For those unaware, Burl Ives was a unique and remarkable entertainer, a folk and pop singer and guitarist, composer, radio performer and stage and film actor, who helped to popularize traditional folk music across all generations but also had pop hits in his later career.

Born in Illinois in 1909, he gave up training to be a teacher to become an itinerant troubadour-style entertainer, working on radio where he could and once jailed for vagrancy in Utah. After Army service in WWII, and appearing in Irving Berlin’s This Is The Army, he became a radio regular, and started recording, revving many US and British folk songs.

His early recordings of songs like Blue Tail Fly, Big Rock Candy Mountain and I Know An Old Lady became children’s radio favorites for decades.

This 87-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from releases on the Columbia & Decca labels from these years, plus selected titles from the Decca albums A Collection of Ballads & Folk Songs, Ballads & Folk Songs Vol 2, Folk Songs - Dramatic And Humorous, Women (Folk Songs About The Fair Sex), Wild Side Of Life, Men: Songs For And About Men, Down To The Sea In Ships, Songs Of Ireland, Capt. Burl Ives Ark, Old Time Varieties, Australian Folk Songs and Cheers.

It includes his hits Riders In The Sky, Marianne, A Little Bitty Tear, Funny Way Of Laughing, Call Me Mr. In-Between and Mary Ann Regrets. He was a one of a kind performer, and this selection from his prolific recorded canon is a celebration of his distinctive contribution to popular culture.

With this quite stunning new 3CD set you simply put the first disc on and immediately gracefully step into a world of timeless melodies. Willingly immersing yourself in the rich baritone and soulful storytelling of a music legend, we get to hear beloved classics such as like Funny Way of Laughin’ to heartwarming tunes such as Big Rock Candy Mountain, with this compilation capturing the essence of Burl Ives’ iconic career.

With each track, listeners are transported to a bygone era of folk and Americana, where every song is a cherished memory waiting to be rediscovered. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Burl Ives’ magic, this magnificent 3D collection promises to delight and captivate audiences of all ages.

Disc 1:
1. Wee Cooper O’ Fife 2. Cowboy’s Lament 3. I Know Where I’m Going 4. Tam Pierce 5. Peter Gray 6. On Top Of Old Smoky 7. Cotton Eyed Joe 8. Darlin’ Cory 9. Foggy, Foggy Dew 10. Blue Tail Fly 11. Big Rock Candy Mountain 12. Old Dan Tucker 13. The Eddystone Light 14. The Fox 15. Aunt Rhody 16. Down In The Valley 17. I’m Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes 18. Turtle Dove 19. Po’ Boy 20. Lavender Blue 21. On The Grand Canyon Line 22. Wayfaring Stranger 23. Riders In The Sky 24. Roving Gambler 25. John Hardy 26. Worried Man Blues 27. Mr Froggie Went A-Courtin 28. Mule Train 29. John Henry 30. Doughnut Song 31. Pretty Polly

Disc 2:
1. Green Broom 2. Pig Pig 3. The Wild Side Of Life 4. This Time Tomorrow 5. Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves 6. Goober Peas 7. Git Along Little Dogies 8. Hush Little Baby 9. I Know An Old Lady 10. Nellie McNess 11. Molly Malone 12. Liza Jane 13. Barbara Allen 14. Close The Door Richard 15. The Crawdad Song 16. Casey Jones 17. The Ballad Of Davy Crockett 18. Wabash Cannonball 19. Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor 20. Ox Driver’s Song 21. Waltzing Matilda (The Jolly Swagman’s Song) 22. The Wild Rover 23. Frankie And Johnny 24. Prisoner’s Song (Midnight Special) 25. Santy Anna 26. Blow Ye Winds! 27. The Drunken Sailor 28. Rolling Home

Disc 3:
1. Maid Of The Sweet Brown Knowe 2. Kilgary Mountain 3. Nell Flaherty’s Drake 4. Paddy And The Whale 5. The Squirrel 6. Horace The Horse 7. The Bestiary 8. The Monkey And The Elephant 9. In The Evening By The Moonlight 10. The Man On The Flying Trapeze 11. Grandfather’s Clock 12. The Man That Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo 13. The Wild Colonial Boy 14. A Nautical Yarn 15. Botany Bay 16. Oh By Jingo (Oh By Gee, You’re The Only Girl For Me) 17. Tit Willow 18. I Never See Maggie Alone 19. There Is A Tavern In The Town 20. There’s A Hole In My Bucket 21. Marianne 22. The Long Black Veil 23. A Little Bitty Tear 24. Shanghied 25. Mockin’ Bird Hill 26. Funny Way Of Laughin’ 27. Mother Wouldn’t Do That 28. Call Me Mr. In-Between 29. Mary Ann Regrets

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