Disco de Charlie Rich: “Complete Singles Plus: The Sun Years 1958-1963”

Years before he found the sophisticated countrypolitan formula that would vault him to international fame in the mid-70s, Rich was a second-generation Sun rock 'n' roller. Starting in 1958, he released a string of truly fine singles that wed his background in R&B, blues and jazz to the reverbed energy of Sun's rockabilly sound. Surprisingly, he had virtually no commercial success in his six years at Sun, peaking at #22 with the self-penned "Lonely Weekends," hitting #67 on the country chart with "Who Will the Next Fool Be," and scraping the bottom of the pop chart at #111 with "Just a Little Bit Sweet."

Perhaps his delivery at such an early point in his career was just too similar to Elvis' contemporaneous work at RCA to capture its own audience. He sang with authority and not a little bit of swagger, but his Sun sides (actually released on the Sun subsidiary Phillips International) never ignited a commercial following. His success in placing songs with Sun labelmates suggests that perhaps Rich's style may have cut too smoothly across genres to engage those coming strictly from the worlds of rock 'n' roll, blues or R&B. It would be another 15 years before the record-buying world would wake up to his synthesis.

Rich's first single, "Whirlwind" b/w "Philadelphia Baby," shows a purer rockabilly sound to be a good fit for Rich's voice. By his second outing he was mixing in gospel ("Big Man"), and his third, "Lonely Weekends," adds blue country soul to the rock 'n' roll. He sang (and to a large extent, penned) doo-wop ("School Days"), Latin ballads ("On My Knees"), blues ("Who Will the Next Fool Be," "Midnight Blues"), R&B ("Easy Money," "Finally Found Out"), and pop jazz ("There's Another Place I Can't Go"). His versatility is admirable and effective, though it was probably confusing for the marketing folks at Sun.

Varese's compilation of Rich's original 10 singles (both A and B sides) is augmented by three album tracks and a pair of cuts previously unissued by Sun. Highlights among the bonuses are Rich's heartbroken, yet bouncy "Goodbye Mary Ann," the Jerry Lee Lewis styled piano rockabilly "Yes Ma'am," and the jazzy piano-driven blues growl "There Won't Be Anymore."

Fans familiar only with Rich's hit '70s sides, and perhaps "Lonely Weekend," as well as fans of '50s rock 'n' roll (or modern day revivalists like Big Sandy), will delight in this lesser explored side of The Silver Fox.

It may be no secret by now that Charlie Rich was eclectic himself in his choice and style of music, so eclectic, so wide-ranging that he could not be categorized (a bit like Ray Charles). Due to that he never really achieved the success that he really deserved, years of countrypolitan or not, as nobody knew how to promote him. After "Behind Closed Doors" hit, the umpteen record companies that he had recorded for all seemed to release his songs from their vaults to capitalize on his new fame. I bought them all since I was not always able to when they first came out; they are all included in this package. Charlie had made new, equally as good or better. versions of his so-so hits (or non-hits) as he moved from record company to record company. Apparently he never did so with "A Little Bit Sweet", a favorite of this then-romantic teenager in the listening area of his home base of Memphis. "On My Knees", included here, was redone effectively with country singer Janie Fricke near the end of his countrypolitan reign. There was more than one version of "Sittin' and Thinkin'", a regional hit. The bluesy "There Won't Be Anymore" was restyled into a country hit in the mid-70s. The more ambitious version of "Midnight Blues" became an often-played album cut from "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High"). The particular selection of the songs here seem very similar to the compilation "Original Hits and Midnight Demos" available in another venue. In any case, these are the originals from which the other versions sprang. This is a great piece of musical history. I value my own well-kept collection of these songs by a musician talented on all levels. I miss him.

I will begin this review saying that in the past, the only reviews I've put down (20 to be more surprising) were for Ronnie Milsap (one of my favorites). After a while since my first review, I've decided 'why not let Charlie Rich, another of my favorites, have a turn?' So let's begin. Charlie Rich was born December 14, 1932. As a child, he practiced classical piano. (Listen to Ronda a la Charlie for more information, on youtube.) It was during his school years he met his future wife, Margaret Ann Greene. After graduating from high school, he tried college, but couldn't go furthur. He ended up in the Air Force. He was eventually discharged. By then, he had 2 kids, and another one on the way, so he ended up farming. Then his wife took the tapes to Sun Records and came back with Jerry Lee Lewis records after being told by Bill Justis to 'go tell Charlie when he can play that bad to come see me.' On 1958, he went and recorded his first single Whirlwind b/w Philadelphia Baby. The next single was, strangely, Big Man b/w Rebound. The third turned out to be big though. It was Lonely Weekends b/w Everything I Do Is Wrong. It went Pop #22, but should've been bigger, and with a good followup. Oh well. Still a great CD to listen to. This isn't pure anything. This is rock, blues, R&B, soul, country, and even a touch of gospel. That makes this musically diverse. This is also 10 singles put together, plus a few bonus tracks. Enjoy!

When I first heard Charlie Rich's "On My Knees" on my parents' album, I must have been in elementary school. I remember being positively captivated by his voice, appreciating his amazing talent--even though I couldn't have been more then ten years old at the time. Having discovered this compilation of Sun Records singles leaves me yearning for the late 1950's--when this incredible style of music was current. This cd is a must for Charlie Rich fans and/or those who simply love the Sun Records era in music!