Jim Reeves

[electra225]

Today was Jim Reeves day out at the shop. I dug out the Harmon-Kardon TA-230 "Stereo Festival" to handle the amplifier duties and used my old dependable DJ turntable with its Stanton cartridge. I connected the H-K receiver to the Fisher speakers out in the shop. Neither the Stereo Festival nor the Fisher speakers are the best ever made, but, together, they work really well.

"Songs To Warm the Heart" RCA LSP-2001, circa 1959 should be a Chet Atkins album featuring Jim Reeves on vocals. This album was recorded in January, 1959 right about the time Chet became the A&R man for RCA Nashville. Lots of good Chet Atkins guitar picking featured on this album.

"Gentleman Jim" RCA LPM 2605. 1963. Some of his later material. Many of the songs on this album were written or co-written by Jim Reeves,

"Moonlight And Roses" RCA LSP 2654. 1964. One of the last albums released before his death. This is one of the albums that gave Jim Reeves the moniker of being the Perry Como of country music. Oboes, French horns, Bergen White strings, The Jordainaires complete with mezzo-soprano introduced to country music. Smooth as good scotch whiskey......

"A Touch of Velvet", RCA LSP 2487, 1962. This album established Jim Reeves as the poster boy for the Nashville Sound. A cover of hits by other artists for the most part. One of his better albums.

"Jim Reeves on Stage" RCA LSP 4062, 1968. This album was recorded in 1960 or 1961, but was released after his death. This album showed the personal side of Jim Reeves and was during his pre-Nashville Sound days.

"Jim Reeves' Twelve Songs Of Christmas" RCA LSP 2768. 1963. The copy I have is a re-issue dated 1973. This album includes my favorite Christmas song "An Old Christmas Card".

"A Touch of Sadness", RCA LSP 3987, 1968. More songs released after his death, mostly album cuts and covers. Many of the songs written by Jim Reeves. Very pleasant listening since he never recorded a bad note.....

Mary Reeves must have released every note Jim ever recorded, public and private. I have an album released after his death that included material he had recorded at home, before he started performing publicly.