BRENDA LEE
Brenda Lee - Little miss Dynamite [1995] (4 x CDs)
Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country, and Christmas music, she achieved her first Billboard hit at age 12 in 1957 and was given the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite". Some of Lee's most successful songs include "Sweet Nothin's", "I'm Sorry", "I Want to Be Wanted", "Speak to Me Pretty", "All Alone Am I", and "Losing You". Her festive song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", recorded in 1958, topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, making Lee the oldest artist ever to top the chart and breaking several chart records.
Having sold over 100 million records globally, Lee is one of the most successful American artists of the 20th century. Lee was the second woman ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 (after Connie Francis) when her song “I’m Sorry” reached number one in 1960. Her U.S. success in the 1960s earned her recognition as Billboard's Top Female Artist of the Decade and one of the four artists who charted the most singles, behind Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Ray Charles. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, four NARM Awards, three NME Awards, and five Edison Awards. She is the first woman to be inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2023, she was named by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest singers of all time. (Wikipedia)
Little Miss Dynamite is a monumental 1995 box set from Bear Family Records, celebrating the early career of American pop and rockabilly icon Brenda Lee. Packaged in an LP-sized box with a lavish 88-page hardcover book, this German release is a collector’s dream, offering a deep dive into Lee’s formative years from 1956 to 1962.
Across four CDs and approximately 312 minutes of music, the set features 122 tracks, including chart-toppers like “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I’m Sorry,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Break It to Me Gently.” But it’s not just the hits, the compilation includes alternate takes, rare B-sides, and early recordings that showcase Lee’s astonishing vocal maturity, even as a teenager. Her ability to move between rockabilly, country, and pop ballads with ease is on full display.
The accompanying book is packed with session notes, rare photographs, and essays that trace Lee’s rise from child prodigy to international star. Produced under the guidance of Paul Cohen, Owen Bradley, and Milt Gabler, these recordings helped shape the Nashville Sound, with Lee’s voice often compared to contemporaries like Patsy Cline and even Elvis Presley.
This box set is part of Bear Family’s tradition of exhaustive, high-quality retrospectives, and Little Miss Dynamite stands out as one of their finest. It’s not just a tribute, it’s a full-blown archive of Brenda Lee’s early brilliance, capturing the energy, emotion, and versatility that made her one of the best-selling female artists of her era. For fans of vintage pop and rock ’n’ roll, this is essential listening and a beautifully curated piece of music history. This box set is a heartfelt tribute to a true legend. (B)
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Track lists
CD1
01 Brenda Lee - Jambalaya (On The Bayou) 2:07
02 Brenda Lee - Bigelow 6-200 2:12
03 Brenda Lee - Bigelow 6-200 (alt) 2:11
04 Brenda Lee - Some People 2:36
05 Brenda Lee - Your Cheatin´ Heart 2:37
06 Brenda Lee - Doodle Bug Rag 2:09
07 Brenda Lee - Christy Christmas 2:20
08 Brenda Lee - I´m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus 2:15
09 Brenda Lee - Fairyland 2:59
10 Brenda Lee - One Step at A Time 2:38
11 Brenda Lee - Dynamite 2:01
12 Brenda Lee - Ain´t That Love 2:47
13 Brenda Lee - Love You Till I Die 2:03
14 Brenda Lee - One Teenager to Another 2:23
15 Brenda Lee - Rock A Bye Baby Blues 2:15
16 Brenda Lee - Rock The Bop 2:09
17 Brenda Lee - Ring-A-My Phone 1:59
18 Brenda Lee - The Golden Key 2:04
19 Brenda Lee - Little Jonah (Rock on Your Steel Guitar) 2:22
20 Brenda Lee - My Baby Likes Western Guys 2:13
21 Brenda Lee - Papa Noel 2:25
22 Brenda Lee - Rockin´ Around The Christmas Tree 2:02
23 Brenda Lee - Bill Bailey, Won´t You Please Come Home 2:21
24 Brenda Lee - Heading Home 2:38
25 Brenda Lee - Let´s Jump The Broomstick 2:33
26 Brenda Lee - Hummin´ The Blues Over You 2:08
27 Brenda Lee - The Stroll 2:30
28 Brenda Lee - Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody 2:24
29 Brenda Lee - Pretty Baby 1:40
30 Brenda Lee - St. Louis Blues 2:52
