Guitar Legend: The RCA Years

Compilation album by Chet Atkins

Released

April 4, 2000

Recorded

1947-1977

Genre

Country, pop

Length

123:48

Label

Buddah (99673)

Producer

Chet Atkins, Steve Sholes, Bob Ferguson, Charles Grean

Chet Atkins chronology

The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World
(1997)

Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
(2000)

Chet Picks on the Grammys
(2002)

Guitar Legend: The RCA Years is a two-disc compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins. The 50 tracks included here focus on his first recordings in 1947 to the 1977 release Nashville Guitar Quartet.

History

This collection includes many of Chet's early 78 rpm & 45 rpm releases. Issued on CD for the first time are tracks from Atkins' early EP Pickin' the HIts "Dance With Me Henry" and "Tweedlee Dee" as well as early versions of "Trambone" and "Blue Ocean Echo" ("Blue Echo"). The short-lived ensemble "The Rhythm Rockers (featuring Chet Atkins)" is represented by "Dig These Blues".

The version of "Black Mountain Rag" is incorrectly listed in the liner notes as taken from the 10-inch vinyl release Gallopin' Guitar. It is actually a much later version from the LP Pickin' My Way. The original was to be used but the later version was mistakenly included.

There is more of a concentration on the early period, with a much smaller amount from selected '50's and '60's LP's. This was done in part because many of the early Atkins songs appreciated by collectors were out of print and unavailable. Atkins had been reluctant to see this material reissued during his lifetime, because he felt his early playing too brash and rough.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Country Standard Time	(no rating) ^[2]

Allmusic critic Jim Smith praised the compilation, writing it was "arguably the first affordable collection to paint a comprehensive picture... Each phase of his development is documented, with an emphasis on his classic early group recordings".^[1] Henry Koretzky wrote that the album displays "a stylistic versatility that his more mainstream albums never showcased."^[2]

Track listing

"Canned Heat" (Atkins) – 2:35
"The Nashville Jump" (Atkins, Tennis) – 2:31
"Dizzy Strings" (Atkins) – 2:42
"Tellin' My Troubles to My Old Guitar" (Weston) – 2:45
"Dance of the Golden Rod" (Merle Travis) – 2:39
"Galloping on the Guitar" (Atkins) – 2:28
"Centipede Boogie" (Atkins) – 2:40
"Main Street Breakdown" (Atkins) – 2:16
"Indian Love Call" (Rudolf Friml, Oscar Hammerstein, Otto Harbach) – 2:38
"Mountain Melody" (Atkins) – 2:09
"Jitterbug Waltz" (Maltby, Waller) – 2:36
"Rainbow" (Bryan, Wenrich) – 2:36
"Nobody's Sweetheart" (Ernie Erdman, Gus Kahn, Billy Meyers, E. Schoebel) – 2:14
"Chinatown, My Chinatown" (William Jerome, Jean Schwartz) – 1:59
"Fiddle Patch" (Dale Potter) – 2:19
"(When It's) Darkness on the Delta" (Levinson, Neiburg, Symes) – 2:46
"High Rockin' Swing" (Avants, Tennant) – 2:19
"Guitars on Parade" (Atkins) – 2:21
"Oh By Jingo!" (Lew Brown, Albert Von Tilzer) – 2:13
"The Bells of St. Mary's" (Adams, Furber) – 2:13
"Country Gentleman" (Atkins, Boudleaux Bryant) – 2:14
"Memphis Blues" (W. C. Handy, George Norton) – 2:08
"Downhill Drag" (Atkins, Bryant) – 2:22
"Ballin' the Jack" (Burris, Smith) – 2:56
"Silver Bell" (Madden, Wenrich) – 2:14
"Mr. Sandman" (Pat Ballard) – 2:18
"New Spanish Two-Step" (Duncan, Bob Wills) – 2:11
"The Poor People of Paris (Jean's Song)" (Monnot) – 1:59
"Tweedlee Dee" (Scott) – 2:24
"Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry)" (Ballard, Otis) – 2:22
"Blue Ocean Echo" (Atkins, Bryant) – 2:19
"Trambone" (Atkins) – 2:12
"Dig These Blues" (Chatman) – 2:24
"Yesterdays" (Harbach, Kern) – 2:20
"Walk, Don't Run" (Johnny Smith) – 2:24
"Hot Toddy" (Flanagan) – 2:24
"Slinkey" (Atkins) – 2:04
"Frankie and Johnny" (Traditional) – 3:37
"Windy and Warm" (John D. Loudermilk) – 2:28
"Early Times" (Jerry Reed) – 2:40
"Satan's Doll" (Smith) – 3:51
"So Rare" (Jerry Herst, Jack Sharpe) – 3:03
"Yakety Axe" (Boots Randolph, Rich) – 2:04
"Blue Angel" (Lima) – 2:25
"Steeplechase Lane" (Jerry Reed Hubbard) – 2:26
"Black Mountain Rag" (Traditional) – 2:35
"Take Five" (Paul Desmond) – 2:42
"Blue Finger" (Hubbard) – 2:38
"Cascade" (Slone) – 2:26
"Carolina Shout" (Johnson) – 2:39

