This “Stand Out Single” original Columbia label gave the A-side the historically incorrect spelling “Sink the Bismark,” although the German battleship’s name is properly spelled Bismarck.
Johnny Horton’s “Sink the Bismark” / “The Same Old Tale the Crow Told Me” was issued by Columbia Records as single 4-41568 on January 18, 1960, at a fascinating point in Horton’s career. The record paired one of his most dramatic historical story songs with a lighthearted country novelty number, demonstrating the remarkable range of material he could handle.
The Germans had the biggest ship, they had the biggest guns
The Bismarck was the fastest ship that ever sailed the sea
On her deck were guns as big as steers and shells as big as trees
When I was young before I had cassettes, the only good way of making a playlist of songs was to stack 45s on the turntable. I would arrange for them to play my favorite songs in my favorite order. These posts are about records I had in my stacks.
