Video Link: A Tribute to ANITA EKBERG - Adyfilk

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Silver Screen, 1931

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

And on that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted." Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth. Isiaih 12:4-5

Movie Music Monday: I'm An Old Cowhand

The movies have served as a musical education to me. They have constantly broadened and expanded my musical taste and knowledge and continue to do so. From the cowboy music of The Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers to the classical music of Fantasia to the musical standards of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals to the rock and roll of Elvis Presley and concert films like The Last Waltz (1978) to jazz legends like Miles Davis, Paul Whiteman and Louis Armstrong to crooners like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, films have helped introduce me to so much great music. These Movie Music Monday posts I hope will give you some of the same experience the movies have given me.

Today's song is a cowboy classic, I'm an Old Cowhand. This is a fun and often funny little novelty number that has become a staple of cowboy music. The song was introduced in the feature film, Rhythm on the Range (1936). Preforming the song in the movie was an all star line-up including Bing Crosby, Louis Prima, The Sons of the Pioneers, Matha Ray, Leonid Kinskey and Bob Burns. This song was specifically written for this movie by Johnny Mercer. Fans of movie music should be familiar with Johnny since he wrote s or co-wrote such classic movie songs as I'm Old Fashioned, You Were Never Lovelier, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, Charade, One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) and Hooray For Hollywood. This song was inspired by a trip across the U.S.A. write his wife and how he was amused by the sight of cowboys in full cowboy garb driving cars instead of riding horses. The satirical lyrics of this song also helped him vent his frustration with his not having made it in Hollywood up to this time. Of course that would change 

The song would return to the movies when Gene Autry and Mary Lee sang it in the feature film, Back in the Saddle (1941).





Roy Rogers (who had previously been a member of the Sons of the Pioneers and appeared as such in Rhythm on the Range (including the scene that introduced this song) sang it in the movie, King of the Cowboys (1943).




The same year that Rythym on the Range was released both Bing Crosby and The Sons of the Pioneers, did solo versions of the song.







Also in 1936 the overlooked country music pioneer Carlson Robison did a version of this song.





Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1945.

 

Jazz saxophonist, Sonny Rollins did an instrumental version of this song on his 1957 album, Way Out West.

 

The Mills Brothers did an excellent version in 1961.




When The Charlie Daniels Band did an album of cowboy songs, By the Light of the Moon (1997).


 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Music Monday: South of the Border

The movies have served as a musical education to me. They have constantly broadened and expanded my musical taste and knowledge and continue to do so. From the cowboy music of The Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers to the classical music of Fantasia to the musical standards of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals to the rock and roll of Elvis Presley and concert films like The Last Waltz (1978) to jazz legends like Miles Davis, Paul Whiteman and Louis Armstrong to crooners like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, movies have helped introduce me to so much great music. These Movie Music Monday posts I hope will give you some of the same experience the movies have given me.

Today's song is South of the Border. In Gene Autry's autobiography, he remembered how he first became acquainted with this song. He wrote, "Neither a prison in Nashville nor an airfield in Dallas was the oddest place I ever found a song. That happened during my prewar tour of the British Isles in 1939. Two young Englishmen, Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy, visited my dressing room in Dublin between shows. They had written a song with me in mind and hoped I would record it. The song was 'South of the Border.' They had never been to Mexico and had seen it only in my films (which meant they were probably looking at Arizona). How two Englishmen came to write a song about a country they had never seen, for a movie cowboy they had never met is a question I wish I could answer. But 'South of the Border' sold over a million copies." (Autry, 27). Later in the book Gene wrote, "As luck would have it one of the things I brought back was the song written for me by the two British lads Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy - 'South of the Border.' There was even time for a script to be written and for the film of the same name to become our last release for 1939." (Autry, 74). The following is an exhibitor's review of that movie from The Motion Picture Herald, "South of the Border: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette - Here is one exhibitor who is thanking the Almighty that Republic discovered Gene Autry and 'South of the Border is the answer to our prayer. We played it three days to sell out business. Never saw the like of it. Don't know where they came from. Wish we had played it a week. Any exhibitor who hasn't played this one has missed the boat. Did more business than 'Snow White' by $175 in three days against four days. More than 'Boys Town,' 'Jesse James' and 'Kentucky' and that's something. We're going to try it book it for a return showing in a couple months. I didn't think it was possible to do business on this picture like we did. Were the creditors tickled! We gave it a big campaign in advance and it paid; yes sir! If any of our good friends out west haven't played this, do so. - Harold Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General Patronage."



Gene wasn't the only one to record this song in 1939. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, also did their version.




Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra also recorded the song in 1939, having one of their biggest hits.





Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded one of my favorite versions of the song in 1948.







Frank Sinatra had a hit off the song in 1953.




Mel Tormé performed the song on his 1959 album, ¡Olé Tormé!: Mel Tormé Goes South of the Border with Billy May.




Pasty Cline did a version for her 1961 album Showcase.




Jazz musician Herb Alpert used the song as the title track for a 1964 album.




Chuck Berry did a cover of the song on his self titled 1975 album. Chuck changed the lyrics more than little.





Willie Nelson recorded this song twice for his 1988 album What a Wonderful World.




-Michael J. Ruhland

 

Frank Sinatra and Tommy Sands

The following is 1960 article from Radio TV Mirror magazine about how Frank Sinatra felt when he learned his daughter Nancy would marry Tommy Sands.

Here is newsreel footage of Tommy Sands and Nancy Sinatra getting married.

  As an added bonus let's have a song sung by Frank and a song sung by Tommy. First is a very early hit for Frank, All or Nothing at All, and here is the original 1939 recording with the Harry James Orchestra. Next comes Tommy Sands performing the song Soda Pop Pop in the feature film Sing Boy Sing (1958).



















-Michael J. Ruhland