Recorded 3 February 1949 [12:00-14:15] Fox Theatre Building, 660 Peach Tree St. N. E., Atlanta, GA, according to Praguefrank's sessionography, announced in Billboard 1949, March 26 issue (p. 37), advertised in the April 16 issue (p. 35) and reviewed in the April 30 issue (p. 131). So April 1949 was most certainly the release date.
Praguefrank's sessionography also lists one earlier recording: late 1948: 116 E. Fortune St.,Tampa, FL – Slim Whitman and His Variety Boys
"Way Down in Florida (That's the Only Place to Be)"
His discography lists it as a single-sided test pressing on the Florida label, later issued on CD on Sundown and on Bear Family.
So this may be the reason why United Artists released The 25th Anniversary Concert album (UAG-29488) in September 1973.
does this definitely date to 1949 ? it's recorded (npi) as being slim whitman's first single, and as being (a record) from 1948, in quite a few places. . .°
° - as yr hmbl srppint. was not in even foetal existence 'til the start of the fifties, and possesses no accessible memories of any putative earlier lives, no opinion born of direct experience is here advanced; but u/a seem to've been pretty sure 13/8/73 in some way represented his silver anniversary, and this was neither of his birth (20/1/23), nor of his death (19/6/13)°, so. . .
° - nor yet again, it is true, of any sides he cut for u/a / liberty / imperial