Ruby Murray was a singer from Northern Ireland who became one of the most popular artists in the UK, becoming ubiquitous on television variety shows as she racked up ten UK hits between 1954 and ’59, and making chart history when she had five records in the Top 20 in the same week in March 1955. Making her TV debut in Ireland in 1947 at the age of 12, she toured the UK in a revue in 1954, which brought her a regular spot on UK TV, and a recording contract with EMI. This 58-track 2-CD collection comprises most of the A and B sides of her singles during this era on EMI’s Columbia label (some B sides were omitted through lack of space). It features all her hits, including the UK No. 1 “Softly, Softly” and the Top 10 entries “Heartbeat”, “Happy Days And Lonely Nights”, “Let Me Go Lover”, “Evermore”, “I’ll Come When You Call” and “Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye” and “If Anyone Finds This I Love You” on which she duets with Anne Warren. It includes performances with the orchestras of Ray Martin, Norrie Paramor, Eric Jupp and Frank Barber, and recordings alongside Diana Decker, Ray Burns, and Ronnie Harris plus duet recordings with Norman Wisdom and Brendan O’Dowda. It’s an entertaining and evocative tribute to an artist who was regarded very much as one of the nation’s sweethearts.

CD 1

1. GET WELL SOON Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3518) 1954

2. TWO KINDS OF TEARS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3518) 1954

3. HEARTBEAT Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3542) 1954

4. HE'S A PAL OF MINE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3542) 1954

5. SOFTLY, SOFTLY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3558) 1955

6. WHAT COULD BE MORE BEAUTIFUL Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3558) 1955

7. SPRING, SPRING, SPRING Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3567) 1955

8. GOIN' CO'TIN' Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3567) 1955

9. HAPPY DAYS AND LONELY NIGHTS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3577) 1955

10. LET ME GO LOVER Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3577) 1955

11. IF ANYONE FINDS THIS, I LOVE YOU Ruby Murray With Anne Warren (Columbia DB3580) 1955

12. BEFORE WE KNOW IT Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3580) 1955

13. EVERMORE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3617) 1955

14. BAMBINO Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3617) 1955

15. I'LL COME WHEN YOU CALL Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3643) 1955

16. IT'S THE IRISH IN ME Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3643) 1955

17. THE VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS OF ALL  Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3680) 1955

18. SLOWLY WITH FEELING Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3680) 1955

19. TWO RIVERS Ruby Murray & Norman Wisdom (Columbia DB3715) 1956

20. FOR NOW, FOR EVER Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3718) 1956

21. (OH PLEASE) MAKE HIM JEALOUS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3718) 1956

22. PLEASE HOLD ME TIGHTLY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3750) 1956

23. I KNOW I'M HOME Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3750) 1956

24. YOU ARE MY FIRST LOVE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3770) 1956

25. HONESTLY, I DO Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3770) 1956

26. IT ONLY HURTS FOR A LITTLE WHILE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3810) 1956

27. TRUE LOVE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3849) 1956

28. IN LOVE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3852) 1956

CD 2

1. O'MALLEY'S TANGO Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3852) 1956

2. MR. WONDERFUL Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3933) 1957

3. PRETTY, PRETTY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3933) 1957

4. SCARLET RIBBONS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3955) 1957

5. PASSING STRANGERS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3994) 1957

6. LITTLE WHITE LIES Ruby Murray (Columbia DB3994) 1957

7. I'LL REMEMBER TODAY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4042) 1957

8. AIN'T THAT A GRAND AND GLORIOUS FEELING Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4042) 1957

9. FORGIVE ME MY DARLING Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4075) 1958

10. KEEP SMILING AT TROUBLE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4075) 1958

11. IN MY LIFE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4108) 1958

12. REAL LOVE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4192) 1958

13. LITTLE ONE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4192) 1958

14. NEVERTHELESS (I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU) Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4266) 1959

15. WHO KNOWS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4266) 1959

16. GOODBYE JIMMY, GOODBYE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4305) 1959

17. A PRETTY IRISH GIRL Ruby Murray With Brendan O'Dowda (Columbia DB4326) 1959

18. A MESSAGE FROM JIMMY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4379) 1959

19. A VOICE IN THE CHOIR Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4379) 1959

20. CONGRATULATIONS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4426) 1960

21. FOREVER Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4426) 1960

22. MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4497) 1960

23. SWEETHEART OF ALL MY DREAMS Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4497) 1960

24. LIVING FOR THE DAY Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4575) 1961

25. GOODBYE IS THE LONELIEST WORD I KNOW Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4575) 1961

26. TAMMY TELL ME TRUE Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4701) 1961

27. PIANISSIMO Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4771) 1962

28. THE DIAMOND Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4771) 1962

29. HOW DID HE LOOK? Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4944) 1962

30. AS SIMPLE AS THAT Ruby Murray (Columbia DB4944) 1962