A Texan who cut his teeth performing in the Midwest, Eddie Dean Glosup (1907-1999) was a Depression-era radio star, appearing on the Judy Canova show and the National Darn Dance program, out of Chicago. Dean hoofed it to Hollywood in the late 1930s, and broke through as a supporting actor and eventual lead in numerous cowboy-film "oaters." Like a lot of his fellow cowboy crooners out in LA, Eddie Dean's music career faded in the late 'Fifties, and though he was a regular at the fabled Palomino Club, he wound up recording a copious number of radio transcription discs, as well as studio tracks for the Sand & Sage labels that in years to come provided the fodder for a long string of unscrupulously curated cheapo budget-label albums. These tracks were passed around like popcorn along a long line of fly-by-night labels, though there are several excellent collections out there, and even the poorly pressed 'Fifties and 'Sixties vinyl is a lot of fun to listen to. Anyway, here's a quick look at his work...
Eddie Dean "The Late And Great Eddie Dean" (Binge Discs, 2000)
A truly sweet, historically impressive set of Western oldies. This disc features two dozen tracks taken from old Standard Radio transcription discs, circa 1944-45... There are a couple of gems on here -- "Boogie Woogie Cowboy" and the perky, optimistic "Try Smilin'," but the omnipresent West Coast-style chugga-chugging accordion makes this collection a bit monotonous... Perhaps best taken in small doses.
Eddie Dean "The Golden Age Of Eddie Dean" (Binge Discs, 2000)
Fun, rare singles from a "singing cowboy" country crooner who also dipped into harder-edged hillbilly and honkytonk material from time to time. Dean wrote a lot of his own material, and had two big hits to hang his hat on: "One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart" is a marvelous sentimental standard from 1948; few years later, he recorded the original version of "I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven," a novelty classic that, sadly, is not included on this disc. Nonetheless, fans of the sentimental old twang will enjoy this album... Dean's dusty baritone can get a little corny at times, but this is fine, old-fashioned country, recorded on a variety of independent labels, mostly back in the late '40s... Definitely worth checking out!
Eddie Dean "On The Banks Of The Sunny San Juan" (Soundies Records, 2000)
Stylistically, these transcription recordings are as close to crooners like Bing Crosby as they are to rougher, tougher country singers. It's mostly pretty corny material; Dean later had a bit more bite to his tunes, with a heavier dose of honkytonk style thrown in on top. Some of the later tracks on here, when he gets deep into the singing cowboy stuff, is pretty sweet.
Eddie Dean "The Very Best Of Eddie Dean: The Shasta Masters" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)
Iffy, or at least mediocre, later recordings made in the 1970s for Jimmy Wakely's independent Shasta label. Kinda perfunctory, but okay for the genre. Dean had a little more gas in his tank at this point than some of the other old-time singing cowboys, so this disc has its moments.
Eddie Dean "1501 Miles of Heaven" (Roots Of Country, 2001)
Eddie Dean "Dusty Old Saddle" (BACM, 2005)
Eddie Dean & The Frontiersmen "The Golden Cowboy Sings The Greatest Westerns " (Sage And Sand Records, 1955) (LP)
Eddie Dean "...Sings A Tribute To Hank Williams" (Design Records, 1958) (LP)
Eddie Dean And Cort Johnson - In Person" (Tiara Records, 1960) (LP)
Eddie Dean "Hillbilly Heaven" (Sage Records, 1961) (LP)
This was (I think) the original edition of a frequently-reissued set of tunes, later repackaged on the Crown Records and Sutton labels. It's pretty good stuff, mostly straight country material, though there are intriguing hints of lounge-y jazz, blues and pop vocals, even a little hint of rock'n'roll in several of the songs. Definitely worth a spin. Later editions included Crown's Hillbilly Heaven and Eddie Dean Sings LPs, as well as one called Hillbilly Heaven on Sutton Records, which seems to have had better distribution on the East Coast. I would imagine many of these tracks also came out (perhaps originally) as Sage & Sand singles.
Eddie Dean "I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven" (Sutton Records, 19--?) (LP)
This is the same material as the Sage LP, Hillbilly Heaven and the Crown reissues Hillbilly Heaven and Eddie Dean Sings. Just pick with cover art you like best.
Eddie Dean "The Golden Cowboy" (Crown Records, 1963) (LP)
Eddie Dean "Little Green Apples" (Crown Records, 1968) (LP)
Never a stickler for stylistic purity, Eddie Dean really throws himself whole-hog into country-crooner mode, starting with his cover of "Little Green Apples" (one of Roger Miller's least compelling songs) and slides down into a full emulation of Tennessee Ernie Ford. It's an interesting footnote to a legit hillbilly career, though sadly isn't that much fun to listen to... What's more compelling, though, are several instrumental filler tracks that were used to pad the album out, and these have some sprightly twang and bounce that stands in stark contrast to Dean's somewhat dreary ballads. Both album sides end with two instrumentals, and Lord only knows who played on these -- mostly likely some longhaired hangers-on from the Sunset Strip club scene, possibly even pickers like Jerry Cole or Clarence White... you never know.
Eddie Dean "...Sings Release Me" (Crown Records, 1968) (LP)
Eddie Dean "Dean Of The West" (WFC Records, 1976) (LP)
Eddie Dean "A Cowboy Sings Country" (Shasta Records, 1980) (LP)
Eddie Dean "One Has My Name" Bradley Brothers Records & Tapes, 19--?)
Eddie Dean & Cort Johnson "Saddle Up!" (Tiara Records, 19--?)
Eddie Dean "Eddie Dean" (Altone Records, 19--?)
Eddie Dean "Sincerely Eddie Dean" (Shasta Records, 19--?) (LP)
