Record #0729: Anytime / What a Fool I Was – EDDY ARNOLD

RCA Victor 48-0002 (original, first pressing) USA, 31. March 1949
Words & Music by:  Side A – Herbert “Happy” Lawson; Side B – Stu Davis
Musicians: Eddy Arnold (vocals), Jack Shook (guitar), Roy Wiggins (steel guitar), Rollin Sullivan (mandolin), Chas Grean (bass on side A), James V. Swinney (bass on side B), Jack Kelly (piano on side A), Owen Bradley (piano on side B), Buck Lambert (fiddle on side A), Adrian McDowell (fiddle on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by Steve Sholes; Side A - at RCA Victor Studio 1, New York City, NY on 20. August 1947: Side B - at RCA Victor Studio, Chicago, IL on 18. May 1947
Highest chart positions: (for the 1948 shellac release) Side A – US #17, US Country #1; Side B – US #29, US Country #2

This was released on the same day as the first commercial release of 45 rpm 7-inch records, so it could be called a tie, but the catalogue number is bigger in this one. 😊

Eddie Fisher had a big hit with “Anytime” in 1951 (US #2). Patsy Cline’s 1969 cover went to US Country #73.

This, too, was first released on a shellac record (RCA Victor 20-2700).

List price:  Very Good+ is $25, Near Mint is $50. The second pressing has green label on black vinyl, and it’s listed at half the price of the 1^st pressing.