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Released in 1995, this 20-song collection by country-pop star Mary Francis Penick, known professionally as Skeeter Davis, features the highlights from her prime years with RCA Records. As the title suggests, this truly is the essential Skeeter Davis album, covering a nearly 20-year period that began with 1953's "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know," the lone hit by her early duo the Davis Sisters. Recorded with singing partner Betty Jack Davis (unrelated), the song spent eight weeks at number one on the country charts and ranks among the Top 100 country singles of all time. Not long after its release, Betty Jack was killed in a car accident, leaving Skeeter to carry on for a short time singing with Betty Jack's sister Georgia. Thinking she'd had her brief moment in the spotlight, Davis retired from music in 1956 in favor of a domestic life. The break didn't last long, and by 1960 she had paired up with legendary guitarist and producer Chet Atkins, releasing a string of solo hits that would carry her through the next decade. Instead of working with additional singing partners, Davis chose to multi-track her own voice, re-creating the Davis Sisters sound on her own terms; it became her signature, decorating early hits like "Am I That Easy to Forget?" and "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too," and softening her country twang on later pop crossover hits like the wonderful Gerry Goffin/Carole King-penned "I Can't Stay Mad at You" and the orchestrated "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." Of course, her best-known hit 1963's doom-filled romantic ballad "The End of the World" is included here, along with her autobiographical 1971 hit "Bus Fare to Kentucky." Her career would continue through throughout the '80s and into the '90s, but these are the essential tracks that made her a country music legend.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo
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The Davis Sisters, Performer - Cecil Null, Composer - Cecil Null, Lyricist - Steve Sholes, Producer
Originally released 1953. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Marie Wilson, Composer - Marie Wilson, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Helen Moyers, Composer - Helen Moyers, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer - Skeeter Davis, Composer
Originally released 1959. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
W.S. Stevenson, Composer - W.S. Stevenson, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Carl R. Belew, Composer - Carl R. Belew, Lyricist - Shelby Singleton, Composer - Shelby Singleton, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Vocal
Originally released 1960. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Harlan Howard, Composer - Harlan Howard, Lyricist - Fuzzy Owen, Lyricist - Fuzzy Owen, Composer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Hal Blair, Composer - Hal Blair, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer - Don Robertson, Composer - Don Robertson, Lyricist
Originally released 1960. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Composer - Skeeter Davis, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Boudleaux Bryant, Composer - Boudleaux Bryant, Lyricist - Floyd Cramer, Composer - Floyd Cramer, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer - Skeeter Davis, Composer
(P) Originally released prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Producer - Bobby Freeman, Composer - Bobby Freeman, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1961. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Sylvia Dee, Composer - Sylvia Dee, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Arthur Kent, Composer - Arthur Kent, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
(P) 1962 Sony Music Entertainment
Milton Kellum, Composer - Milton Kellum, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1964. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Harlan Howard, Composer - Harlan Howard, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1962. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Producer - Carole King, Composer - Carole King, Lyricist - Gerry Goffin, Composer - Gerry Goffin, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1963. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Anita Kerr, Producer - Alex Zanetis, Composer - Alex Zanetis, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1963. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Anita Kerr, Producer - Dick Reynolds, Composer - Dick Reynolds, Lyricist - Jack Rhodes, Composer - Jack Rhodes, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1963. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Anita Kerr, Producer - Justin Tubb, Lyricist - Justin Tubb, Composer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Producer - Carole King, Composer - Carole King, Lyricist - Gerry Goffin, Composer - Gerry Goffin, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1964. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Felton Jarvis, Producer - Bill Owens, Composer - Bill Owens, Lyricist - Dolly Parton, Composer - Dolly Parton, Lyricist - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1966. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Glaser, Composer - Glaser, Lyricist - Felton Jarvis, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1967. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Ronny Light, Composer - Ronny Light, Lyricist - Ronny Light, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
Originally released 1970. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Ronny Light, Composer - Ronny Light, Lyricist - Ronny Light, Producer - Skeeter Davis, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Album review
Released in 1995, this 20-song collection by country-pop star Mary Francis Penick, known professionally as Skeeter Davis, features the highlights from her prime years with RCA Records. As the title suggests, this truly is the essential Skeeter Davis album, covering a nearly 20-year period that began with 1953's "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know," the lone hit by her early duo the Davis Sisters. Recorded with singing partner Betty Jack Davis (unrelated), the song spent eight weeks at number one on the country charts and ranks among the Top 100 country singles of all time. Not long after its release, Betty Jack was killed in a car accident, leaving Skeeter to carry on for a short time singing with Betty Jack's sister Georgia. Thinking she'd had her brief moment in the spotlight, Davis retired from music in 1956 in favor of a domestic life. The break didn't last long, and by 1960 she had paired up with legendary guitarist and producer Chet Atkins, releasing a string of solo hits that would carry her through the next decade. Instead of working with additional singing partners, Davis chose to multi-track her own voice, re-creating the Davis Sisters sound on her own terms; it became her signature, decorating early hits like "Am I That Easy to Forget?" and "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too," and softening her country twang on later pop crossover hits like the wonderful Gerry Goffin/Carole King-penned "I Can't Stay Mad at You" and the orchestrated "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." Of course, her best-known hit 1963's doom-filled romantic ballad "The End of the World" is included here, along with her autobiographical 1971 hit "Bus Fare to Kentucky." Her career would continue through throughout the '80s and into the '90s, but these are the essential tracks that made her a country music legend.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:43
- Main artists: Skeeter Davis
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA Records Label Nashville
- Genre: Country
(P) 1995 BMG Entertainment.
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