Round Up the Cowpokes

We're concluding this year's JULY SPOCKEBRATION with some nods to the Old West of lore and legend.

It's Roundup Time:

01. Red River Valley (3:24)

02. Polly Wolly Doodle (2:26)

03. Oh, Susanna (2:13)

04. Billy Boy (2:42)

05. Little Brown Jug (2:02)

06. She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain (2:56)

07. Turkey in the Straw Square Dance (1:56)

08. Clementine (2:44)

09. Chisholm Trail (2:06)

10. Jesse James (3:06)

11. Big Rock Candy Mountain (2:25)

12. Home on the Range (2:31)

13. Hand Me Down My Walking Cane (2:08)

14. Good Night Children (0:39)

This 1963 offering is credited to Slim Jim Wishbone with the Texas Twisters.  Seems legit!

****

Cowboy Songs on Folkways:

01. Harry Jackson - Morning Grub Holler (0:18)

02. Harry Jackson - Round-up Cook (0:49)

03. Tex-I-An Boys - Chisholm Trail (3:00)

04. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - Whoopie-Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little dog (3:02)

05. Cisco Houston - Little Joe the Wrangler (2:39)

06. Harry Jackson - Little Joe the Wrangler's Sister Nell (3:28)

07. Harry K. McClintock - Utah Carl (1:31)

08. Tex-I-An Boys - Put Your Little Foot (1:26)

09. Peter LaFarge - Trail to Mexico (2:28)

10. Peter Hurd - Las Chapparreras (1:22)

11. Woody Guthrie - Buffalo Skinners (3:15)

12. Ray Reed - Zebra Dun (3:52)

13. Harry Jackson - Some Cowboy Brag Talk (1:35)

14. Roger Welsh - Horse Wrangler (3:08)

15. Harry Jackson - Strawberry Roan (4:55)

16. John A. Lomax - Texian Boys (1:53)

17. Leadbelly - Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Ya (1:33)

18. Woody Guthrie - Jesse James (Leadbelly's version) (3:00)

19. Pete Seeger - Home on the Range (1:52)

20. Rosalie Sorrels - Empty Cot in the Bunkhouse Tonight (2:13)

21. Leadbelly - Springime in the Rockies (3:04)

22. Dave Fredrickson - Lone Star Trail (2:54)

23. Peter LaFarge - Rodeo Hand (1:48)

24. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - Philadelphia Lawyer (2:31)

25. Cisco Houston - The Dying Cowboy (3:02)

26. Hermes Nye - The Devil Made Texas (2:08)

A more rip-snortin' jeans-rippin' collection ye ain't gonna find, podner!

See you on Monday for a month of compilations.  It's a date!

  

A Marchin' Jubilee

Some may find it funny to find American music played by Her Majesty's Royal Marines.

John Philip Sousa - Great American Marches Vol 11:

01. King Cotton (2:37)

02. Hands Across the Sea (2:51)

03. Solid Men to the Front (3:57)

04. The Gladiator (2:36)

05. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers (2:34)

06. Marquette University (2:46)

07. The Rifle Regiment (3:17)

08. Semper Fidelis (2:35)

09. The Legionnaires (2:47)

10. The Northern Pines (3:38)

11. The Belle of Chicago (2:13)

12. The Daughters of Texas (3:19)

13. The Gallant Seventh (2:32)

14. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (3:20)

15. The Invisible Eagle (3:25)

16. Golden Jubilee (3:33)

17. New York Hippodrome (3:56)

18. Manhattan Beach (2:10)

19. The Pride of the Wolverines (3:41)

20. The Gridiron Club (3:21)

21. The Liberty Bell (3:20)

Listen to this 1992 release and decide how funny it is.

