“Don’t Be Cruel”/”Hound Dog” sat atop the country charts for ten weeks, from September 15th, 1956 all the way into early November. The record that took it’s place, however, was an even bigger hit, at least on country radio. “Singing the Blues,” by Marty Robbins, took over the top spot on November 10 and didn’t budge until the week of February 2, 1957.

Like “Don’t Be Cruel,” Robbins’ hit isn’t a record typically cited as an example of the Nashville Sound but, at the very least, it sure sounds like a record on it’s way. It has that warm sound and an unmistakably pop melody that let it cross over pop (topping out at #17). Robbins’ croon and the single’s use of piano (courtesy Owen Bradley) as a color instrument, as well A-Teamer Ray Edenton on driving the cut on his acoustic guitar with a hard strum that makes it close kin to Chet Atkins’ first Nashville Sound record nominee, Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me.” In fact, edit out James Farmer on steel guitar and this probably would be cited as an early instance of the style, which just goes to show how sometimes this new Nashville Sound wasn’t really all that different than what had been mainstream country for a while.

On second thought, though, please don’t delete Farmer’s steel; Marty sounds so down here that he needs the company.

The Marvin Endsley song was such a success that, at Columbia head Mitch Miller’s initiation, it was covered by Robbins’ Columbia labelmate Guy Mitchell, who over the next few years did for country hits what Pat Boone did for rock ‘n’ roll hits–that is, he simplified their emotions and tamed their rhythms. 

There was another version of Singing the Blues that hit number one in 1956, as well: Tommy Steele, England’s first “rock and roller,” did just that in Britain, knocking Mitchell’s version from the top spot. (If anyone has Steele’s version, I’ll put it up here…)

Marty Robbins “Singing the Blues” (Columbia, 1956)

Guy Mitchell “Singing the Blues” (Columbia, 1956)

[FYI, the art atop this post is, first of all, an image of Marty from much later in his career and, second of all, an artwork done all in…corn. By “Crop Art” artist Lillian Colton.]

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