Ray Price – Danny Boy LP – Columbia CL 2677 (1967)

Add a definitive, transformative piece of mid-century countrypolitan history to your collection with Danny Boy by the legendary Country Music Hall of Fame icon Ray Price. Released in May 1967 by Columbia Records (CL 2677), this exceptional studio album marked a bold and brilliant artistic pivot for Price, shifting away from his signature traditional honky-tonk shuffle toward a grand, string-driven pop-crossover soundscape that climbed all the way to number three on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart during an impressive 35-week run.

Produced by the legendary Nashville team of Don Law and Frank Jones, the album features majestic orchestration arranged by Cam Mullins and conducted by guitar virtuoso Grady Martin, with backing vocal harmonies from the world-famous Jordanaires. The record is anchored by two massive Top 10 hits: the sweeping, five-minute title track interpretation of the traditional Irish ballad “Danny Boy” (which hit #9) and the deeply emotional, self-penned classic “Soft Rain” (which soared to #3). Across both sides, Price showcases his immense vocal power by breathing new life into traditional standards like “Greensleeves” alongside stunning covers of contemporary staples like Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” and Dottie West’s “What’s Come Over My Baby.” Pressed as a 12-inch 33 RPM high-fidelity mono LP, this original analog mix provides a remarkably rich, warm, and up-close sonic presence that highlights the pure velvet clarity of his unmatched vocal delivery.

Tracklist:

• Side A: Danny Boy; Greensleeves; Across the Wide Missouri; Soft Rain; Pretend.

• Side B: Spanish Eyes; What’s Come Over My Baby; Crazy; Born to Lose; Vaya Con Dios.

Housed in its original 1960s vintage cardboard sleeve featuring iconic studio portrait photography, this highly collectible mono pressing is an indispensable cornerstone acquisition for serious classic country historians, Nashville Sound archivists, and vintage analog vinyl enthusiasts alike.