****

Americana Jubilee:

01. The Irish Washer Woman (A Jig) (1:59)

02. Cripple Creek (1:19)

03. Father O'Flynn (A Jig) (1:30)

04. Harvest Home (A Hornpipe) (1:29)

05. Star of the County Down (3:02)

06. Sweet Betsy from Pike (1:58)

07. Ook Pic Waltz (An Alaskan Song) (2:54)

08. When I First Came to This Land (1:48)

09. Liberty / St. Anne's Reel (2:22)

10. Simple Gifts (2:44)

11. Polly Wolly Doodle / Crawdad Song / Shortin' Bread / Sourwood Mountain (1:42)

12. Mockin' Bird Hill (2:08)

13. Blue Tail Fly / Little Brown Jug (1:17)

14. Under the Double Eagle (3:28)

15. Ghost Riders in The Sky (2:59)

Others might find it funny that the first track on an "Americana Jubilee" is named for an Irishwoman.

Go figure, this is America!  See you Thursday.

  

Hope Your Pride Ain't Raggy

From the Salvation Army comes our first selection:

American Pride - Sixteen Stirring Patriotic Themes

01. America the Beautiful (3:19)

02. Yankee Doodle Boy (1:34)

03. Medal of Honor (3:45)

04. Pioneer Spirit (4:16)

05. Simple Gifts (3:16)

06. Stars and Stripes Forever (1:48)

07. Battle Hymn of the Republic (3:04)

08. Dixie (4:38)

09. When Johnny Comes Marching Home (3:06)

10. American Dream (4:06)

11. Grand Old Flag (1:41)

12. Hail to the Chief (1:18)

13. My Country 'Tis of Thee (1:28)

14. Yankee Doodle (1:41)

15. Old Glory (2:59)

16. Star Spangled Banner (1:59)

This begins as an OK synth panorama from 1998.  A sense of humor and/or a little spriteliness is detected, and welcome.  A couple of tracks, like 3 and 4, might be originals.  But they are sufficiently tropish to work … until we get to the vocals on “Battle Hymn,” a track which runs right over the edge into cynical sentimentalism for me.

Unfortunately, the overacting comes out again in the oh-so-flamboyant vocals for the last track, our National Anthem.  Just like a political speech, passion should be used sparingly, not vomited all over the carpet.

***

Peabody Ragtime Ensemble - Ragtime Band

01. Solace (A Mexican Serenade) (4:23)

02. Something Doing - a Ragtime Two-Step (3:34)

03. Augustan Club Waltz (4:27)

04. Heliotrope Bouquet - a Slow Drag Two-Step (3:51)

05. Pleasant Moments - a Ragtime Waltz (3:06)

06. Stoptime Rag (2:07)

07. Daddy Won't You Please Come Home (3:48)

08. Troublesome Ivories - a Ragtime Rag (2:39)

09. My Handyman Ain't Handy No More (4:07)

10. Baltimore Todolo (2:52)

11. Memories of You (3:55)

12. Poor Katie Red (Eubie's Slow Drag) (4:22)

This is some pretty good music, presented in a crummy way on cassette in 1984.  That is, one of the songs on side 2 (Track 10 in this file) wasn't even listed on the cassette liner!

See you Monday for the final week in our salute to our fine nation.

  

You May Cringe ...

... but this is part of our history too.

Here's the original 2016 post for the Minstrel Show.

A Complete Authentic Minstrel Show:

01 - Opening March: Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight - Swanee River - The Company  (1:27)

02 - Medley: Old Dan Tucker - Mandy Lee - Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair - Old Folks at Home - Camptown Races - In the Evening by the Moonlight - The Company  (9:57)

03 - Sweet Sixteen - Gilbert Smith, The Southland Chorus  (3:24)

04 - Shine on Harvest Moon - The Company  (2:39)

05 - The Preacher and the Bear - Robert Lamb  (2:56)

06 - My Gal Sal - The Southland Chorus  (6:09)

07 - Lassus Trombome - The Sliphorn Four  (2:48)

08 - Asleep in the Deep - Warren Biggs  (2:36)

09 - Grand Finale: Hello, Ma Baby - Honeymoon - I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now - Goodbye My Lady Love - The Company  (5:42)

It's been a while since I listened to this.  According to Discogs, it was released in 1958, long before appearing in blackface or other things were considerations.

