Billy Barton – Billy Barton & Friends – 3CD

The ninety-seven-track triple CD anthology includes thirty-seven unreleased acetates, and additionally included are several of his songs written for other artists some of which have escaped reissued. Billy Barton used several identities professionally during his career, and his personas were; Johnny Grimes, Hillbilly Barton, Billy Barton, Billy Boy Barton, and Laurel London. Barton's friends on the album are; Johnny Horton, Wanda Wayne (his second wife), Carlyn Johnson, and Bill Woods. Also featured within the anthology are; Cousin Herb Henson, Fuzzy and Bonnie Owen, Carolyn Bradshaw, Herb and Kay, The Maddox Brothers and Rose, Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizzell, The Variatones, Bob Miller, Benny Martin, and Wynn Stewart. The connecting chain is their featured songs are all from Barton's pen, and several of them have never been reissued. To additionally showcase Barton's involvement in the music industry there are some recordings from the Fire for which he was the manager, and his early 1960s recordings for the Gulf/ Gulf Coast labels. Musically the song's style and tempos cover up-tempo hillbilly, country duets, rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, and teen rockers with panache.

Track Listing:

CD1: Hillbilly Barton: 1. Strange Affection -   2. She's A Good Ole Gal -   3. No Interest -   4. Never Satisfied -   5. You Made Me Love You (With A Twinkle In Your Eye) -   6. My Darlin' Liza -   Johnny Horton: 7. Betty Lorraine -   Johnny Horton & Hillbilly Barton: 8. Somebody's Rockin' My Broken Heart -   9. Bawlin' Baby -    Johnny Horton: 10. Rhythm In My Baby's Walk -   Hillbilly Barton & Circle O Ranch Boys: 11. Blues In The Blue Of The Night -  12. You Will Always Be In My Heart -   Hillbilly Barton: 13. A Lying Tongue -   Billy Barton: 14. Pardon Me -   Wanda Wayne: 15. Who Will You Cry To Then -   16. Take Your Tears (To The One Who Took Your Kisses) -   Bill Woods Orange Blossom Playboys & Hillbilly Barton: 17. No Help Wanted -   Hillbilly Barton: 18. I’m Through With Your Love -   Johnny Grimes: 19. Who Would You Cry To -   Johnny Grimes & Wanda Wayne: 20. Those Three Little Words -   Wanda Wayne: 21. Don’t Forget To Write -   Hillbilly Barton: 22. Empty Heart -   Billy Barton: 23. Blues In The Blue Of The Night -   24. What’s The Matter With Me -   25. Rollin’ On -   Wanda Wayne recitation Billy Barton: 26. I Cried My Eyes Out Over You -   Billy Barton & Wanda Wayne: 27. That Word Called Love -   Johnny Horton: 28. Banks Of The Beautiful Nile -   29. It’s A Long Rocky Road -   30. Down That River Road -   31. Devilish Lovelight -

CD2: Billy Barton: 1. You’re You -   Billy Barton & Wanda Wayne: 2. That Word Called Love -   Wanda Wayne with String Band: 3. Turn Your Fire -   4. Catch Your Lover -   Wanda Wayne & Billy Barton: 5. The Way She Said I Love You -  6. The Song You Just Played -   Billy Barton: 7. Why Don’t They Leave Her Alone -   8. Pardon Me, Old Buddy -   9. What God Has Put Together, Let No Man Tear Apart -   10. Do You Love Me, Do You Love Me -   11. I’m Turning Over A Brand New Leaf -   Wanda Wayne: 12. I Gotta Go Get My Baby -   13. The Light Across The River -   14. No Tomorrow -   15. Ten Wheels -   16. So Called Friend -   17. Wanted Man -   18. Doorway To Heaven -   19. The Devil, My Conscience And I -   20. Crazy Lover -   21. Day Late And A Dollar Short -   Billy Boy Barton: 22. Blue Lover -   23. Monkey Business -   Laurel London: 24. My Conscience And I -   25. Don’t Knock The Rock -   Carlyn Johnson & Billy Barton with Bill Woods Orch.: 26. Two Kids In Love -   27. Carlyn Johnson & Bill Woods Orch.: Why Do I Love You -   Johnny Grimes: 28. Blues In The Blue Of The Night -   Hillbilly Barton: 29. It’s All Wrong -   30. Is My Heart Just A Toy -   Billy Barton: 31. Baby I’m Taking A Ride -

CD3: Hillbilly Barton: 1. Grandpa’s Getting Younger Every Day -   2. Blue Eyes You Turned The Blues -   3. Can’t Get Rid Of This Memory -   4. Send Me Your Love In A Letter -   5. Faded Roses -   6. Aggravating Love -   Billy Barton & Wanda Wayne: 7. Broke -  Johnny Horton: 8. I’ll Fill A Drunkard’s Grave -   9. Give Me Back My Picture -   10. In My Home In Shelby Country -   Johnny Horton & Hillbilly Barton: 11. Bawlin’ Baby -   Hillbilly Barton: 12. My Love Keeps Travelling On -   13. The Bloom Of Your Love Is Dying -   Johnny Horton: 14. Go And Wash Your Dirty Feet -   15. Talk Gobbler Talk -   16. Confusion -   Billy Barton: 17. Come Back To Me -   18. You’re Driving Me Crazy -   Hillbilly Barton: 19. I’ve Tried -   20. You And Me -   Cousin Herb Henson & Cliffie Stone’s Orch. : 21. Funny Book -   Fuzzy & Bonnie Owen & The Sun Valley Playboys: 22. A Dear John Letter -   Carolyn Bradshaw & Louisiana Hayride Band: 23. Say No, No, No -   Herb & Kay: 24. You Got To Bite To Catch On -   25. Somebody Cries -   The Maddox Brothers & Rose: 26. I’ll Find Her -   Webb Pierce: 27. You’ll Come Back -   Lefty Frizzell: 28. Silence -   The Variatones: 29. I’ll Keep Lovin’ You -   30. Roulette Rock -   Bob Miller: 31. Lonesome Lover -   Benny Martin: 32. Thinking About Love -   Wynn Stewart: 33. Donna On My Mind -   34. I Done Done It -   Johnny Horton: 35. Tour Commercial -