Song:Cattle Call
Album:RCA Country Legends
Eddy Arnold is one of the all time greats of country music. He was a consistent chart topper for decades and he was able to adapt to changing musical styles. He didn't cross over to pop much but it wasn't necessary. Cattle Call topped the country charts in 1955. He was born May 15, 1918 in Henderson, TN and he grew up on his dad's farm. This led to his nickname The Tennessee Plowboy. As a teen, he performed on the radio and Arnold made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1943. Then he signed with RCA Records and he remained there for his entire career. Arnold's first number one country hit was What Is Life Without Love in 1946. Other number ones from that time include It's A Sin, I'll Hold You In My Heart, Anytime and Bouquet Of Roses. Arnold became more mainstream through TV. He hosted The Eddy Arnold Show beginning in 1952. The show aired on all three networks as a summer replacement. Arnold continued to top the charts. Cattle Call topped the country charts in 1955. It wasn't a new song and it wasn't even the first time Arnold had recorded it. Cattle Call was written and recorded by Tex Owens in 1934. Arnold was among those who recorded it in the 40s but Slim Whitman popularized the song in 1954. Arnold's new version was an even bigger hit. Folks love Arnold's yodeling. When Rock 'n' Roll started to affect country music adversely, RCA producer Chet Atkins brought in string orchestras to work with Arnold and Jim Reeves in an attempt to appeal to older audiences. This was called The Nashville Sound and later Countrypolitan. This production approach led to success in the mid 60s with hits like What's He Doing In My World. Then Arnold scored his only top ten pop hit with Make The World Go Away in 1965. Arnold continued to be a staple on the country charts until he left RCA for MGM in 1973. He returned to RCA in 1976 and remained there until his 1983 retirement. This budget comp covers Arnold's RCA recordings. Though Arnold had retired from recording, he performed occasionally until his 1998 retirement. He died May 8, 2008 at age 89. here's Eddy Arnold performing Cattle Call on The Eddy Arnold Show 1956.
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