Reviewed by Dave Brassington

The British Association of Country Music exists to produce re-issues of long lost country treasures from the very dawn of country music's vinyl releases. Over the years they have managed to re-issue artists who even to many die-hard fans of country music are unfamiliar names. All types of country music have been released ranging from obscure singing cowboys, old time fiddle ensembles from the deep south, to some very well known country artists like Roy Acuff and Elton Britt. All power to their efforts! However this release does challenge me, as whilst it is the result of meticulous and painstaking research, the 30 tracks here by obscure acts who shelled out their own cash to record sometimes simply don't warrant re-issue. Hoyt Scoggins & the Saturday Nite Jamboree Boys open things up in lively fashion with "What's Gonna Happen To This Old World" and "Kneel Down To Jesus". Other artists include Clarence Baker, Gene Harper, the Weems Brothers and the Delmar Williams Singers, the latter sounding really dated! For me, there is one redeeming feature: all four tracks from a rare Starday EP by the Lewis Family, with a beautiful song I had never heard before "Born In Bethlehem", together with their versions of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands", "A Beautiful City" and "Paul And Silas". Also worth a listen is "Light At The River" by Lovell Hall & The Country Singers Quartet. As a piece of history this is a fascinating glimpse at the custom label business of the '50s and '60s. But as said above, not all the music here stands up to CD exposure.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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