Maxine, Bonnie and Jim Ed Brown may not quite be one of the first families of country music, but they had a long and successful career. They were well enough known in Europe for The Beatles to cite them as favourites (according to Dave Samuelson’s comprehensive sleevenotes), and their brand of precise close-harmony singing can be heard in many contemporary acts: listen to many Laura Cantrell songs and you’re hearing a strong echo of The Browns.
What you won’t hear on this 36-track collection of Maxine’s particular favourites is “pure” country, because The Browns were also pushed as a crossover pop act, perhaps because of their distinctive harmonisation. We get The Twelfth Of Never, Buttons & Bows, Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) and The Three Bells, which was their first really big hit.
The Browns’ joint and individual histories are recounted in the accompanying sleevenotes, which is well illustrated with both black-and-white and colour photographs and artwork. And because this is a Bear Family production, and Bear Family productions are nothing if not exhaustive, there’s even a section dedicated to the provenance of The Three Bells (derives from a piano instrumental by Jean Villard, apparently).