* * *

This one's a 1993 release.

Square Dance Tonight (More Country Time Square Dances with Calls):

01. Daisy Mae Round (4:53)

02. Red River Valley (3:31)

03. Spanish Cavalier (4:38)

04. My Little Girl (4:42)

05. Hurry Hurry (3:41)

06. Good Old Country Music (Billy Boy) (4:29)

07. Virginia Blues (Figure 8) (4:10)

08. Wabash Theme (Square Dance Tonight!) (3:17)

09. Golden Slippers (5:01)

10. Soldiers' Joy (3:32)

See you on Thursday with more refractions of America.

  

Sweethearts on the Trail

A couple of yee-haws for you today, ladies and gentlemen ...

Scotty Howard - Oklahoma Sweetheart:

01. Long Journey Home (3:01)

02. Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms (2:29)

03. Oklahoma Sweetheart (2:59)

04. Never Ending Love (2:43)

05. It May Be Silly, But Ain't It Fun (2:11)

06. Fallen Angel (2:43)

07. Smokey Mountain Smoke (2:34)

08. The Angel Song (4:02)

09. I Over Looked an Orchid (3:31)

10. Long Black Veil (4:02)

11. I'll Fly Away (3:22)

12. Heaven Bound Train (2:08)

13. I'm Free (2:51)

Scotty was inducted into America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bar D Wranglers - 50 Years on the Trail:

01. The Wild and the Lonely (4:33)

02. Remember the Alamo (2:07)

03. Moving Slowly (2:35)

04. The Same Ole Range (3:27)

05. The Alpine Cowboy (2:01)

06. I'm My Own Grandpa (2:34)

07. 16 Tons (2:41)

08. A Cowboy Has to Sing (2:41)

09. The Possum Song (2:10)

10. I'm an Old Cowhand (2:43)

11. Texas Plains (2:36)

12. The Yellow Rose of Texas (2:37)

13. The Strawberry Roan (3:45)

14. Old Matt Palmers Farm (4:41)

15. Around the Old Chuckwagon (2:34)

16. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (3:28)

The Wranglers are pretty much the house band for a cowboy-type experience in Durango.  I imagine they sell their CDs at the show.  Track 9 is a cute rearrangement of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”  Yum!  Track 11 is a rearrangement of “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”

See you on Monday for some possibly uncomfortable relics of past American musical life.

  

Dancing on the War Floor

Music for recent and older martial doings.

America's Favorite Patriotic Songs:

01. America, the Beautiful (2:40)

02. God Bless America (3:44)

03. This Land Is Your Land (2:18)

04. The Star Spangled Banner (2:15)

05. Armed Forces Medley (4:05)

06. My Country 'Tis of Thee (2:08)

07. God Bless the USA (3:18)

08. The Battle Hymn of the Republic (3:49)

09. If My People (4:27)

10. God Save America (3:43)

11. The Stars and Stripes Forever Medley (2:42)

Regarding the above, you will acknowledge these songs as your favorites, or the chirpy choir and importunate orchestra will smother you with good cheer!  Yes, YOU!

Below are some more gritty nationalistic sentiments.

This is a 1971 release:  American Indian Ceremonial and War Dances:

01 - War Dance - Ponca

02 - New War Dance Song - Taos

03 - Slow War Dance - Kiowa

04 - Fast War Dance - Kiowa

05 - Knife's Warrior Song - Arikara

06 - Chief's Honoring Song - Sioux

07 - Old Glory Raising on Iwo Jima - Navajo

08 - Korea Memorial Song - Sioux

09 - Mountain Spirit Song - Apaches

10 - Lightning Song - Apaches

11 - Sun Dance Song - Cheyenne

12 - Sun Dance Song - Arapahoe

13 - Sun Dance - Ute

14 - Song of  the Black Mountain - Papago

15 - Song of the Green Rainbow - Papago

Sure wish we could appreciate the sentiments without emulating them.  

Colors, We Got Colors

Here are two releases reflecting the great eclectic strength of our wonderful nation!

