More than twenty years in the making, Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 documents all country music recording sessions from 1921 through 1942. Until now, discographies of pre-World War II country music recordings were only to be found scattered in journals and fanzines, or in books devoted to single artists. With primary research based on files and session logs from record companies, interviews with surviving musicians, as well as the 200,000 recordings archived at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Frist Library and Archives, this notable work is the first compendium to accurately report the key details behind all the recording sessions of country music during the pre-World War II era. In doing so it tells the commercial story of the music's first two decades.

From the first recordings of country music, this discography documents--in alphabetical order by artist--every commercial country music recording, including unreleased sides, and indicates, as completely as possible, the musicians playing at every session, as well as instrumentation. This massive undertaking encompasses 2,500 artists, 5,000 session musicians, and 10,000 songs. An introduction explains how to use the book, research methodology, and editorial policy; summary histories of each key record company are also provided, along with a bibliography. The discography includes indexes to all song titles and musicians listed.

Country Music Records is an indispensable resource for anyone seriously interested in early country music recordings.

"Tony Russell's Country Music Records is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and collectors interested in American music. The book offers a richly detailed history of individual artists and their recordings. Russell's love for country music and his knowledge of its recorded history make this volume essential reading for anyone interested in the field."--William Ferris, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"The publication of Tony Russell's Country Music Records is the best publishing news that I've heard in many years. I only wish that this collection had been available when I began research on my book, Country Music, USA, back in the early 1960s. My work would be greatly improved if the discographical history of country music had been available at that time. Thankfully, future students of American vernacular music will profit tremendously from this fine and meticulously documented study. When one views the results of Russell's labors, we can see why it has taken him so many years to finish. It is a first-class piece of scholarship and, as far as I can tell, every known 'hillbilly' recording has been included. The wait, though long, has been worth it."--Bill C. Malone, author of Country Music, U.S.A. and 'Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class

"It is a monumental work of American music scholarship, and may well redefine the parameters of future studies in country music. For years, the thousands of commercial recordings which preserved the vital sounds of one of America's most original musics formed a vast, confusing terra incognita; here, after twenty years' work, is a map to those vast riches."--Charles Wolfe, country music historian and author of Classic Country, and A Good Natured Riot: The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry

Tony Russell is a music historian who has written on country music, blues, jazz and other forms of popular music in a wide variety of publications. He has also edited magazines in several idioms. He has researched, written and presented many musical programs for BBC Radio, and has acted as consultant on many radio and television documentaries.