Acrobat Music

The Many Sides of Phil Harris 1931-52
The Many Sides of Phil Harris 1931-52

Phil Harris
Styles: Comedy, Easy Listening, Pop
Catalogue Number: ADDCD3424
Phil Harris was a singer, drummer, bandleader, songwriter, comedian, actor and broadcaster, who combined those disciplines in a long and successful career which encompassed making hit records with a novelty twist and becoming a voice artist in movies, most famously as Baloo in the 1967 film “The Jungle Book”. He started his recording career as drummer and co-leader of a hotel orchestra in San Francisco and over the years developed a signature style of comedy on record using the narrative “talking blues” style, positioning himself as an archetypal southerner, with his signature composition being “That’s What I Like About The South”. He reached a career peak as a recording artist with the humorous novelty US No. 1 with “The Thing” in 1950. This excellent value 52-track 2-CD set comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on the Victor, Columbia, Decca, Vocalion, Varsity, ARA, Hit & RCA-Victor labels from this era, including early titles by the Lofner Harris St. Francis Orchestra and Phil Harris Cocoanut Grove Orchestra. It features all his career chart entries, including the 1950 No. 1 “The Thing”, the No. 2 “One-Zy Two-Zy”, and the Top 10 hits “What Have We Got To Lose?”, “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)”, “The Old Master Painter” and “Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy”, plus his Top 20 hit with The Bell Sisters “Hambone”. He was a multi-faceted artist, and this collection provides a highly entertaining selection of his work on record that showcases his unique style of music and comedy.

Disk 1:
Track Title Artist
1 River, Stay 'Way From My Door Lofner Harris St. Francis Hotel Orchestra
2 (Hi-Ho Lack-A-Day) What Have We Got To Lose Phil Harris & His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra
3 How's About It? Phil Harris & His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra
4 I'd Love To Take Orders From You Phil Harris & His Orchestra
5 I'd Rather Listen To Your Eyes Phil Harris & His Orchestra
6 Now You've Got Me Doing It Phil Harris' Orchestra
7 You Can Tell She Comes From Dixie Phil Harris & His Orchestra
8 Nobody Phil Harris & His Orchestra
9 Darktown Strutter's Ball Phil Harris & His Orchestra
10 Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea Phil Harris & His Orchestra
11 The Groove Song (That's What I Like About The South) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
12 I Wanna Be A Brat Phil Harris & His Orchestra
13 Dixie (What's The Matter With Dixie) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
14 I'm Whistlin' And Whittlin' (And Watchin' The World Go By) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
15 Brazen Little Raisin Phil Harris & His Orchestra
16 Darktown Poker Club Phil Harris & His Orchestra
17 One-Zy Two-Zy Phil Harris & His Orchestra
18 Some Little Bug Phil Harris & His Orchestra
19 Woodman, Spare That Tree Phil Harris & His Orchestra
20 My Kind Of Country Phil Harris & His Orchestra
21 Buds Won't Bud Phil Harris & His Orchestra
22 That's What I Like About The South Phil Harris & His Orchestra
23 The Preacher And The Bear Phil Harris & His Orchestra
24 It's A Good Day Phil Harris & His Orchestra
25 The Possum Song Phil Harris & His Orchestra
Disk 2:
Track Title Artist
1 Necessity Phil Harris & His Orchestra
2 If You're Ever Down In Texas, Look Me Up Phil Harris & His Orchestra
3 (I've Been So Wrong For So Long, But) I'm So Right Tonight Phil Harris & His Orchestra
4 Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
5 Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas Phil Harris & His Orchestra
6 Now You've Gone And Hurt My Southern Pride Phil Harris & His Orchestra
7 Loaded Pistols, Loaded Dice Phil Harris & His Orchestra
8 Old Time Religion Phil Harris & His Orchestra
9 Look Out Stranger, I'm A Texas Ranger Phil Harris & His Orchestra
10 44 Sycamore Phil Harris & His Orchestra
11 Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens Phil Harris & His Orchestra
12 Minnie The Mermaid (A Love Song In Fish Time) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
13 He's His Own Grandpa (I'm My Own Grandpa) Phil Harris & His Orchestra
14 Never Trust A Woman Phil Harris & His Orchestra
15 Deck Of Cards Phil Harris & His Orchestra
16 Shadrach Phil Harris & His Orchestra
17 Row, Row, Row Phil Harris & His Orchestra
18 Old Master Painter Phil Harris & His Orchestra
19 St. James Infirmary Phil Harris & His Orchestra
20 Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy Phil Harris & His Orchestra
21 Play A Simple Melody Phil Harris
22 Goofus Phil Harris
23 The Thing Phil Harris
24 Southern Fried Boogie Phil Harris
25 The Musicians Phil Harris, Tony Martin, Dinah Shore & Betty Hutton
26 Hambone Phil Harris And The Bell Sisters
27 Potato Chips Phil Harris & His Orchestra
©2008 Acrobat Music