I'm Little But I'm Loud [CASSETTE] [Import]

Little Jimmie Dickens was an original of the 50s. He was a great showman. This country music great was also a pretty good singer.

Though most of his hits are considered novelty songs, one song "Take Me As I Am Or Let Me Go," was recorded by many great country music singer that came after Little Jimmie Dickens was no longer popular. Don Gibson had a great recording of the song, as did other country greats.

"Take an old cold tater and wait," was a song that most country boys could identify with. I was a real country boy until I was 12 years old. And my country heritage stayed with me, to a large degree. When I first heard this song on the radio in the 1950s, I enjoyed it very much. It always made you feel good when you heard the song.

"Out behind the barn," was one of Dickens largest hits. Another novelty tune that made you feel good when you listened to it. It's an upbeat song, as most of Dickens hits were.

Sleeping at the foot of the bed was another Little Jimmie Dickens tune that is a feel good song that country boys from the 1940s could identify with.

Little Jimmie Dickens did some great ballads. But he was not known for them in his own period of popularity. More than one of his ballads became standards in country music. In the 50s, Little Jimmie Dickens was never identified with his great ballads, love songs that moved you. His identity was always with his novelty songs.

The musicians on Little Jimmie Dickens Recordings were incredible talented. Grady Martin is one of the all time great Nashville Studio Guitarist who played on thousands of country music recordings that came out of Nashville in the 1950s, 60s, and on into the 1970s. Grady Martin came to Nashville when he was about 15 years old, and worked professionally as a guitarist. He is a gifted guitarist who I heard is now touring with Willie Nelson. Nashville got rid of most of the great 50s and 60s studio musicians in the 1980s, so Grady Martin had to go back on the Road Again, with Willie Nelson.

I saw Little Jimmie Dickens on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s. He made a great impression on me. As art of his band were twin guitars. His two guitarists were playing dark green Gretch Electric Guitars that were simply beautiful. I can still see those two guitars as Little Jimmie Dickens looked over at them when they took their break between verses.

If you like real country music, before Elvis came and changed everything, Little Jimmie Dickens recording is a great one to have. However, you can see in his jump tune, his fast novelty tunes, that country music was headed where Elvis would eventually take it and change music for all time.

A great recording.

Jean Flynn
Anchorage, Alaska