Burl Ives - Sings Softly and Tenderly Hymns and Spirituals '1969

Tracks list

With his grandfatherly image, Burl Ives parlayed his talent as a folksinger into
a wide-ranging career as a radio personality and stage and screen actor. After
spending his early 20s traveling the country as an itinerant singer, Ives moved
to New York City in 1937. By the end of 1938, he had made his Broadway debut,
and he also sang folk songs in Greenwich Village clubs. In 1940, Ives began to
appear regularly on radio, including his own show, The Wayfarin Stranger, on
CBS. Ives made his first records for Stinson, a small folk label, then was
signed to Decca, a major label. He made his movie debut in Smoky in 1946. In
1948, his first book, Wayfaring Stranger, was published. In 1949, he had his
first chart hit with Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly). The same year, he moved to
Columbia Records. With the advent of the long-playing record, Ives suddenly had
a flurry of LP releases from his three labels: The Wayfaring Stranger on
Stinson; three volumes of Ballads & Folk Songs, Women: Folk Songs About the Fair
Sex, Folk Songs Dramatic and Humorous, and Christmas Day in the Morning on
Decca; and Wayfaring Stranger, Return of the Wayfaring Stranger, More Folk
Songs, American Hymns, The Animal Fair and Mother Goose Songs on Columbia. He
also recorded a series of albums for Encyclopedia Brittanica Films under the
overall title Historical America in Song. In 1951, he hit the Top Ten with On
Top of Old Smoky. In 1952, he returned to Decca. While continuing to publish
books and to act on Broadway and in the movies, Ives made a series of albums
that included Coronation Concert, The Wild Side of Life, Men, Down to the Sea in
Ships, In the Quiet of the Night, Burl Ives Sings for Fun, Songs of Ireland, Old
Time Varieties, Captain Burl Ives Ark, Australian Folk Songs, and Cheers, all
released in the second half of the 1950s. In 1961, Ives oriented himself toward
country music, resulting in the hit A Little Bitty Tear, which made the Top Ten
in both the pop and country charts. The single was contained on The Versatile
Burl Ives. Funny Way of Laughin was another pop and country Top Ten in 1962; it
appeared on Its Just My Funny Way of Laughin and won Ives a Grammy Award for
Best Country Western Recording. He turned his attention primarily to movie work
from 1963 on, especially with the Walt Disney studio. But he charted with Pearly
Shells in 1964 and made a childrens album, Chim Chim Cheree and Other Childrens
Choices, for Disney Buena Vista Records. At the end of the 60s, Ives returned to
Columbia Records for The Times They Are A-Changin and Softly and Tenderly. He
gave up popular recording, but returned in 1973 with the country album Payin My
Dues Again. He also continued to record childrens music and also released
several religious albums on Word Records. Turning 70 in 1979, he became less
active and finally retired to Washington State. In the 90s, Decca and the German
Bear Family label reissued many of his recordings.

Tracklist:
 01. Burl Ives - Blessed Assurance (02:41)
 02. Burl Ives - Forty Years Ago (02:49)
 03. Burl Ives - Were You There (03:50)
 04. Burl Ives - Oh Mary Dont You Weep (02:25)
 05. Burl Ives - Softly and Tenderly (02:32)
 06. Burl Ives - Scandalize My Name (02:41)
 07. Burl Ives - In the Garden (03:05)
 08. Burl Ives - Walk Through Jerusalem (01:58)
 09. Burl Ives - Supper Time (03:40)
 10. Burl Ives - Rock My Soul (02:37)
 11. Burl Ives - The Ninety and Nine (03:13)

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