Cattle Call/Thereby Hangs a Tale

by Eddy Arnold

Overview

This CD is made up of two similarly conceived albums that were among the finest LPs Arnold ever cut, when he was in the midst of the extended peak of his career. Cattle Call was an apparent attempt (and almost wholly successful one) to tap into the revival of interest in Western songs fostered by Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash at Columbia. In addition to Arnold's re-recording (his fourth version in less than 20 years) of the title tune, in a spare but polished rendition, he also does an excellent job with Bob Nolan's "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," the traditional "Carry Me Back to the Lone Prairie," and pieces like the singing-cowboy anthem "Leaning on the Old Top Rail." Grady Martin is the lead guitarist on these sessions, which were produced by Chet Atkins and have a clean, lean sound, not overproduced and all rather similar to the sound that Robbins got on his records. What is lacking is the tone of urgency and involvement that Robbins brought to this same material. Thereby Hangs a Tale grew out of the folk music boom and Arnold's successful 1959 single of Jimmie Driftwood's "Tennessee Stud." The Anita Kerr Singers turn up here and there, but are used in a fairly restrained manner. The stereo separation is extremely crisp and the instrumental textures are vivid throughout. Jimmie Driftwood's original notes on Thereby Hangs a Tale have been replaced by new notes, focusing more on the songs themselves. Chet Atkins produced both albums, but only played on Tale. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	06/27/1994
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127154415

Tracks

1. The Streets of Laredo
2. Cool Water
3. Cattle Call
4. Leanin' on the Old Top Rail
5. Ole Faithful
6. A Cowboy's Dreams
7. The Wayward Wind
8. Tumbling Tumbleweeds
9. Cowpoke
10. Where the Mountains Meet the Sky
11. Sierra Sue
12. Carry Me Back to the Lone Prairie
13. Jim, I Wore a Tie Today
14. Tom Dooley
15. Nellie Sits A-Waitin'
16. Tennessee Stud
17. The Battle of Little Big Horn
18. Wreck of the Old '97
19. The Red Headed Stranger
20. Johnny Reb, That's Me
21. Riders in the Sky
22. Boot Hill
23. The Ballad of Davy Crockett
24. Partners
25. Jesse James

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eddy Arnold   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Anita Kerr   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
John D. Loudermilk   Guest Artist,Guitar
Chet Atkins   Guest Artist,Guitar
Floyd Cramer   Piano
Grady Martin   Guitar
Little Roy Wiggins   Guitar
Henry Strzelecki   Bass
Lillian Hunt   Violin
Wilda Tinsley   Violin
Dorothy Ann Dillard   Vocals (Background)
William Guilford Wright, Jr.   Vocals (Background)
Bob Moore   Bass
Brenton Banks   Viola
Louis Dean Nunley   Vocals (Background)
Jerry Byrd   Bass
Ray Edenton   Guitar
Douglas Kirkham   Drums
Buddy Harman   Drums

Technical Credits

Herb Newman   Composer
Danny Dill   Composer
Tex Owens   Composer
Bob Nolan   Composer
Charles W. Noell   Composer
Richard Weize   Re-Release Producer
Hoffmann Nienburg   Artwork
Jon Hartley Fox   Liner Notes
Edith Lindeman   Composer
Carl Stutz   Composer
Tom Mueller   Mastering
F.J. Lewey   Composer
Aston Williams   Composer
Marge Crumbaker   Composer
Nancy Chase   Composer
Stanley Lebowsky   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Sammy Kaye   Composer
Jimmy Kennedy   Composer
Bill Graham   Composer
Chet Atkins   Producer
Cindy Walker   Composer
Frank Warner   Composer
Charles F. Kenny   Composer
Elliott Shapiro   Composer
John A. Lomax   Composer
Unknown   Composer
Joseph Buell Carey   Composer
Jimmie Driftwood   Composer
Jerry Crutchfield   Composer
Pat Wilson   Composer
Nick A. Kenny   Composer
Michael Carr   Composer
Tom Blackburn   Composer
Alan Lomax   Composer
Henry Whitter   Composer
Gerald Nelson   Composer
George Bruns   Composer
Stan Jones   Composer