Jimmy Wakely "Vintage Collections" (Capitol Records, 1996)
Wakely was a "western" singer, or singing cowboy, who also starred in the early "oaters," although in the mid-1940s his career shifted into more or less straight pop singing (much of which is collected on this disc). After his heyday in the 1940s, he recorded for a bunch of labels, including his own Shasta Records, though this disc makes a pretty good case for his Capitol years. A lot of croony pop stuff, high-class schmaltz, with the shadow of Bing Crosby in the background, but also some surprisingly solid borderline honkytonk. Of all the Capitol Vintage discs, this is the one that's most unique, and the one which is least likely to be reissued in any future version. So what are you waiting for? Go find this now! It's cool.
Jimmy Wakely "The Very Best Of Jimmy Wakely" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)
Jimmy Wakely "The Jimmy Wakely Christmas Collection" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)
This holiday offering includes tracks taken from two albums, 1958's Merry Christmas From Jimmy Wakely and An Old-Fashioned Christmas, from 1977. (For more country Christmas music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section)
Jimmy Wakely "The Singing Cowboy" (Varese Sarabande, 2002)
Wakely started his own independent Shasta label while riding on the wave of his nationwide 1950s TV show fame, mostly releasing material culled from that long-running show, or western-themed albums that caught his fancy. This is one of several Varese discs reissuing that material for a new generation... Here, Wakely is caught firmly in the grip of Bing Crosby's crooner style, so much so that it might be heard to tell that it isn't actually Der Bingle singing on these tunes. The arrangements are also kinda odd, lush, sometimes syrupy refashionings of cowboys standards, often with a churchy organ setting the tone for Wakely's soft crooning. Overall, folks might find this slow going, but it's certainly a different take on this material.
Jimmy Wakely "Rocky Mountain Lullaby" (BACM, 2005)
Jimmy Wakely "Red River Rose" (BACM, 2005)
Jimmy Wakely "Cowboy's Heaven" (BACM, 2005)
Jimmy Wakely "A Rainbow At Midnight" (Jasmine Records, 2008)
This is a pretty fab reissue, featuring four discs worth of classic material by cowboy singer-gone soft pop crooner Jimmy Wakely. He's an interesting figure: starting out as a "western" singer with plenty of tunes about sunsets and rolling prairies, in the 1940s Wakely crossed over into the pop charts with some smooth, slightly-twangy duets with big band vocalist Margaret Whiting. He brought a distinctly Bing Crosby-esque style into the country charts as well, but he also stayed true to his on-the-dusty-trail roots, and when the hits started to dry up, he started his own label, to record the kind of music he loved. I have a slightly unreasonable affection for Wakely's work... although I can see how country purists might find it too soft and watered-down, it strikes the same chords for me as Bing's best work did, and this multi-disc offering certainly gives fans a great opportunity to luxuriate in more than the handful of great tunes that other recent single-CD releases have given us, including collaborations with Mary Ford, Margaret Whiting, Foy Willing and others. Definitely worth checking out!
Jimmy Wakely "Great Hillbilly And Western Swing Rarities" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)
Jimmy Wakely "The Fabulous Jimmy Wakely Trio" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)
Jimmy Wakely "The Legendary Jimmy Wakely Trio" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)
Jimmy Wakely "Songs Of The West" (10") (Capitol, 1954)
Jimmy Wakely "Christmas On The Range" (10") (Capitol Records, 1954) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Santa Fe Trail" (Decca Records, 1957) (LP)*
Jimmy Wakely "Enter And Rest And Pray" (Decca Records, 1958) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Country Million Sellers" (Shasta Records, 1958) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "A Cowboy Serenade" (Tops Records, 1958) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Merry Christmas From Jimmy Wakely" (Shasta Records, 1958)
Jimmy Wakely "Jimmy Wakely Sings" (Shasta Records, 1960) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Slippin' Around" (Dot Records, 1966) (LP)*
Jimmy Wakely & Margaret Whiting "I'll Never Slip Around Again" (Hilltop Records, 1967) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Show Me The Way" (Vocalion Records, 1967) (LP)
This is a reissue of an old Decca album...
Jimmy Wakely "Here's Jimmy Wakely" (Vocalion Records, 1968) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Heartaches" (Decca Records, 1969) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Now And Then" (Decca Records, 1970) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Big Country Songs" (Vocalion Records, 1970) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Jimmy Wakely Country" (Shasta Records, 1971) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "The Jimmy Wakely Family Show" (Shasta Records, 1973) (LP)
A family album with Linda Wakely and Johnny Wakely...
Jimmy Wakely "Blue Shadows" (MCA/Coral Records, 1973) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "...Sings A Tribute To Bob Wills" (MCR Records, 1974) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "The Wakely Way With Country Hits" (Shasta Records, 1974) (LP)
Another family album with Linda Wakely and Johnny Wakely...
Jimmy Wakely "On Stage, v.1" (Shasta Records, 1974) (LP)
Live airshots from Jimmy Wakely's CBS Radio Show, 1952-1958...
Jimmy Wakely "...Revisits Country Western Swing With The Big Band Sound" (MCR Records, 1974) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "The Jimmy Wakely Show With Special Guest Russ Morgan" (Shasta Records, 1975) (LP)
A live recording from 1957...
Jimmy Wakely & Lindalee Wakely "Gentle Touch" (Shasta Records, 1975) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Singing Cowboy" (Shasta Records, 1975) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Western Swing And Pretty Things" (Shasta Records, 1977) (LP)
More airshots from Jimmy Wakely's CBS Radio Show, 1952-1958...
Jimmy Wakely "Reflections By Jimmy Wakely" (Shasta Records, 1977) (LP)
Archival radio recordings from 1939-64...
Jimmy Wakely "Jimmy Wakely Country" (Shasta Records, 1977) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Precious Memories" (Shasta Records, 1977) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Old Fashioned Christmas" (Shasta Records, 1977) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely "Lonesome Guitar Man" (Album Globe Records, 1981) (LP)
Jimmy Wakely (1914-1982) was one of the great "singing cowboy" movie stars of the 1940s and '50s, and one of the style's most successful crossover artists. Wakely's duets with big band/pop vocalist Margaret Whiting gained him several mainstream pop hits, notably their chart-topping cover of Floyd Tillman's honkytonk classic, "Slippin' Around." He appeared in several cowboy films, generally in supporting roles behind screen icons such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, and followed them into the Country charts and other media. Wakeley is particularly notable as a savvy businessman -- he started his own publishing companies and record label, recording and licensing his own material, as well as producing albums for other veterans of the western music such as Eddie Dean and Tex Williams who, like Wakely, had largely been left behind as popular tastes in country music changed in the 1960s and '70s. Here's a quick look at Wakely and his legacy...
