Bluebirds Over the Mountain

I'm surprised there's no other reviews of any of Ersel Hickey's stuff, cause it's so darn good! Tunes like "Going Down that Road" and "Never Can Tell" are what put him in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and that pose! That pose has been copied the world over for good reason. Hickey sure knows how to take a basic tune with just the right mojo and splice in wonderful solos, and the recordings really bring out the raw energy in these tracks. He lets that ES-295 sing but good on all 25 of these gems, and no fan of rockabilly or early rock and roll shoulkd be without this collection. I just wish all the unreleased material from this legend would come come out soon!

Completely Satisfied

I never get tired of hearing the wonderful niche Ersel created. "Love in Bloom" is one of the all time greats.

“Rockabilly” evolved in the Southern portions of the U.S. in the early 1950s when artists began melding elements of what had been commonly known as “Hillbilly” (later C&W and then simply Country), Western Swing, Boogie Woogie (and even Bluegrass and Gospel) with those of Blues/R&B. Many who began in Rockabilly eventually went on to become giants of what ultimately became Rock ‘N’ Roll - such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, while others, although continuing to dabble in R&R, ultimately became major players in the ever-evolving C&W/Country - Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty.Ersel Hickey (born Ersel O’Hickey on June 27, 1934 in Brighton, New York) had a tough upbringing after his father died in 1938 and his Canadian-born mother wound up in a mental institution, bouncing from one foster home to another and often striking out on his own. In 1949 he began working in the carnival where his sister performed (as Chicky Evans) as an “exotic dancer” but that seems to have ended in 1950 in Columbus, Ohio where he ended up in a juvenile delinquent facility. It was there, though, that he first became exposed to R&B and even began singing with the resident Gospel gathering. At age 20 it was hearing a young Elvis Presley’s 1954 recordings of That’s All Right, Blue Moon Of Kentucky (almost a Bluegrass “anthem” until then), Good Rockin’ Tonight and I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine that set him upon his chosen path in the music field, eventually playing gigs in and around New York State before getting his first crack at recording in 1957 for the tiny Rochester, New York label Fine Records.On that, and billed as Mickey Evans, he combined a real oldie - (I Wanna Go Where You Go) Then I'll Be Happy which was first a hit back in 1926 for “Whispering” Jack Smith and more recently a minor entry for Eddie Fisher in 1955 - with the self-penned Baby You're No Good (Fine 4M-2657) but predictably, given the inability of Fine to promote, it went nowhere. However, encouraged by Phil Everly who was in Rochester that year with brother Don, and with a new contract with the New York City-based Epic Records, he tried again with his own material and in April-May 1958 had Bluebirds Over The Mountain edge into the Billboard Pop Top 100 at # 75 b/w Hangin’ Around as Epic 5-9263. Not huge and, as matters would turn out, his only such charting side nationally, but it did establish him among fans in the Rockabilly circuit, an enduring popularity for a few years that led to his recognition by The Rockabilly Hall Of Fame.He didn’t fare too badly as a songwriter either, with Bluebirds Over the Mountain covered by The Echoes in 1962 (# 112 Hot 100 Bubble Under) and The Beach Boys in 1968 (# 61 Hot 100)while in the spring of 1964, and right in the midst of the opening waves of the British Invasion, the Folk group The Serendipity Singers took his Don’t Let The Rains Come Down (Crooked Little Man) to # 6 Hot 100. He would continue recording right into the 1980s - see a list of his other singles is in the Comments below - and many of the sides (including both sides of his only hit) are in both the Collectables 20-track volume “Ersel Hickey - The Rockin’ Bluebird” and 25-track Bear Family release “Bluebirds Over The Mountain” - with the latter containing a few more previously-unreleased sides at Epic and Kapp.Accompanying musicians include guitarists Everett Barksdale, Warren Luckey, Grady Martin, Elson Smith, Sebastian Mure, Al Casamenti, John Pizzarelli and Jimmy Mitchell (also percussion), and pianists Floyd Cramer and Bert Keyes. Both volumes have excellent sound reproduction and liner notes by noted reissue producer Nick Shaffran so either is recommended.Ersel Hickey passed away following gallbladder surgery at age 70 on July 12, 2004.

Great product

historically interesting rocker-billy artist