Grammy nominees: Two Bear Family Records releases nominated for the 61st GRAMMY AWARD 2019 | Bear Family Records
I never even knew about Bear Family box sets till very recently when I had a Marty Robbins one suggested to me, in which incidentally is excellent. I've now got a Johnny Cash one that I've just started to play for the first time.
American companies, and most American country music fans are NOT interested in the history of country music
I wonder how many marriages have ended over a Bear Family addiction. Would this be grounds for legal action? Perhaps a compromise settlement could be reached whereby the addict gets free Bear Family products.
I'd be interested in what others might identify as "outliers" in the Bear Family catalog. By this, I mean boxsets (mostly, though single CDs too) which were either "one-of-a-kind" with respect to musical styles covered by Bear Family, or maybe there were only several boxes or a small group in that style or direction. This has nothing to do with quality or whether you like the set. I'll name one. The Billy Vaughn box. Pure pop instrumental music. Bear never seemed to pick up on that again. For something you list, maybe if BF had stayed vigorous, there could have been more.
Some companies do: Yazoo Records – Down Home Music Store https://rounder.com/ There are more companies releasing old music that does not sell millions records.
That set isn't so unusual if you view it from a German perspective. Billy Vaughn records were released on the German "London" label, alongside classic rock'n'roll from Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino. And Pat Boone. These artists were all covered by box sets from Bear Family – and Nashville session ace Bob Moore had European hits like "Mexico" on the same label. So it all fits together, and Bear Family covered the whole period and these artists comprehensively with their 2014 book "London Label Lexikon". Plus, one of the first releases on the RWA label was a compilation of instrumentals from this era called "Perfect For Parties" which summed it all up. The oddest release for me were always the 6 discs (BCD 16501 - 16506) of standard classical music. Impeccably recorded, but no-one bothered to promote it. And no-one bought them either.
If it aint promoted, well then how do people know and how to buy it? Same as anything I guess.... It's like concerts down here in Australia. You only hear about them once they've come and gone. Reviewers wonder why the audiences are down, it's because nothing gets advertised properly....
Yazoo was big on old-timey (late 20's and early 30's music) certainly. Too bad they never went into the vintage era of honky tonk (40's-50's). Nevertheless, despite the occasional minor label (mostly out of business now) appealing to collectors, we know that the major labels that own most of the country music masters are not interested in reissuing the music.
I remember when a new neighbor moved in. He said he was a huge country music fan. Great! So I invited him over to see my nearly complete Bear Family collection and large vinyl collection of that style. He had never heard of most of the artists, but he had heard of Hank Williams. Then he added the clincher, he couldn't stand ANY of that stuff. Well he moved south and now my neighbor is a nice guy from the Philipines.
That is a great set. It's too bad they didn't do a second box with Vaughn's later recordings, but I guess this one didn't sell well enough to warrant a follow-up. As far as other outliers, this was the very first Bear Family set I ever purchased, a collection of English Music Hall songs that are aptly summed up as "Britpop circa 1900" in an Amazon review. In keeping with the Forum tradition of all threads eventually circling back to the Beatles, the review also points out: It was an interest in the life and films of Charlie Chaplin that led to me getting this set, as Chaplin grew up in and around music halls (his parents were both performers, as he likewise came to be before he embarked on a career in the movies).
That's a good one. Here is another outlier. Though Bear has issued a few ethnic black cultural sets (like the Black Europe and Calypso sets). the Olatunji box was the only box by a popular modern African artist.
Glad to hear he moved out of there. Your first neighbor was probably a closeted modern country fan whose definition of old country music was Kid Rock from 10 years ago. My friend immigrated with his wife from Philippines and is a big fan of classic country. I used to loan him titles at work and he would listen to them on his computer. We sometimes jammed on the weekends when his wife would allow, playing guitar and covering classic country and Gospel songs.
He probably called him ‘Hank Williams, Sr.’ You know, he’s famous for being Hank Jr’s dad. Then he watched “Walk the Line” a few times, so he knows most of Country Music’s history.
Old post but I'm wondering what comprehensive box set, and how forthcoming is it? I ask because I am considering getting the two Bear Family box sets but will hold off if there is a complete set in the works. I'll hang up and listen (to my new Connie Smith box set!)
