Search - Ernest Ashworth :: Ernest Ashworth - The Greatest Hits

Nice collection of a forgotten artist at a very good price!!

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 05/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"During the 1960's Ernest Ashworth was certainly the real deal. In fact, between 1960 and 1970 every record recorded by Ernie hit the national charts!! At the dawn of the decade, Ashworth had three hits on the Decca label including two Top Ten smashes "Each Moment (Spent With You)" and "You Can't Pick A Rose in December". Then in the summer of 1962 Ernest Ashworth would sign with Acuff-Rose's Hickory records. It would prove to be a very fruitful relationship. Beginning with "Everybody But Me" Ashworth would reel off 5 consecutive Top Ten Hits on Billboards Top Country Singles chart. One of these, "Talk Back Trembling Lips" would become his signature song. Ernest Ashworth would become a regular on the Grand Ole Opry in 1964. But during the second half of the decade, Ashworth's popularity began to fade and he would never again appear on the charts after 1970.
This CD is really one of the better values you will find. It is not often that you can get a quality collection for just $5.95. It is wonderful to hear the music of a traditional country artist. You are sure to enjoy the steel guitar on numbers like "I Take The Chance", "The DJ Cried" and "Because I Cared". There are a total of 12 tracks on this CD. Total playing time is just 28 min!! As usual the biggest downside to any Curb CD is the ugly packaging and lack of any kind of meaningful liner notes. I simply cannot imagine ever giving a Curb release a five star rating. But all things considered this really is an excellent collection and would be a welcome addition to your music library."

Under-rated historical release

Cory L. Schwent | Bloomsdale, MO United States | 04/07/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is essential, collection wise. Warning: He had a very weird sounding voice. And this collection doesn't have the best of notes. Just the standard "Curb" fair: One page of ho-hum notes. These are the original recordings of all his Top Ten songs. And for a cheap price."

Definitely One Of The Better Curb Efforts

Cory L. Schwent | 09/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like another reviewer I'm no big fan of the Curb label, but I have to admit this is one of their better, more honest efforts. And it's certainly cheap.



Ernest Ashworth had eighteen charted country singles for the Hickory label from 1962 to 1970 - the last ten billed as Ernie Ashworth - and here you get 12 of them. All originals, beginning with his first at Hickory, Everybody But Me, which peaked at # 3 in the summer of 1962. Before that he'd had three charters for Decca - Each Moment ('Spent With You) and You Can't Pick A Rose In December - # 4 and # 8 respectively in 1960; and Forever Gone - # 15 in 1961.



His second Hickory hit was 1963's I Take The Chance, a # 7 that January, but later that summer came his signature tune. Talk Back Trembling Lips not only made it to # 1, but it stayed on the Country charts for 36 weeks, and just missed making the pop Top 100, "bubbling under" at # 101.



For many artists, trying to follow a monster hit like that would be difficult, but from then until 1965 he'd rack up five more Top 20 hits: A Week In The Country [# 10 in 1964]; I Love To Dance With Annie [# 4 in 1964]; Pushed In A Corner [# 11 in 1964]; Because I Cared [# 18 in 1965]; and The DJ Cried [# 8 in 1965]. All are in this set.



It would be hard to claim that a simple thing like changing his billing from Ernest to Ernie would be bad luck, but the fact is, from there to his final charter he would only have one other Top 20 hit, 1966's At Ease Heart which topped out at # 13. Just before that he'd had a # 28 with I Wish. He then finished 1966 off with the # 31 Sad Face, and in 1968 A New Heart stalled at # 39.



So what you get here from Curb are ALL of his Top 40 Country hits for Hickory. Those missing are: Just An Empty Place [# 63], My Love For You (Is Like A Mountain Range) [# 48], and Tender And True [# 48] - all from 1967; Where Do You Go (When You Don't Go With Me) [# 69] and Love, I Finally Found It [# 72] - both from 1969, and the aptly-titled That Look Of Good-Bye which was his last hit, going to # 72 in 1970.



Subsequent releases on the O'Brien label failed to chart. To turn 79 on December 15, 2007, Ernest, owner of radio station WSLV in Ardmore, Tennessee, reportedly lives in semi-retirement on his farm in Lewisburg.



There aren't many better bargains than this one, and when you consider it covers most of the important hits of one of Country's top stars of the era, it even takes on more importance. A little, hidden gem to be sure.

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