Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man

My youngest brother, Boon Hooi, loves music. As far as CD collection is concerned, he thrashes me. I think he has more than 2,000 CDs in his collection. In fact, he introduced many singers to me. Tammy Wynette is one of the singers that I got to know from him.

He bought Tammy Wynette's CD, "Higher Ground", way back in late 1990s. During one of trips back to my hometown, he played that CD to me. After listening to just 2 or 3 songs of that CD, I simply fell for the Tammy Wynette's music. I also told him that I would look for more CDs of Tammy.

Subsequently, I did saw Tammy Wynette's CDs on music shops. However, all these CDs were having those few songs that I already owned. I was disappointed and thought I I would never have chance to listen to more songs of Tammy.

However, the situation changed when I started to collect LPs. Every now and then, an LP of Tammy surfaced and I just grabbed it. I have already owned 8 LPs of Tammy today.

This album, "Stand By Your Man" contains Tammy Wynette's greatest hit of the same name.

Song List:

Side A : (You Make Me Want To Be) A Mother, Another Lonely Song, Kids Say the Darnest Things, Love's The Answer, Bedtime Story, Stand By Your Man

Side B : Good Lovin' (Makes It Right), Reach Out Your Hand, Please Come to Boston, 'Til I Get It Right, My Man (Understand), There Goes That Old Steel Guitar, Help Me Make It Through The Night

Tammy Wynette - The First Lady

In the country and western (C&W) music world in the 50s and earlier, it was practically a man’s world. Male C&W singers completely outnumbered female singers. I could only utter the names of just 2 female C&W singers of that era, Patsy Montana of the 30s and Kitty Wells of the 50s.

In the 60s, the C&W music world was still dominated by male singers. However, there were more and more female singers that broke into the scene. In late 60s, there came a very successful one. Her name was Tammy Wynette.

Tammy Wynette (1942 - 1998) released her first singles, “Apartment No 9/I’m Not Mine to Give” in 1966. She scored her number 1 hit, “My Elusive Dreams”, in 1967. During the late 60s and early 70s, Tammy Wynette scored 17 number one hits on Billboard Country Chart. Due to her success in C&W music, she was accorded the title of “The First Lady of Country Music”.

Tammy Wynette has a coarse voice, a voice that could easily pluck the sentimental cords of our hearts. That was why she sang many songs of stormy relationship, failed marriage and loneliness.

This LP, “The First Lady”, was released in 1970.

Song List (I was unable to find this LP as it was hidden somewhere in my LP collection. When I find the LP again, I will amend the song list below if there is any mistake):

Side A - Run Woman Run, I Wish I Had A Mommy Like You, True And Lasting Love, I Never Once Stopped Loving You, Safe In These Lovin' Arms Of Mine, Sally Trash

Side B - My Daddy Doll, The Lovin' Kind, He's Still My Man, Buy Me A Daddy, Playin' Around With Love

Hank Thompson - Hank !

As I like to listen to oldies in general and classic country and western songs in particular, I spend a quite a bit of time listening to songs on YouTube. Whenever I found a singer or songs I liked, I would note down the name of singer or the title of the song in my little notebook. These notes became very helpful whenever I came across some unfamiliar singers when I went searching for LPs. Hank Thompson (1925 – 2007) is a country and western singer I first came across on YouTube.

Wikipeida describes Hank Thompson as “an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades. He sold more than 60 million records worldwide. Thompson's musical style, characterized as honky tonk Western swing, was a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar and steel guitar that featured his distinctive, smooth baritone vocals. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the top Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard.”

Hank Thompson released his first singles in 1946 and his first LP in 1952. This album was released in 1957.

Song List:

Side A - Hang Your Head in Shame, String of Pearls, The Gypsy, You'll Be the One, Don't Be That Way, Ole Napoleon

Side B - I Don't Want To Know, Prosperity Special, Someone Can Steal You from Me, Don't Look Now, Across the Alley from the Alamo, Don't Get Around Much Anymore