Our occasional series for obsessives returns with the old standard, "Tennessee Waltz". Written in 1946 by Pee Wee King, he did not get round to releasing it until 1948, by which time Cowboy Copas had beaten him to the punch. Both had top ten country hits with the song, but the version that gave it "instant classic" status was by Patti Page in 1950. I am not sure anyone has ever really improved on that, although Otis Redding comes pretty close.
As you would expect there are plenty of country and soul versions to choose from. I've added some Merseybeat, jazz and latin. Inexplicably it appears to be about the only country standard never to have had a reggae version made, but maybe one of you can put me right on that. I have spared you the disco-schlager version.
"Tennessee Waltz" - Cowboy Copas
"Tennessee Waltz" - Patti Page
"Tennessee Waltz" - Little Rose Little
"Tennessee Waltz" - Sonny Rollins
"Tennessee Waltz" - Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
"Tennessee Waltz" - Otis Redding
"Tennessee Waltz" - Machito
"Tennessee Waltz" - Pete Molinari (with The Jordanaires)
I lied about the disco-schlager version. This is especially for Mister F, stranded in the wastelands of Washington DC.
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