Tommy Hunter "Tommy Hunter" (Canadian Talent Library, 1964) (LP)
Tommy Hunter "Travelling With Tommy Hunter" (Columbia Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Jones)
Like many of Hunter's albums from this period, this was recorded in Nashville and concentrated on songs by Nashville composers such as Cy Coben, with the only Canadian song being a lone entry from Ray Griff, "Cup Of Disgrace. Also notable is Hunter's disinterest in recording regional-pride songs, which were still a bedrock of Canadian country music at the time: perhaps the producers of his network TV show felt a broader, more generic approach would bring him a wider audience.
Tommy Hunter "Tommy Hunter" (Columbia Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Jones)
Another set recorded in Nashville, and as with the album above, no details about the musicians backing him in the studio.
Tommy Hunter "Time Slips Away" (Columbia Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Jones)
Tommy Hunter "Tommy" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Feeney, Hayward Parrott & George Semkiw)
In contrast to his earlier albums, Hunter recorded this set in Canada, with an all-Canadian studio crew that was peppered with several high-profile pickers. The group included pianist/arranger John Arpin, Al Brisco (steel guitar), Terry Bush (guitar), Art Devilliers (guitar), Barry Keane (drums), Alistair Morrison (guitar), Brian Russel (guitar), Red Shea (guitar), Ollie Strong (steel guitar), and multi-instrumentalist Jack Zaza here simply playing bass. Few of these guys were strictly country musicians, though Al Briscoe had pretty solid country bona fides, and Red Shea was well-known and highly regarded for his work as Gordon Lightfoot's bandleader. Along with the shift away from the Nashville studios came a slight uptick in Canadian content, with Hunter opening the album with songs penned by the likes of Larry Douglas, Roy Payne and Tom Zans... Nonetheless, for a show host with a national profile, Hunter seemed remarkably disinterested in promoting homegrown Canadian composers, choosing instead to croon his way through American oldies such as Pee Wee King's "Tennessee Waltz" and the Eddy Arnold classic "Anytime." Hunter's meager output as a solo artist may be partly explained by the lethargic, old-geezer vocals heard here, a laid-back style reminiscent of old-timers like Ernie Ford or Tex Ritter, who were still in the game at this point, but just barely.
Tommy Hunter "Tommy" (Acclaim Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Andy Di Martino)
Tommy Hunter "Readings" (PolyTel Records, 1983)
(Produced by Tommy Hunter & Les Pouliot)
Tommy Hunter "The Anniversary Sessions" (RCA Victor, 1989)
(Produced by Giles Godard)
Tommy Hunter "Traditional Country Christmas" (Edith Records/Rocklands Promotions, 20--?)
Tommy Hunter emerged as a fresh-faced teen singer in the 1950s but became best known as the host of the long-running TV variety program, The Tommy Hunter Show, which went on the air in 1965 and was broadcast nationwide until 1992. For such a high-profile performer, Hunter recorded surprisingly few albums in his heyday, though his program was a gateway for many country artists, Canadian and US alike, to reach a broad audience. Tommy Hunter was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.