Personnel

Chet Atkins – guitar
Hank Snow – guitar
Dale Potter – fiddle
Henry "Homer" Haynes – guitar
Ken "Jethro" Burns – mandolin
Liona Boyd – guitar
John Knowles – guitar
John Pell – guitar

References

1 2 Smith, Jim. "Guitar Legend: The RCA Years > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
1 2 Koretzky, Henry. "Guitar Legend: The RCA Years > Review". Country Standard Time. Retrieved January 31, 2011.

Chet Atkins

Studio albums	Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins A Session with Chet Atkins Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins (LP version) Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions Finger Style Guitar Chet Atkins at Home Hi-Fi in Focus Chet Atkins in Hollywood Hum & Strum Along with Chet Atkins Mister Guitar Teensville The Other Chet Atkins Chet Atkins' Workshop Christmas with Chet Atkins The Most Popular Guitar Chet Atkins Plays Back Home Hymns Caribbean Guitar Down Home Our Man in Nashville Teen Scene Travelin' Guitar Country Progressive Pickin' My Favorite Guitars More of That Guitar Country Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles From Nashville with Love Music from Nashville, My Home Town It's a Guitar World Chet Picks the Best Class Guitar Hometown Guitar Solid Gold 68 Solo Flights Lover's Guitar Solid Gold 69 Yestergroovin' Solid Gold 70 Pickin' My Way For the Good Times Picks on the Hits Alone The Night Atlanta Burned Chet Atkins Goes to the Movies Teen Scene Me and My Guitar Country After All These Years East Tennessee Christmas Work It out with Chet Atkins C.G.P. Stay Tuned Street Dreams Sails Chet Atkins, C.G.P. Read My Licks Almost Alone Solo Sessions Chet Atkins and His Guitar

Collaborations	Reminiscing The Pops Goes Country C. B. Atkins & C. E. Snow by Special Request Chet Atkins Picks on the Pops Me & Jerry Chet Floyd & Boots Me & Chet American Salute Superpickers The Atkins – Travis Traveling Show Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed Chester & Lester Chet Floyd & Danny Guitar Monsters First Nashville Guitar Quartet Reflections Standard Brands Neck and Neck Sneakin' Around The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat Simpatico The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World

Live albums	After the Riot at Newport In Concert And Then Came Chet Atkins The Best of Chet on the Road — Live

With The Country All-Stars	String Dustin' Jazz from the Hills

With The Nashville String Band	The Nashville String Band Down Home Strung Up Identified! The Bandit World's Greatest Melodies

Selected compilations	The Best of Chet Atkins The Best of Chet Atkins, Vol. 2 The Best of Chet Atkins & Friends Galloping Guitar: The Early Years Guitar Legend: The RCA Years Chet Picks on the Grammys The Essential Chet Atkins: The Columbia Years The Essential Chet Atkins Eclectic Guitar The Early Years 1946–1957

Related articles	Discography

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