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29 tracks including all known surviving recordings from 1949 ' 1956, plus 2 recently discovered sides from his first recording session for Star Talent.
All 8 original 78 rpm discs for Star Talent, Bullet, Chess, Sun, and Meteor. Some of these now for the first time ever from the first generation-tape.
3 recordings from the Memphis Recording Service, not originally issued and 2 original versions of songs Rufus Thomas covered (1 by Joe Hill Louis, 1 by Rosco Gordon; previously unissued). You'll also get the original version of Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton, and 2 bonus recordings by Rufus Thomas' fellow DJ, Moohah Williams. Extras includce 2 extracts from Rufus Thomas on radio WDIA in the 1950s and a rare radio interview with Daddy Cool. And of course, mastered as only Bear Family can do it. A newly researched 68-page booklet by Martin Hawkins largely based on interviews by himself and Dave Booth, plus rare photos and adverts.

Rufus Thomas was a one-off: a larger than life character who made as great a contribution to the performance and style of American music as he did to the recording of it. He saw it all from black vaudeville to rap... and played a major role in the evolution of African American music. His earlier R&B recordings have been unjustly obscured by his later role in the development of Stax Records and his string of soul hits. But Rufus Thomas was ' though he always played it down ' a damn fine blues and R&B singer in the 1950s. And this is one of the best cross-sections of African American music you'll hear from the period. Rufus Thomas sings with the Lionel Hampton band, several Memphis R&B dance bands, and with Sun studio session groups. And, in case we forget, he gave Sun Records its first hit, Bear Cat.

Track Listing