31 Brenda Lee - Pennies From Heaven 2:23
32 Brenda Lee - Baby Face 2:12
33 Brenda Lee - Bailin´ The Jack 1:53
CD2
01 Brenda Lee - Just Because 1:56
02 Brenda Lee - Side By Side 2:09
03 Brenda Lee - A Good Man is Hard to Find 2:25
04 Brenda Lee - Some of These Days 2:20
05 Brenda Lee - Back in Your Own Backyard 2:48
06 Brenda Lee - Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye 2:18
07 Brenda Lee - Sweet Nothin's 2:20
08 Brenda Lee - (If I'm Dreaming) Just Let Me Dream 2:48
09 Brenda Lee - Weep No More My Baby 2:59
10 Brenda Lee - That's All You Gotta Do 2:26
11 Brenda Lee - I Want to Be Wanted (Per Tutta La Vita) 2:50
12 Brenda Lee - Just A Little 2:23
13 Brenda Lee - Build A Big Fence 2:26
14 Brenda Lee - Be My Love Again 2:36
15 Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry 2:39
16 Brenda Lee - Dynamite 1:56
17 Brenda Lee - Love and Learn 2:05
18 Brenda Lee - Wee Wee Willie 2:06
19 Brenda Lee - Jambalaya (On The Bayou) 2:43
20 Brenda Lee - Do I Worry (Yes I Do) 2:05
21 Brenda Lee - Emotions 2:48
22 Brenda Lee - I Want to Be Wanted (Per Tutta La Vita) 3:03
23 Brenda Lee - No One 2:43
24 Brenda Lee - Crazy Talk 2:40
25 Brenda Lee - The Big Chance 2:13
26 Brenda Lee - It's Never Too Late 2:19
27 Brenda Lee - I'm Learning About Love 2:40
28 Brenda Lee - Careless, That's All 2:55
29 Brenda Lee - We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) 3:28
30 Brenda Lee - If I Didn't Care 2:59
CD3
01 Brenda Lee - When My Dreamboat Comes Home 2:12
02 Brenda Lee - Walkin' to New Orleans 2:30
03 Brenda Lee - Hallelujah I Love Him So 2:22
04 Brenda Lee - I'm in The Mood for Love 2:48
05 Brenda Lee - Swanee River Rock 2:09
06 Brenda Lee - Pretend 2:50
07 Brenda Lee - If I Didn't Care 2:40
08 Brenda Lee - If You Love Me (Really Love Me) 2:37
09 Brenda Lee - Teach Me Tonight 2:59
10 Brenda Lee - Blueberry Hill 2:27
11 Brenda Lee - Around The World 2:21
12 Brenda Lee - Fools Rush in (Were Angels Fear to Tread) 2:36
13 Brenda Lee - Someone to Love (The Prisoner's Song) 2:42
14 Brenda Lee - Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart 2:19
15 Brenda Lee - Georgia on My Mind 3:36
16 Brenda Lee - Just Another Lie 3:17
17 Brenda Lee - When I Fall in Love 2:58
18 Brenda Lee - Cry 2:46
19 Brenda Lee - Will You Love Me Tomorrow 2:51
20 Brenda Lee - You Can Depend on Me 3:29
21 Brenda Lee - Careless, That's All 3:00
22 Brenda Lee - Lover, Come Back to Me 2:33
23 Brenda Lee - Kansas City 2:36
24 Brenda Lee - On The Sunny Side of The Street 3:17
25 Brenda Lee - All The Way 3:01
26 Brenda Lee - How Deep is The Ocean (How High is The Sky) 3:03
27 Brenda Lee - Tragedy 2:43
28 Brenda Lee - Talkin' 'Bout You 2:35
CD4
01 Brenda Lee - Tables Are Turning 2:10
02 Brenda Lee - Funny Feelin' 2:17
03 Brenda Lee - Eventually 2:59
04 Brenda Lee - Dum Dum 2:23
05 Brenda Lee - Let Me Be The One 2:12
06 Brenda Lee - Speak to Me Pretty 2:14
07 Brenda Lee - Time is Not Enough 2:20
08 Brenda Lee - Here Comes That Feeling 2:09
09 Brenda Lee - Just Forget 2:30
10 Brenda Lee - Break it to Me Gently 2:36
11 Brenda Lee - Fool #1 2:25
12 Brenda Lee - Anybody But Me 2:24
13 Brenda Lee - So Deep 2:04
14 Brenda Lee - Only You (And You Alone) 2:55
15 Brenda Lee - You've Got Me Crying Again 2:40
16 Brenda Lee - It's The Talk of The Town 3:18
17 Brenda Lee - You Always Hurt The One You Love 2:44
18 Brenda Lee - I Miss You So 2:51
19 Brenda Lee - I'll Be Seeing You 2:36
20 Brenda Lee - Lazy River 2:17
21 Brenda Lee - Send Me Some Lovin' 2:51
22 Brenda Lee - Hold Me Little 2:34
23 Brenda Lee - I'll Always Be in Love With You 2:30
24 Brenda Lee - Organ Grinder's Swing 2:23
25 Brenda Lee - Let The Four Winds Blow 2:06
26 Brenda Lee - Everybody Loves Me But You 2:29
27 Brenda Lee - Heart in Hand 2:27
28 Brenda Lee - She'll Never Know 2:28
29 Brenda Lee - Why Me? 2:12
30 Brenda Lee - It Takes One to Know One 2:42
31 Brenda Lee - Sweet Lovin' 2:18
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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When people I know lament the passing of rock 'n' roll's founding generation -- your Chucks, your Fatses, your Elvii -- I remind them that Brenda Lee lives on. Of course, I say the same thing about Pat Boone ...
ReplyDeleteHi Johnathan F. King.
DeleteAbsolutely, Brenda Lee is still standing tall, and that voice remains unmistakable. It’s easy to forget how much depth and range she brought beyond the holiday staple.
The founding generation may be thinning, but their echoes live on, not just in the legends who remain, but in the music we keep rediscovering and sharing.
Thanks for keeping the spirit alive.
Cheers.