Arthur Smith was a country guitarist, banjoist, composer and record producer, who was also a popular radio and TV host, with The Arthur Smith Show becoming the first nationally-syndicated country music show on US TV. Born in 1921 in South Carolina, Smith first recorded the ground-breaking Guitar Boogie in 1944.

In his version of the uptempo 12-bar boogie-style number, Smith performs the piano parts on guitar, alternating between boogie rhythmic patterns and soloing. Originally a jazz artist, Smith said: “I guess I picked that [boogie-woogie] from Tommy Dorsey’s Boogie Woogie, ’cause I didn’t listen to country or blues, I listened to big band in those days”. In October 1948, MGM Records (which had purchased Super Disc and Smith’s contract) re-released the instrumental under the name Arthur (Guitar Boogie) Smith and His Cracker-Jacks.

By 1949, Guitar Boogie reached No.8 during a stay of seven weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart and number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A national hit it sold more than three million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Smith was highly influential in the pop market, generating hit cover versions in the rock ‘n’ roll era and many acts cited him as an influence, including country star Glen Campbell.

This 55-track set includes selected A- and B-sides of his releases on the Bluebird, Super Disc and MGM labels during this era, with his music encompassing instrumental compositions as well as songs performed in his characteristic ‘talking blues’ style and more mainstream country material. He was a brilliant instrumentalist who set the template for performers that followed in later years.

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