Snapper Records have a series of CD’s called COMPLETE COUNTRY and we’ll be telling you about many of the releases in the coming weeks - but for now a mention for the Don Gibson set ‘Lonesome Singer Songwriter with Rockabilly Flair’ and a CD by Eddy Arnold best remembered in the UK for “Make The World Go Away”. This CD features earlier recordings from someone who rivalled Jim Reeves for sales in the early 60’s. This CD includes versions of his own songs such as ‘Too Soon to Know’ and ‘I’d Be a Legend in my Time ‘ -both picked up of course by Roy Orbison in the mid60’s. We’re playing tracks this month.

Staying with country music…..A new label was launched last year -  T-Bird Americana. Among the first releases was a CD from Lorrie Morgan that contains a duet with Dolly Parton and a track called ‘Autumn’s Not That Cold’ which we’ve played a few times recently to great reaction. ‘Leave the Light On/Something in Red’ is the title of Lorrie’s CD. And another release combining two original LP’s features Charlie Rich and hisCD, on the playlist this week hits from the RCA and Epic days. It includes ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and ‘The Most Beautiful Girl In The World’ which very nearly topped the UK charts in the mid70’s. Also, there’s a CD from Sonny James recalled ‘Come On In’ - we start playing tracks early next month. He sold more records in the 70’s than either Johnny Cash or Glen Campbell in the US! And finally a Stonewall Jackson CD on the playlist this week.

EMI have released a number of Matt Monro packages in recent years and all have sold well. This new set from EMI GOLD comes with the support of Matt’s daughter who recently wrote a book on her father. All the great songs are here from someone even Sinatra recognised as one of the UK’s finest vocalists. There’s not been another quite like Matt Monro.

Regular listeners will be familiar with Florence Joelle’s Kiss Of Fire as we played tracks from their EP earlier in the year. The album (pictured below) is now available and one track ‘Watermelon Gin’ is alone worth the price of the CD. More at http://www.florencejoelleskissoffire.com/

And if you like Florence’s jazz sound, check out the website for the greats such as Ray Charles at http://www.warnerclassicsandjazz.com/ where you will find a host of goodies such as Ray’s finest albums for Atlantic, now collected on a budget-priced boxed set. This ‘Original Album Series’ also contains releases from Sergio Mendes, The Young Rascals and the wonderful Carly Simon. Her ‘No Regrets’ album remains one of my favourites from the 70’s and its included on her set. These releases offer you five original albums for a fraction of their original price!

Back to EMI who have a Massive Hits series of CD packs. The Sixties and Seventies releases are particularly good, containing something more than just the usual collection of oldies. The Sixties set has hard-to-find tracks by Gene Vincent, Johnny Nash, the Bedrocks, Classics IV and the Lamon Pipers. They were UK hits but often get overlooked in other re-issues. Out now from Fantastic Voyage is a 3-CD set from the Platters featuring the hits from their years on the Mercury label such as ‘Harbour Lights’ and ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’

Zone Records have a CD by Richard Harris - details at http://www.zonerecordsltd.com . Apart from his acting career on stage and screen, Richard is best remembered for Jimmy Webb’s ‘MacArthur Park’ but Zone’s early 70’s album contains ‘My Boy’ as the lead track in what is a very good set indeed - and first time on CD, by the way.

Fantastic Voyage have a 1961 British Hit Parade set of CD’s out now. This is part of a series covering the late 50’s and 60’s. There are two sets, the first covering the first half of the year and the other covering July-December 1961. All the major hits are here plus a few surprises!

The show is broadcast right here on OMR on Sundays at Midday, Wednesdays at 1300, Thursdays at 2000 and Saturdays at 0800 (all UK times). You will also find the programme on www.isles.fm on Monday mornings at 1000 and Wednesday lunchtimes. The show is also on  www.replayradio.net on Sunday afternoons, Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings. The programme, recorded weekly, is produced on a free-to-air basis and is broadcast by many other radio stations world-wide. For more information please contact me by e-mail.

Currently living with my family in Scotland I have been in the media business now for 44 years starting out with Record Mirror and Music Week and then joining Pye Records and Stoll-Moss Theatres at the end of the 60’s. In 1971 I moved to BBC Radios 1 & 2 in the early 70’s and then worked for Radio Luxembourg/Atlantic 252 in a management capacity and then ran local commercial stations in Glasgow, London and the Isles of Man and Lewis. In 2002 we had a world exclusive on Frank Sinatra on Isles FM - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1790935.stm or http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sinatras-carousel-song-gets-airplay-after-14-years-671738.html