A previously unreleased album by the late country music artist Charley Pride has been confirmed for an upcoming release. Pride, who passed away in December 2020, left a notable legacy in music, including numerous awards, No. 1 songs, and millions of records sold. His career began after he transitioned from semi pro baseball in the late 1950s, eventually establishing himself in the country music genre with his smooth baritone vocals.
In 2017, the presence of new material was confirmed when several forgotten reels were located in a storage room at Pride’s Dallas production office. Following his passing, the multi track reels were verified to contain recordings of a Brook Benton tribute album, which Pride recorded in the 1980s but never commercially released. In 2021, the tapes were digitized. ‘Endlessly: A Tribute to Brook Benton’ is scheduled for release on September 19th on Music City Records, coinciding with the 94th anniversary of Brook Benton’s birth. The album’s first single, “Thank You Pretty Baby,” will be available on Friday, August 29th, across digital music platforms.
This project is described as an homage to singer and songwriter Brook Benton, showcasing elements of vintage country, rhythm and blues, and pop music. It suggests that Pride’s artistic range was not limited to country music. The material was originally recorded in Dallas during a gap in Pride’s recording contracts, specifically between his tenure with RCA Records and 16th Avenue Records. The production style, helmed by Bob Pickering, chief engineer at Pride’s home studio CECCA Sound, is noted as being different from his standard 1970s and 1980s country recordings. The album features a string section and a collection of professional North Texas musicians from the mid 1980s, including bassist Chuck Rainey and jazz pianist Fred Crane.
The track selection for the tribute primarily covers songs from Benton’s initial successful period between 1959 and 1961. These include titles like “It’s Just a Matter of Time,” “Endlessly,” “Thank You Pretty Baby,” “So Close,” “So Many Ways,” and “Kiddio,” all of which were major R&B hits that also performed well on the Top 40 pop chart. The release of this album is viewed as a demonstration of both Charley Pride’s vocal adaptability and the talent of the North Texas studio musicians who supported him. It is anticipated that this previously unreleased work may contribute further to Pride’s overall body of work.
The full track listing for the album is:
- Think Twice
- Endlessly
- It’s Just a Matter of Time
- Hurtin’ Inside
- Thank You Pretty Baby
- Pretend
- Kiddio
- So Close
- The Ties That Bind
- So Many Ways