| Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1953 | |||
| Genre | Country, pop | |||
| Label | RCA Victor LPM-3079 | |||
| Producer | Steve Sholes | |||
| Chet Atkins chronology | ||||
| ||||
Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar is the first studio album released by American guitarist Chet Atkins on the RCA Victor label (see 1953 in music). It was available as a 10-inch vinyl record.
Atkins had previously recorded on Bullet Records and also as a sideman with various acts. He was brought to RCA by Steve Sholes in 1947. After playing on a variety of radio shows, Radio manager Si Simon had been promoting Atkins by sending acetates of Chet's live radio performances to various record companies. One landed in Sholes' hands. Chet had relocated to Denver after being fired by KWTO in Missouri for "not sounding country enough." He was to be brought into RCA as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. Arrangements were made for Atkins to travel to Chicago to do a demo recording. [1] He cut eight "sides" (songs) in Chicago with his idol George Barnes on rhythm guitar, Augie Klein on accordion, Charles Hurta on fiddle, and Harold Siegel on bass. Five of those eight songs recorded April 11, 1947 included Chet singing. RCA released the songs on a 10" vinyl as Chet Atkins and his Colorado Mountain Boys. [2]
Chet later spent time trying to locate those early demos of himself singing in order to destroy them. [3]
Atkins later traveled to New York to record as a sideman and, because of an impending musician's strike, to also stockpile solo recordings for release in case the strike was a protracted one. After these initial recordings, he was still unemployed. He returned to Knoxville and continued on radio there until he joined The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle Carter. [1]
The song "Gallopin' on the Guitar" had been released as a single in 1947 and was a minor hit, often being used as a radio theme song by 1949. [1] [4]
Also in 1953, his single "Country Gentleman", co-written with Boudleaux Bryant, was a minor hit. It was recorded in a garage. [1]
Atkins stayed with RCA for 36 years until he moved to Columbia Records in 1983.
Chester Burton Atkins, also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music style which expanded its appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily a guitarist, but he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele, and occasionally sang.
Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. "Homer" Haynes (1920–1971) and Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (1920–1989), popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs. Known as the Thinking Man's Hillbillies, they received a Grammy Award in 1959 and are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
RCA Studio B was a music recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee established in 1957 by Steve Sholes and Chet Atkins for RCA Victor. Originally known simply as the RCA Victor Studio, in 1965 the studio was designated as Studio B after RCA Victor built the newer, larger Studio A in an adjacent building.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1954.
Elvis is the second studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor on October 19, 1956 in mono. Recording sessions took place on September 1, September 2, and September 3 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with one track left over from the sessions for Presley's debut album at the RCA Victor recording studios on January 30 in New York. It spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart that year, making Presley the first recording artist to have both albums go straight to number one in the same year. It would go on to spend 5 weeks at #1 in total. It was certified Gold on February 17, 1960, and Platinum on August 10, 2011, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins is the second studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins on the RCA Victor label. It was available as a 10-inch vinyl record. RCA subsequently released it as a 12-inch LP in 1955 with additional and omitted tracks.
Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins is the fourth studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins released in 1955. It was a 12-inch re-release of the 1953 10-inch vinyl record of the same name with additional and omitted tracks.
Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions is the fifth studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins. The recording mixes unique arrangements of traditional tunes, pop songs, and classical arrangements. Atkins stated in his 1974 autobiography that this album was the first time he strayed away from country, even though he had been fired numerous times from various radio shows for "not sounding country enough".
Chet Atkins' discography is large and diverse. Not only did he release principal studio albums as a solo artist, he was a prolific and much sought-after collaborator. He also played as a sideman on many more. His major collaborations were with Hank Snow, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra, The Country All-Stars, The Nashville String Band, Jerry Reed, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Lenny Breau, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler, Suzy Bogguss, Floyd Cramer, Johnny Gimble, and Tommy Emmanuel. He frequently guested on a track or two with other friends. Several of his recordings won or were nominated for Grammy Awards.
Work It Out With Chet Atkins C.G.P. is the fiftieth studio album by Chet Atkins. After recording for RCA Victor since 1947, Chet left the label to join Columbia. This release is background music for exercising. He was nominated for the 1984 Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance Grammy award for "Tara's Theme" but did not win. It peaked at No. 64 on the Billboard Country Albums charts.
Pickin' My Way is the forty-first studio album by guitarist Chet Atkins. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Country charts. The liner notes are by Johnny Cash.
The Atkins–Travis Traveling Show is the title of a recording by guitarists Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, released by RCA Records in 1974. The two musical legends team up on 11 songs, earning the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Rehearsed in Nashville, this album was recorded in California.
Jazz From the Hills is an album by American guitarist Chet Atkins and The Country All-Stars. It is a reissue of sessions from 1952–1956.
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.
The Best of Chet Atkins is a compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1964.
The Essential Chet Atkins is a two-disc compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 2007 on the Legacy label.
Galloping Guitar: The Early Years is a multi-disc box-set retrospective recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1993 on the Bear Family label.
Mister Guitar is the eleventh studio album recorded by guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1959. That title, as well as "Country Gentleman", became names assigned to Chet.
Hank Locklin is a self-titled studio album by American country singer–songwriter Hank Locklin. It was released in March 1962 via RCA Camden records. It was Locklin's first album released on the RCA Camden label was co-produced by Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes. The album was Locklin's fifth proper studio effort, which compiled a handful of songs previously not released on albums. A total of 12 tracks were contained on the record. This included 1961 hit, "From Here to There to You."
This Song Is Just for You is a studio album by American country singer–songwriter Hank Locklin. It was released in May 1963 via RCA Camden records. The project was co-produced by Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes. This Song Is Just for You was Locklin's sixth studio album release and included songs recorded over the span of several years. It was also his second album to be released on the RCA Camden subsidiary label. The record featured four original singles, including the hits "One Step Ahead of My Past" and "Why Baby Why."
