• Track Listing

Bear Family’s first Burns comp covered his mid-’50s Starday era; this one takes us from ’59 to the late ’60s. It’s been much discussed how Sonny’s friend (and sometimes duet partner) George Jones shot to stardom while Sonny didn’t, but this overdue collection proves what great records this East Texas honky-tonk singer made outside the spotlight. These TNT, United Artists and MGM cuts include prized sides as well as unissued recordings: I Sat Down on a Bear Trap; I Left One on the Bar; Penny Love; And Then Some; Take a Good Look; Room Next to Mine; Bricks and Mortar; the title song…21 tracks and a 28-page booklet! Bear Family.