Great American Composers:

01. Aaron Copland - Street in a Frontier Town (1:25)

02. Aaron Copland - Mexican Dance (2:17)

03. Aaron Copland - Gun Battle (2:24)

04. Aaron Copland - Celebration Dance After Billy's Capture (2:05)

05. Aaron Copland - The Open Prairie (1:38)

06. Charles Tomlinson Griffes - The White Peacock (5:51)

07. Morton Gould - Tropical (3:15)

08. Howard Hanson - 01 - Symphony No 2, "Romantic" (14:15)

09. Howard Hanson - 02 - Symphony No 2, "Romantic" (7:05)

10. Howard Hanson - 03 - Symphony No 2, "Romantic" (7:36)

11. Charles Tomlinson Griffes - The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Khan (11:02)

12. Aaron Copland - Hoe-Down (3:11)

Many of these selections are played at a more rapid clip than you might expect.  But there's indeed a passel of greatness in these here sound waves!

An American Mosaic:

01. Powell - Pretty Sally (2:36)

02. Powell - At the Foot of Yonders Mountain (3:01)

03. Hovahness - Sonata #3 - Prelude (1:11)

04. Hovahness - Sonata #3 - Cantando (3:02)

05. Hovahness - Sonata #3 - Dance (1:26)

06. Hovahness - Sonata #3 - Lullaby (1:50)

07. Hovahness - Sonata #3 - Andante Dolce (0:55)

08. Campbell - Nocturne, Op. 27/2 (10:41)

09. Stringfield - Pastorale Scene (3:59)

10. Stringfield - Chipmunks (3:21)

11. MacDowell - To a Wild Rose (1:49)

12. Kreuzer - Crushed Violets (3:14)

13. Broeders - Milonga (2:15)

14. Broeders - Romanza (2:42)

15. Tillery - Simple Things (3:30)

16. Maganini - Caprice Terpsichore (3:57)

17. Stern - Mosaico (3:36)

18. Spelman - Rondo (8:48)

19. Stringfield - Indian Serenade (3:32)

In this 2001 release, some of this classical music is less melodic than the top album.  But both releases are just a smidgen of the breadth of intriguing, lush, stark, or spare american music.

See you on Monday!

  

Swing to Freedomland

Freedomland was a theme park, and this is its soundtrack. Read more in the 2011 post.

Freedomland, USA!

01 - Overture to "Freedomland"

02 - Little Old New York

03 - Satellite City

04 - Danny the Dragon

05 - The Jalopy Song

06 - Pine Country

07 - Johnny Freedom

08 - On the Showboat

09 - San Francisco Fran

10 - So Long, Ma

11 - The Chicago Fire

Bob Wills Anthology

01. Osage Stomp (3:05)

02. Spanish Two Step (2:57)

03. A Maiden's Prayer (3:08)

04. Mexicali Rose (3:18)

05. Old Fashioned Love (3:22)

06. Sittin' on Top of the World (3:23)

07. Steel Guitar Rag (2:49)

08. Blue Yodel #1 (2:23)

09. Silver Bell (2:40)

10. That's What I Like 'bout the South (2:39)

11. I'll See You in My Dreams (2:25)

12. The Waltz You Saved Me (2:32)

13. Corrine Corrina (3:04)

14. Time Changes Everything (2:53)

15. Big Beaver (2:50)

16. Honey What You Gonna Do? (2:57)

17. I Found a Dream (2:43)

18. Take Me Back to Tulsa (2:55)

19. New San Antonio Rose (2:48)

20. I Knew the Moment I Lost You (2:58)

21. Twin Guitar Special (2:50)

22. Mississippi Delta Blues (3:00)

23. Roly Poly (2:52)

24. Brain Cloudy Blues (3:01)

This is a 1973 cassette, possibly of transcription discs.

Enjoy more of your all-American July, campers!  See you Thursday.

  

Welcome to 2026's JULY SPOCKEBRATION!

