Skeeter Davis - The Complete RCA Singles As and Bs 1953-62 (2016)

Skeeter Davis never received much critical attention, but in the '50s and '60s, she recorded some of the most accessible crossover country music, occasionally skirting rock & roll. Born Mary Penick, Davis took her last name after forming a duo with Betty Jack Davis, the Davis Sisters. Their 1953 single "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a big country hit; its B-side, the remarkable "Rock-a-Bye Boogie," foreshadowed rockabilly. That same year, however, the duo's career was cut short by a tragic car accident in which Betty Jack was killed and Skeeter was severely injured. Skeeter did attempt to revive the Davis Sisters with Betty Jack's sister but was soon working as a solo artist.

In the early '60s, Davis followed the heels of Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline to become one of the first big-selling female country crossover acts, although her pop success was pretty short-lived. The weepy ballad "The End of the World," though, was a massive hit, reaching number two in 1963. "I Can't Stay Mad at You," a Top Ten hit the same year, was downright rock & roll; penned by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, it sounded like (and was) an authentic Brill Building girl group-styled classic. Goffin and King also wrote another successful girl group knockoff for her, "Let Me Get Close to You," although such efforts were the exception rather than the rule. Usually she sang sentimental, country-oriented tunes with enough pop hooks to catch the ears of a wider audience, such as "I Will."

Davis concentrated on the country market after the early '60s, although she never seemed too comfortable limiting herself to the Nashville crowd. She recorded a Buddy Holly tribute album in 1967, when Holly wasn't a hot ticket with either the country or the rock audience. But she certainly didn't reject country conventions either: She performed on the Grand Ole Opry and recorded duets with Bobby Bare, Porter Wagoner, and George Hamilton IV. In the 1980s, she had a mild comeback with the rock crowd after recording an album with NRBQ; she also married NRBQ's bass player, Joey Spampinato. Davis passed away September 19, 2004 after a long struggle with cancer.

TRACKLIST

CD1

01. I Forgot More Than You'll Never Know (The Davis Sisters)
02. Rock-A-Bye Boogie (The Davis Sisters)
03. You're Gone (The Davis Sisters)
04. Sorrow And Pain (The Davis Sisters)
05. Takin' Time Out For Tears (The Davis Sisters)
06. Gotta Git A-Goin (The Davis Sisters)
07. You Weren't Ashamed To Kiss Me Last Night (The Davis Sisters)
08. Foggy Mountain Top (The Davis Sisters)
09. Show Me (The Davis Sisters)
10. Just Like Me (The Davis Sisters)
11. The Christmas Boogie (The Davis Sisters)
12. Tomorrow I'll Cry Over You (The Davis Sisters)
13. Everlovin' (The Davis Sisters)
14. Tomorrow's Just Another Day To Cry (The Davis Sisters)
15. Fiddle Diddle Boogie (The Davis Sisters)
16. Come Back To Me (The Davis Sisters)
17. I'll Get Him Back (The Davis Sisters)
18. I've Closed The Door (The Davis Sisters)
19. Baby Be Mine (The Davis Sisters)
20. It's The Girl Who Gets The Blame (The Davis Sisters)
21. Don't Take Him For Granted (The Davis Sisters)
22. Blues For Company (The Davis Sisters)
23. Lonely And Blue (The Davis Sisters)
24. Lying Brown Eyes (The Davis Sisters)
25. He Left His Heart With Me
26. Don't Let Your Lips Say Yes
27. Lost To A Geisha Girl
28. I'm Going Steady With A Heartache
29. Walk Softly Darling
30. I Need You All The Time
31. Wave Bye Bye

CD2

01. I Forgot More Than You'll Never Know
02. I Ain't A-Talkin'
03. Slave
04. Set Him Free
05. The Devil's Doll
06. Homebreaker
07. Give Me Death
08. Am I That Easy To Forget
09. Wishful Thinking
10. (I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too
11. No, Never
12. I'll Always Be Grateful
13. Someone I'd Like To Forget
14. The Hand You're Holding Now
15. Someday Someday
16. Optimistic
17. Blueberry Hill
18. Where I Ought To Be
19. Something Precious
20. The Little Music Box
21. The Final Step
22. The End Of The World
23. Somebody Loves You
24. The One You Slip Around With
25. Just When I Needed You
26. Your Cheatin' Heart
27. Chained To A Memory
28. He'll Have To Stay
29. Tell Tommy I Miss Him
30. I Really Want You To Know