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A unique presentation. A mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic music from the westerns John Wayne and his mentor, the great film director John Ford made together – from Stagecoach in 1939 through to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance in 1962, where songs and music from the original scores are blended with recordings made by popular artists (mostly of 1950s vintage, or older) of songs heard in the films. In all, music from eight eternal westerns, a genre which Ford and Wayne both defined and long-dominated.
So Victor Young’s poignant and exhilarating themes for Rio Grande are complemented by American folk songs and traditional Mexican song, hymnody, songs of the Civil War and such period music as the parlour ballads of Stephen Foster, performances of cultural, historical and aesthetic significance given by the choirs of Norman Luboff, Roger Wagner and Robert Shaw and the vocal harmony group the Sons of the Pioneers and supplemented by recordings made by such legends from the first half of the twentieth century as the irish tenor John McCormack and the “Empress of the Blues”, Bessie Smith. The Country music icons Johnny Cash, Dale Evans and Eddy Arnold. The writer and poet Carl Sandburg. Folk singers and political activists Odetta and Pete Seeger. The light classical music composer Leroy Anderson, with selections from his Irish Suite performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fielder.
Chart-toppers Johnnie Ray, the “Nabob of Sob” (whose hearing-aid was appropriated in homage by Morrissey), the maestro of the singalong, the musical impresario, Mitch Miller, and Gene Pitney, whose version of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (a number also performed here with distinction by the University of Oregon folk group, the Fairmount Singers) was a hit for the nascent songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. A diversity of talents who together evoke the Fordian atmosphere.
Preponderance of song is one of the certainties of any Ford western. Biographer Tag Gallagher’s assertion that “Ford’s cinema can, without too much exaggeration, at times be likened to a trailer for a musical” is supported by actor James Stewart’s claim that the atmosphere established by the musical aspects of a Ford western rendered the film’s dialogue almost unnecessary.
Tracklist
DISC ONE: STAGECOACH (1939)
1. STAGECOACH – MAIN TITLE – Richard Hageman
2. STAGECOACH THEME – Starlight Orchestra
3. BURY ME OUT ON THE LONE PRAIRIE – Norman Luboff Choir
4. TEN THOUSAND CATTLE – Norman Luboff Choir
5. I DREAM OF JEANNIE WITH THE LIGHT BROWN HAIR – John McCormack
6. GENTLE ANNIE – Roger Wagner Chorale
7. LITTLE JOE, THE WRANGLER – Roger Wagner Chorale
8. THE TRAIL TO MEXICO – Roger Wagner Chorale
9. JOE BOWERS – Pete Seeger
10. CARELESS LOVE – Pete Seeger
11. CARRY ME BACK TO OLD VIRGINNY – Norman Luboff Choir
12. THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM – Robert Shaw Chorale
FORT APACHE (1948)
13. FORT APACHE – MAIN TITLE – Richard Hageman
14. SWEET GENEVIEVE – Dick Foran
15. OH, DEM GOLDEN SLIPPERS – Roger Wagner Chorale
16. BEAUTIFUL DREAMER – Robert Shaw Chorale
17. HOME SWEET HOME – Robert Shaw Chorale
18. GOOD NIGHT, LADIES – Robert Shaw Chorale
19. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME (FROM THE IRISH SUITE) – Leroy Anderson / Boston Pops Orchestra (Arthur Fielder)
20. BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC – Odetta
21. ST PATRICK’S DAY – Victor Young & His Orchestra
3 GODFATHERS (1948)
22. 3 GODFATHERS – MAIN TITLE – Richard Hageman
23. THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER (SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER) – Harry Carey Jnr
24. THE LAST ROUND-UP – Norman Luboff Choir
25. WHOOPIE TI YI YO – Norman Luboff Choir
26. THE STREETS OF LAREDO (A COWBOY’S LAMENT) – Norman Luboff Choir
27. O, BURY ME NOT ON THE LONE PRAIRIE – Roger Wagner Chorale
28. GOODBYE, OLD PAINT – Roger Wagner Chorale
29. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING – Norman Luboff Choir
30. SILENT NIGHT – Norman Luboff Choir
DISC TWO: SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949)
1. (ROUND HER NECK) SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON – MAIN TITLE / THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME – Richard Hageman
2. (ROUND HER NECK) SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON – Mitch Miller
3. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME – Pete Seeger
4. THE SON OF A GAMBOLIER – Carl Sandburg
5. BURY ME OUT ON THE LONE PRAIRIE – Johnnie Ray
6. THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC – Robert Shaw Chorale
RIO GRANDE (1950)
Victor Young & His Orchestra
(UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)
