Known predominantly as a songwriter rather than a singer, MELVIN ENDSLEY is chiefly remembered for copyrights like ’Singing The Blues’, ’Knee Deep In The Blues’, ’Love Me To Pieces’, ’I Like Your Kind Of Love’ and ’It Happens Everytime’.

However he also enjoyed a parallel recording career, and during the latter half of the 1950s he cut a dozen or so superb singles, many of which are nowadays sought-after collectors’ artefacts, although none were significant hits.

Endsley had a resonant, relaxed voice, with a pleasing, natural yodel; but he was wheelchair-bound, due to a childhood bout of polio, and perhaps his disability impeded his appeal as a performer.

His recorded output nonetheless remains a solidly commercial, impressive body of work, much in demand among collectors.

This compilation anthologises his singles for RCA-Victor, MGM and Hickory, between 1957-61 and stacks up as a remarkable legacy; close your eyes, and this sounds just like someone’s ’Greatest Hits’ collection.