4-CD box (LP-size) with 52-page book, 124 tracks. Playing time approx. 296 mns

Joe Leonard's Lin Records of Gainesville, Texas arrived relatively late among the independent labels that began the years following World War II, and it was not especially prolific, but it and its Kliff subsidiary produced a number of excellent and enduring records during a fourteen year existence (1954-1968). Lin enjoyed one national hit, Ken Copeland's Pledge Of Love in 1957, and Leonard placed a number of masters with larger labels like MGM, Imperial and Dot, while covering a wide spectrum of styles, including honky-tonk, western swing, rockabilly, rock and roll, doo wop, rhythm and blues and pop.

Joe Leonard combined business acumen and strong promotional skills with a good ear for talent and an astute willingness not only to adapt to changing tastes, but also to take an occasional chance. Bear Family has previously chronicled Lin's most prolific and important artists, Buck Griffin and Andy Starr and this 4-CD set contains representative examples of their best work, along with well over a hundred recordings by other Lin artists, both important and obscure, like Jerry Fuller, Ray Ruff, David Ray, Ken Copeland, The Strikes, The Four Mints, J. B. Brinkley, and many others. It contains single discs devoted to Lin's country and pop recordings, as well as two discs exploring rockabilly, rock 'n' roll and all points in between.

Track Listing

• Jetton, Wayne - A Crazy Mind Plus A Foolish Heart
• Griffin, Buck - Meadowlark Boogie
• Switzer, Bill - I'm Running For Your Heart
• Ray, David - Too Fast, Too Wild
• Crabb, Larry & Louis - Just Give Me Time
• Shelton, Merle - I Love You Just Because
• Starr, Andy - The Dirty Bird Song
• Griffin, Buck - Lookin' For The Green
• Armstrong, Gene - Pecosita (Freckle-Face)(& FRANK DOVE)
• Ray, David - (Love You, Baby) All The Time
• Crabb, Larry & Louis - My Louisiana Home
• Griffin, Buck - Bawlin' And Squallin' (Over You)
• Buskirk, Paul & Freddy Powers - Do You Remember'
• Buskirk, Paul & Freddy Powers - Loser
• Starr, Andy - Do It Right
• Gold, Johnny - The Richest Man Alive
• Jetton, Wayne - Somebody's Girl
• Shelton, Merle - Chilena, My Dancing Girl
• Ray, David - Why Can't You And I
• Griffin, Buck - Cochise
• Crabb, Larry & Louis - You Are Still In My Heart
• Switzer, Bill - Little Red Bird
• Buskirk, Paul - Wasted Love
• Griffin, Buck - Let's Elope Baby
• Armstrong, Gene - Lonely Hours
• Buskirk, Paul - Chapel Of My Heart
• Gold, Johnny - Because I Love You
• Crabb, Larry & Louis - Please Pardon My Tears
• Mitchell, Woody - The Prisoner's Farewell
• Griffin, Buck - It Don't Make No Never Mind
• Mitchell, Woody - She's Somebody's Mother
• Ray, David - Lonesome Baby Blues

• Starr, Andy - Rockin' Rollin' Stone
• Brinkley, J.B. - Guitar Smoke
• Fuller, Jerry - Mother Goose At The Bandstand
• Griffin, Buck - Stutterin' Papa
• Four Mints - Busy Body Rock
• Copeland, Ken - Where The Rio De Rosa Flows
• Fuller, Jerry - Teenage Love
• Ruff, Ray - I Took A Liking To You
• Strikes - If You Can't Rock Me (alt.)
• Ray, David - I Am A Fool
• Fuller, Jerry - The Door Is Open
• Tu-Tones - Saccharin Sally
• Ruff, Ray - Angel Blue
• Copeland, Ken - I Want To Go Steady With You
• Fuller, Jerry - Blue Memories
• Atmospheres - The Fickle Chicken
• Ruff, Ray - My Girlfriend's Car
• Mcclarey, Butch - Now I Know
• Atmospheres - Kabalo
• Wright, Steve - Far And Distant Lands
• Four Mints - Little Mama Tree Top
• Brinkley, J.B. - I'll Be Your Baby
• Strikes - Come Back To Me
• Fuller, Jerry - A Certain Smile
• Simpson, Bill - Jelly Roll Man
• Ruff, Ray - Pledge Of Love
• Mccleary, Butch - Rockin' Hall
• Four Mints - (Don't Leave Me) Alone
• Wright, Steve - Wild, Wild Woman

• Starr, Andy - Round And Round
• Curtis, Don - Rough Tough Man
• Ray, David - Jitterbugging Baby
• Fuller, Jerry - I Found A New Love
• Griffin, Buck - Jessie Lee
• Jokers - Dogfight
• Four Mints - Night Air
• Fuller, Jerry - Through Eternity
• Ruff, Ray - A Fool Again
• Strikes - My Poor Heart
• Tu-Tones - Still In Love With You
• Ray, David - Lonesome Feeling
• Atmospheres - Telegraph
• Fuller, Jerry - Angel From Above
• Peck, Bill - Do You Know
• Ruff, Ray - In Dreamland
• Atmospheres - Caravan
• Alexander, Don - Special Kind Of Loving
• Fuller, Jerry - Lipstick And Rouge
• Four Mints - Until You're Mine
• Terry, Don - Knee Shakin'
• Strikes - I Do
• Copeland, Ken - Fanny Brown
• Curtis, Don - My Little Girl
• Simpson, Bill - Old Man Mose
• Ruff, Ray - Beatle Maniacs
• Fuller, Jerry - Do You Love Me
• Terry, Don - She Giggles
• Jokers - Blue Moonbeam
• Stubblefield, Bill - Whistling Rock And Roll

• Chuck-A-Lucks - Disc Jockey Fever
• Tanner Combo, Bob - Dark Eyes
• Johnston, Nora - Music Box Lullaby
• Redd, Ramona - Rendezvous
• Copeland, Ken - Someone To Love Me
• Duncan, Doodle - Late In The Evening
• Copeland, Ken - You'e Getting The Idea
• Robinson, Margee - Show Me The Way (To Your Heart)
• Tanner, R. Wolfe - A Twist Of Lemon
• Chuck-A-Lucks - The Devil's Train
• Peck, Bill - And So It Goes
• Redd, Ramona - Give Me Your Heart
• Johnston, Nora - Somewhere Angels Are Smiling
• Copeland, Ken - Love Only Me
• Tanner Combo, Bob - Lonely Rhapsody
• Duncan, Doodle - Death Row
• Thompson, Virginia - Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt
• Stubblefield, Bill - Suez
• Chuck-A-Lucks - Who Am I'
• Robinson, Margee - Hurt Me
• Holman, Dixon - Golden Grain
• Chuck-A-Lucks - The Magic Of First Love
• Copeland, Ken - Locked In The Arms Of Love
• Hart, Trella - Fools
• Hart, Trella - Going Home, All Alone
• Welch, Honee - Why Did She Leave
• Welch, Honee - It's Me Girl
• Welch, Honee - I'm Gonna Try (To Steal Her)
• Welch, Honee - Woman Child
• Welch, Honee - Angels Can Lie
• Welch, Honee - It Must Be Love

Additional Details

Label: Bear Family Records

Genre: Country

Run Time: 296 mins

Release Date: 01/02/07

UPC: 4000127159502