Product Description

(CD with 48-page Booklet) The greatest singer in country music history is renowned for ballads, but throughout his early career, he recorded rockin' songs... even a little rockabilly! This is the first anthology of Jones' rocking side!Includes extremely rare recordings, unreissued on CD or LP! Also includes the #1 country hits and !At 81, George Jones has enjoyed the status of world's greatest living country singer for more than half-century. Much of that reputation is rooted in raw, emotional ballads, such as , , , , and .But that's only one part of the story. Jones was no less masterful on hotter material starting with his first hit, . This collection includes that first hit as well as rarities, obscurities, and shoulda-been-hits like , , (written by Roger Miller and later a #1 hit for Alan Jackson), and , (written by Donny Young, aka Johnny Paycheck), , and . And then there's Jones' only major pop hit (and #1 country hit) (written by the Big Bopper).There's more! STARDAY RECORDS coerced Jones into recording several rockabilly classics under the name of Thumper Jones: and . Short of cash, Jones also covered other artists' hits for Starday's budget-priced series of Dixie EPs. These included and Johnny Horton's (a 1988 hit when George re-recorded it for EPIC). The wilder side of Jones's life is well known; this collection assembles 35 of his most aggressive performances from STARDAY and MERCURY...many of them featuring the classic east Texas honky tonk sound. Plus, there's a rare radio spot from his STARDAY years, notes by Rich Kienzle, and a detailed discography.