Artist	Song
Don Gibson	Oh, Lonesome Me [1957]
The Everly Brothers	All I Have To Do Is Dream [1958]
The Browns	The Three Bells [1959]
Billy Grammer	Gotta Travel On [1959]
Jim Reeves	He'll Have To Go [1959]
Floyd Cramer	Last Date [1960]
Elvis Presley	Are You Lonesome Tonight? [1960]
Johnny Tillotson	Poetry In Motion [1960]
Hank Locklin	Please Help Me, I'm Falling [1960]
Ann-Margret	I Just Don't Understand [1961]
The Velvets	Tonight (Could Be the Night) [1961]
Roy Orbison	Running Scared [1961]
Hank Snow	I've Been Everywhere [1962]
Bobby Bare	Detroit City [1963]
Boots Randolph	Yakety Sax [1963]
Elvis Presley	(You're the) Devil In Disguise [1963]
Skeeter Davis	The E_nd of the World [1963]
Dottie West	Here Comes My Baby [1964]
Eddy Arnold	Make the World Go Away [1965]
Waylon Jennings	Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line [1968]
Bobby Goldsboro	Honey [1968]
Dolly Parton	Coat of Many Colors [1971]
Ch_arlie Pride	Kiss An Angel Good Morning [1971]
Donna Fargo	The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA [1972]
Gary Stewart	She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) [1975]
Ronnie Milsap	Daydreams About Night Things [1975]
Gillian Welch	My First Lover [2001]
-	-
Elvis Presley	Blue Christmas [1964]

Comment:

A sequel to my recent Decca/Columbia Nashville mix, this one focuses on RCA Nashville's famous Studio B - the "Home of a Thousand Hits." RCA's Nashville studio was built by Dan Maddox in 1957, at least partially in response to the early success of Owen Bradley's studio (which sat only a block away). Both of these studios in close proximity provided the hub that popularized the Nashville Sound in the 1960's. This lush, layered country sound, also called "Countrypolitan," was vital in reviving the popularity of country music. While a number of these tracks may not be as omnipresent as those on the Decca/Columbia roster, many of them, in addition to being country hits, were also moderate to large crossover hits onto the pop ch_arts.The RCA studios were managed for many years by Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Chet Atkins, and Atkins also produced many of the early sessions there. RCA acquired several recording contracts from Sun Records in 1956, including Roy Orbison and, of course, Elvis Presley. These artists helped to kick-start a phenomenal two-decade run of hits for Studio B. Among the many other hits hosted by Studio B were country musicians who went on to long and storied recording careers (Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton), "A-Team" session players with instrumental hits (Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph), and one or two doo wop groups (The Velvets).Studio B has also produced a number of innovations in recording practices over the past few decades. It is allegedly the birthplace of the "Nashville number sy_stem" - a musician's shorthand for notating the chord structure of a song. Through the use of this sy_stem, the integrity of the song could be retained while allowing each musician to improvise.Since its initial design on a napkin, the Nashville RCA studios have made over 45,000 recordings. In 1977, Studio B became a historic site with daily tours, operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In more recent years, the studio has largely been a tourist attraction. Recordings in Studio B have become fewer and further between, with the exception of a few specific projects, such as Gillian Welch's 2001 album Time: The Revelator. In 1992, the studio was donated to the Museum and later in 1996, the primary studio area was restored to its original look. Today it is leased by the Curb Family Foundation for one dollar a year, and provides a studio for Belmont University students to study and learn basic techniques of analog recording.And just like the Decca/Columbia mix, a Christmas bonus track, recorded in Studio B. Elvis reportedly did not want to record the song because Ernest Tubb had already had a hit with it in 1948. The single version is allegedly the only take where Elvis sang the vocal without silly improvisations.A special thanks to Doowad for his indispensable help in locating several of the tracks in both of these mixes.

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