We're gonna begin this month's celebration of this great and aspiring-to-be-greater country, with two patriotic comps.

MA-73 - American Favorites:

01. The Star-Spangled Banner - Jerry Goldsmith (1:22)

02. This Land Is Your Land - Peter, Paul & Mary (2:27)

03. Let' s All Be Americans Now - Arthur Hall (3:05)

04. People Like You and Me - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (3:46)

05. The Stars and Stripes Forever - The US Army Ceremonial Band (3:33)

06. Home On The Range - Roy Rogers & the Sons of the Pioneers (2:41)

07. God Bless America - Kate Smith (2:04)

08. Variations on 'America' - Charles Ives (7:10)

09. The House I Live In - Frank Sinatra (3:39)

10. The Magnificent Seven Main Title - Elmer Bernstein (1:59)

11. Pleasant Moments - Scott Joplin (3:02)

12. Ragged Old Flag - Johnny Cash (3:08)

13. No Restricted Signs (Up in Heaven) - Golden Gate Quartet (2:59)

14. You're a Grand Old Flag - James Cagney (5:39)

15. High Noon - Tex Ritter (2:47)

16. Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (3:11)

17. Battle Hymn of the Republic - John Williams & The Boston Pops (5:01)

18. A Lincoln Portrait - Aaron Copland (15:44)

19. The Stars and Stripes Forever - Vladimir Horowitz (4:00)

Special mention:  Track 1 is a great arrangement of our national anthem, and it's heard in Poltergeist as a TV station signs off.  Track 13 is a great idealization of our country's promise of fair treatment for all; can we live up to it in our personal lives?  Track 18 is an off-the-air recording of an unknown performance, but the spoken words are recited by the composer, Aaron Copland himself!

MA-150 - National Anthems:

01 - The Star-Spangled Banner - Reuben Guevara - 1978  (3:45)

02 - Long Long Ago - Merry-Go-Round Records - 1959  (2:45)

03 - There's a Service Flag Flying at Our House - Sterling Trio - 1918  (3:09)

04 - On the 4th of July - James Taylor - 2002  (3:24)

05 - America, Communicate with Me - Ray Stevens - 1970  (3:12)

06 - American Flag on the Moon - Brad Paisley - 2014  (3:49)

07 - Yankee Doodle Blues - Billy Murray & Ed Smalle - 1922  (2:56)

08 - Dixie & The Bonnie Blue Flag - Classical Brass - 1991  (2:25)

09 - Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly - Aaron Tippin - 2001  (3:44)

10 - Because All Men Are Brothers - Peter, Paul and Mary - 1965  (2:09)

11 - Only in America - Jay and the Americans - 1963  (2:01)

12 - National Emblem March - Tommy Dorsey - 1943  (3:00)

13 - Cool Water - Sons of the Pioneers - 1959  (2:08)

14 - America - Waylon Jennings - 1984  (3:24)

15 - Brother, Can You Spare a Dime - Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees - 1931  (3:39)

16 - The Immigrant (dedicated to John Lennon) - Neil Sedaka - 1975  (3:46)

17 - We Must Be Vigilant (American Patrol) - Hour of Charm All-Girl Orchestra - 1942  (2:51)

18 - Bugle Call Blues - Jack Pettis and His Pets - 1929  (2:42)

19 - It's America - Rodney Atkins - 2009  (3:29)

20 - Barnum and Bailey's Favorite - United States Army Band - 2012  (2:26)

21 - America Is My Home, Part 1 - James Brown - 1968  (3:20)

22 - Melting Pot - Blue Mink - 1969  (3:47)

23 - Alexander's Ragtime Band - Joe “Fingers” Carr - 1956  (2:07)

24 - Home on the Range - Gene Autry - 1947  2:37)

25 - Battle Cry of Freedom - John Williams and Chicago Symphony Orchestra - 2012  (2:14)

26 - Country Dances - The Swingle Singers - 1991  (3:30)

I hope you can take heart from these two panoplies of the wonders of American musical expression.  Sah-LOOT!

See you on Monday.