Patsy Cline – Birth of a Star

Here’s a nice treat for those of us who thought we had everything by the former Virginia Hensley of Winchester, Virginia. The mavericks at Razor & Tie have compiled Patsy Cline’s complete appearances on “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” television program (January 1957-January 1958) onto one CD. Thanks to her appearances over those 12 months, Cline’s renown blossomed from regional to national. Although she only had one major hit during this time (“Walking After Midnight”, with which she made her debut on the program, knocking the socks off the studio audience), her regular appearances on the show kept her in the national spotlight during this early, crucial part of her career, resulting in steady enough sales for her to keep recording.

Naturally, the material here predates her classic period (1960-1963) that the more casual listener will be familiar with. While these songs are perhaps slightly lower in quality than her ’60s hits, the studio versions recorded with Nashville’s A-Team are still some of Cline’s most exciting cuts, thanks to her obvious enthusiasm and the musicians’ expertise. Here, however, Cline is accompanied by Godfrey’s house band, consisting of pop/jazz musicians from Manhattan, and the music occasionally suffers from the supper-club arrangements. Compare, for instance, the rockin’ version of “I Don’t Wanna” on Cline’s 1957 eponymous debut LP to the Dixieland-flavored version served up here.

Such minor shortcomings are more than made up for, though, by the joy of hearing Cline going mano a mano with Godfrey between songs. Seeing two people with such saucy senses of humor ribbing each other on national television must have been quite a jolt in those dark ages of early TV. Hearing it 40 years later is still one hell of a good time.