Two of the greatest pop and country songwriters ever Milwaukee-born Felice Bryant (nee Matilda Genevieve Scaduto, 1925-2003) and Georgia's Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant (1920-1987) conquered both pop and country with a string of hits that started in the 1950's rock'n'roll era, and seemingly never stopped. From the Everly Brothers to the Osborne Brothers, the Bryants penned classics such as "Love Hurts," "Bye Bye Love," "All I Have To Do Is Dream," and -- of course -- the widely-recorded "Rocky Top." Though remarkably prolific as composers, the Bryants recorded very little on their own... In addition to the two albums below, there are also a string of neglected singles which still need to be gathered together some day... (Bear Family? Are you out there, listening? )

Boudeleaux Bryant "Boudleaux's Bestsellers" (Monument Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Foster, Bill Porter & Tommy Strong)
A set of easy-listening instrumental versions of classic Bryant compositions (and a few less well-known numbers) with arrangements by Tupper Saussy and Bill McElhiney. The musicians aren't identified, though I'm sure they included a slew of Nashville studio pros...

Felice Bryant & Boudleaux Bryant "A Touch Of Bryant" (CMH Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Singleton)
On this super laid-back session, the Bryants found themselves in the odd position of approaching their own material well after it had attained "oldies" status, which was particularly true on classics such as "All I Have To Do Is Dream," "Bye Bye Love," and "Rocky Top," where oddly enough they ran the risk of sounding like cover artists when compared to the zippy original hit recordings. It's an all-star cast backing them, with Ray Edenton on rhythm guitar, drummer Davide Humphreys, Sam Jacobs (lead guitar), Rick Maness (bass). John Probst (keyboards), Larry Shell (rhythm guitar) also the Allen Moore Singers (Allen Moore, Sudie Baker & Rita Figlio) and even guest appearances by Chet Atkins and Lenny Breau, who sat in on one track, "When I Stop Loving You." To be honest, though, these Nashville sessions are really pretty goopy, and while I am generally a fan of hearing songwriters perform their own material, the Bryants both sounded pretty old on these tracks... It's not disastrous, by any means, but the arrangements are snoozy and lack the manic energy the Bryants showed on their early Hickory Records singles. Mostly of academic interest, I suppose.

Various Artists "LOVE HURTS: THE SONGS OF FELICE AND BOUDLEAUX BRYANT" (Jasmine Records, 2023)
This generously-programmed archival set features a slew original recordings of oldies by the Bryants, with a few big hits, but way more of their more obscure, lesser efforts. Which is kind of fun. In addition to rock stars such as The Everly Brothers ("Bird Dog," "Love Hurts") there are tracks from Elvis Presley ("How's The World Treating You"), Janis Martin ("One More Year To Go") The Collins Kids ("They're Still In Love"), and Roy Orbison ("She Wears My Ring") along with a bunch of country headliners, such as Anita Carter, Skeeter Davis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Don Gibson and George Morgan, as well as a parade of mainstream pop singers like Connie Francis and Carl Dobkins Jr. Probably due to licensing costs, this set largely veers away from the biggest, most obvious hit versions of many songs, but to be honest the obscuro, off-beat numbers might be more exciting for many music nerds, including rarities like "Cherry Berry Lips" by Curtis & Del, "A Mushroom Cloud" by Sammy Salvo, "Chicken Thief," by the rockabilly Kalin Twins, Tommy Zang's "I'm Gonna Slip You Offa My Mind," and Boudleaux Bryant himself, singing a tune called "Blue Kazoo." Fun stuff.

Bood Bryant (Hickory Records, 1954) (#45-1007) (7")
A: "I Wanta Go Fast" (c: Bryant)
B: "My Baby's Gone" (c: Bryant)
(Producer not identified)
That would be Boudleaux Bryant, famous songwriter-to-be, recording of an early nickname, thankfully soon discarded.

Boudleaux Bryant & The Sparks (Hickory Records, 1959) (#1100) (7")
A: "Blue Kazoo" (c: Boudleaux Bryant & Felice Bryant)
B: "Hot Spot" (c: Boudleaux Bryant & Felice Bryant))
(Producer not identified)

Boudleaux Bryant & The Sparks (Hickory Records, 1959) (# 1108) (7")
A: "Touche" (c: Boudleaux Bryant)
B: "Holiday March" (c: Boudleaux Bryant)
(Producer not identified)

Felice Bryant (Hickory Records, 1960) (#45-1127) (7")
A: "Completely (Meravigliose Labbra)" (c: Boudleaux Bryant, V. Sabel & T. Usuelli)
B: "We Could" (c: Felice Bryant)
(Producer not identified)

Felice Bryant (Hickory Records, 1961) (#45-1130) (7")
A: "Magic World Of Love (La Donna Che Amero)" (c: Boudleaux Bryant, B. Pallesi & S. Taccani)
B: "I Don't Believe In Wishing Anymore" (c: Boudleaux Bryant & Felice Bryant)
(Producer not identified)

• Discogs: Felice and Boudleaux Bryant

• Wikipedia: Felice and Boudleaux Bryant

Hick Music Index