Famed guitarist James Burton and storied pedal-steel man Ralph Mooney were first-call session men for a staggering array of stellar artists, including Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, and many others. Burton’s jaw-dropping Telecaster had given Ricky Nelson’s early hits their rockabilly zest, and Mooney’s ethereal pedal-steel was a staple in countless country sessions. Since the duo’s sound was so easy to spot, Burton and Mooney were urged to cut an album’s worth of originals and instrumental covers of country hits in late ’66.