7. RIO GRANDE – MAIN TITLE
8. RETURN FROM PATROL
9. SOLDIERS FIGHT
10. YELLOW STRIPES – The Sons Of Pioneers
11. I’LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN, KATHLEEN – The Sons Of Pioneers
12. DISPOSSESSED
13. CATTLE CALL – The Sons Of Pioneers
14. REUNION
15. AHA, SAN ANTONE – Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr. And Claude Jarman, Jr.
16. INDIAN RAID / ESCAPE
17. THE ERIE CANAL – The Sons Of Pioneers
18. LAUNDRESSES’ ROW
19. MEETING AT THE RIO GRANDE
20. MY GAL IS PURPLE – The Sons Of Pioneers
21. DOWN BY THE GLEN SIDE – The Sons Of Pioneers
22. FOOTSORE CAVALRY – The Sons Of Pioneers
23. CONFEDERATE DOLLARS AND YANKEE GOLD
24. DEPARTURE FOR FORT BLISS (THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME)
25. TYREE MEETS WAGON TRAIN / INDIAN ATTACK
26. CALL YOUR VOLUNTEERS
27. NIGHTTIME APPROACH / RESCUING THE CHILDREN
28. COMING HOME
29. DIXIE (END TITLE)
30. DIXIE – Norman Luboff Choir
31. CATTLE CALL – Eddy Arnold
32. AHA, SAN ANTONE – Dale Evans
33. THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN (FROM THE IRISH SUITE) – Leroy Anderson / Boston Pops Orchestra (Arthur Fielder)
34. OH, THE DAYS OF KERRY DANCING – John McCormack
35. I’LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN, KATHLEEN – Victor Young & His Orchestra
DISC THREE: THE SEARCHERS (1956)
1. RIDE AWAY – Danny Knight
2. SWEET LORENA – Norman Luboff Choir
3. LORENA – Johnny Cash
4. SKIP TO MY LOU – Pete Seeger
5. THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS – Sons Of The Pioneers
6. RIDE AWAY – The Sons Of The Pioneers
HORSE SOLDIERS (1959)
David Buttolph
7. DIXIE
8. I LEFT MY LOVE (VOCAL)
9. LORENA
10. BONNIE BLUE FLAG (VOCAL)
11. I LEFT MY LOVE (INSTRUMENTAL)
12. WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME (INSTRUMENTAL)
13. BONNIE BLUE FLAG (INSTRUMENTAL)
14. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME (VOCAL)
15. DEEP RIVER / LORENA
16. KINGDOM COMING
17. TENTING TONIGHT
18. BY THE CAMPFIRE
19. DEEP RIVER – Norman Luboff Choir
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962)
20. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – MAIN TITLE – Cyril Mockridge
21. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – The Fairmount Singers
22. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – Gene Pitney
23. HOME ON THE RANGE – Johnnie Ray
24. HOME ON THE RANGE – Norman Luboff Choir
25. CARMEN, CARMELA – Norman Luboff Choir
26. MARIANINA – Norman Luboff Choir
27. RING, RING DE BANJO – Robert Shaw Chorale
28. DE CAMPTOWN RACES – Roger Wagner Chorale
29. MY DARLING CLEMENTINE – Pete Seeger
30. THERE’LL BE A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT – Bessie Smith
31. SWEET GENEVIEVE – John McCormack