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May 13
Why today? This obscure Hank Thompson beauty was recorded on this date in 1952.
About the record: Capitol F2269, recorded May 13, 1952, at Capitol Records’ studio on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Released in November of that year. Never released on a U.S. album. First LP appearance was in August 1966, on Breakin’ The Rules, Capitol DT-2575 in 1972, on the German release The Old-Fashioned Style of Hank Thompson, Provincia PLP-0766.
If I’m ever able to buy more of the comprehensive box sets produced by Bear Family Records of Germany, the complete Hank Thompson collection is near the top of my list to get. In my explorations for this blog and for my own entertainment, I’ve yet to discover a new-to-me Thompson record that I didn’t like. “The New Wears Off Too Fast” — written by Hank and his guitarist, Billy Gray — is no exception. Odds are it’s probably new to you, too. Enjoy.
About the artist: My most recent post on Hank Thompson also featured a new find, and some background on his long, long career. Check it out!
(Post edited above to reflect new information from Ken Johnson, who keeps me honest! Thanks, Ken.)
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May 13, 2010 at 9:08 AM
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May 13, 2010 at 11:12 AM
Ken Johnson
An excellent choice for today’s feature! But then again, you can’t go wrong with anything that Hank Thompson ever recorded. Some may take exception with his choice of songs at times, but the vocal and instrumental performances on Hank’s sessions were ALWAYS first class.
Hank’s Bear Family Boxset is one of the best investments that I ever made. Though the set is rather pricey, it’s well worth it to hear Hank and the band in their heyday via the pristine master recordings unearthed from the Capitol vaults by Bear Family. Hank’s original vinyl Capitol albums in decent condition bring big dollars in the collector’s market. By the time you track down all of his albums & non-LP singles/flip sides for Capitol you’d pay much more than the cost of this 12 CD boxset. The beautiful hard bound book with Hank’s Capitol sessionography and Rich Kienzle’s individual session notes add even greater value. Out of print for a time, Bear Family has produced a fresh batch so if you’ve procrastinated in the past you might want to grab one before they disappear again.
By the way, the sessionography indicates that Hank’s remake recording of “The New Wears Off Too Fast” was used for the “Breakin’ The Rules” LP. The stereo version recorded for “Hank Thompson At The State Fair Of Texas” in October 1962 is listed as being repurposed for that 1966 compilation. I don’t have the “Breakin’ The Rules” LP in my collection so I can’t confirm this for you. Perhaps another Hank fan here will enlighten us.
A single CD source for the 1952 version of “The New Wears Off Too Fast,” is the 2004 British import “A Proper Introduction to Hank Thompson: The Wild Side of Life.”
May 13, 2010 at 12:01 PM
3chordsaday
Thanks, Ken. Good info, as always. I’ve changed the LP section of the post to reflect it.
Have you ever heard a Capitol master cut in Hollywood that WASN’T recorded to perfection? It all holds up so well, especially the material from the studios in the basement of the Capitol Tower. But even the Melrose recordings like this are superb. I’m sure the fact that Capitol started using tape while their (larger) competitors were still cutting to disc is a big factor.
May 13, 2010 at 2:26 PM
Paul W Dennis
I agree with Ken – Hank Thompson never made a bad recording. Even the really dumb songs (and there are a bunch of them) turn into classics in the hands of Hank and his Brazos Valley Boys. I saw Hank about three years before he died and he was still in good voice.
I had the good fortune to win the Bear Box set – the only Bear set I didn’t pay for myself (I have about a dozen of them). It truly is magnificent. The funny thing is that even that 12 CD set isn’t enough Hank Thompson as there are essential cuts in the Warner Brothers and Dot/ABC recordings. After all, would you want to miss “Smoky, The Bar”, “I See Them Everywhere” or “On Tap, From The Can or In The Bottle” ??
May 13, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Ken Johnson
I’m totally on the same page with both of you. The audio quality of Capitol’s recording studios and their crystal clear vocal mixes is beyond perfection for that era. In the Bear Family Box set notes, Hank Thompson acknowledges the exceptional technical presence and quality of his Capitol sessions vs. his later recordings for Dot, ABC/Dot & MCA.
Too bad that more country acts from the 1950’s did not have access to those excellent Capitol facilities. Imagine how great Hank Williams would have sounded in THAT studio!
Paul – in case you may have missed it, in 1996 Varese Sarabande issued “The Best Of Hank Thompson 1966-1979.” This is the only CD to include Hank’s Warner Brothers singles “Where Is The Circus” & “He’s Got A Way With Women,” AND his most successful singles for Dot, ABC/Dot and MCA. Great audio quality and photos. (A second Bear Family Hank Thompson Box Set covering those years would be most welcome!!!)
By the way, for the Hank fan on a budget, the Australian Raven label has a new CD available, “The Quintessential Hank Thompson 1948-1979.” Provides a great overview of Hank’s career during that time period. Includes 30 of his best recordings for Capitol, Dot & MCA.
May 13, 2010 at 10:47 PM
pwdennis
Ken – I’ve got a ridiculous amount of Hank Thompson, most of the latter CDs, the Varese collection, the 1992 MCA Country Music Hall of Fame Series (which overlaps the Varese collection by six of its 16 tracks), plus vinyl albums covering his whole career
May 14, 2010 at 7:31 AM
Ken Johnson
Paul – You can never have too much Hank Thompson! Here’s hoping that more of his later catalog eventually gets reissued.