Phil Harris was a singer, drummer, bandleader, songwriter, comedian, actor and broadcaster, who combined those disciplines in a long and successful career which encompassed making hit records with a novelty twist and becoming a voice artist in movies, most famously as Baloo in the 1967 film "The Jungle Book". He started his recording career as drummer and co-leader of a hotel orchestra in San Francisco and over the years developed a signature style of comedy on record using the narrative "talking blues" style, positioning himself as an archetypal southerner, with his signature composition being "That's What I Like About The South". He reached a career peak as a recording artist with the humorous novelty US No. 1 with "The Thing" in 1950. This excellent value 52-track 2-CD set comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on the Victor, Columbia, Decca, Vocalion, Varsity, ARA, Hit & RCA-Victor labels from this era, including early titles by the Lofner Harris St. Francis Orchestra and Phil Harris Cocoanut Grove Orchestra. It features all his career chart entries, including the 1950 No. 1 "The Thing", the No. 2 "One-Zy Two-Zy", and the Top 10 hits "What Have We Got To Lose?", "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)", "The Old Master Painter" and "Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy", plus his Top 20 hit with The Bell Sisters "Hambone". He was a multi-faceted artist, and this collection provides a highly entertaining selection of his work on record that showcases his unique style of music and comedy.
11 The Groove Song (That's What I Like About the South)
12 I Wanna Be a Brat
13 Dixie (What's the Matter with Dixie)
14 I'm Whistlin' and Whittlin' (And Watchin' the World Go By)
15 Brazen Little Raisin
16 Darktown Poker Club
17 One-Zy Two-Zy
18 Some Little Bug
19 Woodman, Spare That Tree
20 My Kind of Country
21 Buds Won't Bud
22 That's What I Like About the South
23 The Preacher and the Bear
24 It's a Good Day
25 The Possum Song
- Disc 2 -
1 Necessity
2 If You're Ever Down in Texas, Look Me Up
3 (I've Been So Wrong for So Long, But) I'm So Right Tonight
4 Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)
5 Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas
6 Now You've Gone and Hurt My Southern Pride
7 Loaded Pistols, Loaded Dice
8 Old Time Religion
9 Look Out Stranger, I'm a Texas Ranger
10 44 Sycamore
11 Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
12 Minnie the Mermaid (A Love Song in Fish Time)
13 He's His Own Grandpa (I'm My Own Grandpa)
14 Never Trust a Woman
15 Deck of Cards
16 Shadrach
17 Row, Row, Row
18 Old Master Painter
19 St. James Infirmary
20 Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy
21 Play a Simple Melody
22 Goofus
23 The Thing
24 Southern Fried Boogie
25 The Musicians
26 Hambone
27 Potato Chips
Phil Harris was a singer, drummer, bandleader, songwriter, comedian, actor and broadcaster, who combined those disciplines in a long and successful career which encompassed making hit records with a novelty twist and becoming a voice artist in movies, most famously as Baloo in the 1967 film "The Jungle Book". He started his recording career as drummer and co-leader of a hotel orchestra in San Francisco and over the years developed a signature style of comedy on record using the narrative "talking blues" style, positioning himself as an archetypal southerner, with his signature composition being "That's What I Like About The South". He reached a career peak as a recording artist with the humorous novelty US No. 1 with "The Thing" in 1950. This excellent value 52-track 2-CD set comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on the Victor, Columbia, Decca, Vocalion, Varsity, ARA, Hit & RCA-Victor labels from this era, including early titles by the Lofner Harris St. Francis Orchestra and Phil Harris Cocoanut Grove Orchestra. It features all his career chart entries, including the 1950 No. 1 "The Thing", the No. 2 "One-Zy Two-Zy", and the Top 10 hits "What Have We Got To Lose?", "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)", "The Old Master Painter" and "Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy", plus his Top 20 hit with The Bell Sisters "Hambone". He was a multi-faceted artist, and this collection provides a highly entertaining selection of his work on record that showcases his unique style of music and comedy.
