The catalog of King Records is so vast and varied that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are Jon Hartley Fox's 10 recommendations to get you started.
1. James Brown – "20 All Time Greatest Hits" (Polydor).
From "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me" to "Cold Sweat" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," this album belongs in every collection.
2. James Brown – "Live at the Apollo 1962" (PolyGram).
Many people consider this the greatest live album ever made.
3. Freddie King – "Blues Guitar Hero" (Ace).
A good introduction to the great Texas bluesman, containing a mix of his vocal and instrumental hits.
4. Various artists – "The Best of King Gospel" (Ace).
The 24 cuts include four each by two of the greatest quartets in black gospel music history – the Spirit of Memphis Quartet and Swan's Silvertone Singers, led by the awesome Claude Jeter.
5. Little Willie John – "The Early King Sessions" (Ace).
An excellent collection of triumphs by one of the greatest singers of the 1950s; includes the hits "All Around the World" and the original "Fever."
6. Various artists – "The King R&B Box Set" (King/IMG).
Four CDs of funky greatness – Bull Moose Jackson, Lonnie Johnson, Roy Brown, the Midnighters, Lula Reed, Tiny Bradshaw, Bill Doggett, the 5 Royales, Earl Bostic and many more.
7. Moon Mullican – "Moon's Rock" (Bear Family).
A massive, 32-cut sampling of the "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players," with such hits as "I'll Sail My Ship Alone," "Sweeter Than the Flowers" and "Pipeliner Blues."
8. The Stanley Brothers – "The Early Starday and King Years: 1958-1961" (Starday/ King/IMG).
Outstanding "first generation" bluegrass from Carter and Ralph Stanley, with dozens of now-classic songs and tunes, including "Man of Constant Sorrow," "How Mountain Girls Can Love" and "Clinch Mountain Backstep."
9. The Delmore Brothers – "Freight Train Boogie" (Ace).
This CD spotlights the late-1940s boogie side of the greatest duo in country music history, with "Freight Train Boogie" and the timeless "Blues Stay Away From Me."
10. Wynonie Harris – "Good Rockin' Tonight" (Collectables).
One of the unsung inventors of rock, Harris scores here with "Bloodshot Eyes," "Keep on Churnin'," "I Like My Baby's Puddin' " and "Good Rockin' Tonight," the first great rock anthem.
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