Song Of The Day #300

It's song #300 on Ranch Radio and it's swinging Monday, so we better have something special.

One of my favorite western swing instrumentals is The Beaumont Rag and my favorite modern version of the tune is by an Irish fiddler. That's right...Irish.

Give a listen to Natalie MacMaster playing the tune found on her No Boundaries CD and see if it won't get your heart started and your foot tappin'.

And turn up that volume so your neighbors can enjoy it too!

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Song Of The Day #299

Today's Gospel tune is Another Soldier Down by Ricky Wasson.

Song Of The Day #298

Ranch Radio today thanks Glenda Price for getting it right.

On my post Song Of The Day #295 I wrote the following:

Ranch Radio will bring you some "answer songs" this week. We'll start with two classics by Hank Thompson and Kitty Wells: The Wild Side Of Life and It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.

I remember reading somewhere that this same melody went to #1 on the charts 4 times. The two offered here, The Great Speckled Bird by Roy Acuff and for the life of me I can't remember the fourth this morning. If you know, please email me.

Glenda Price knew, and emailed me the following:

Hi Frank,

Our band used to do this…we did snitches of all four songs.
This is “The Prisoner’s Song” (words by Bill Monroe)
Here is the last verse, the one we liked doing.

Now, if I had the wings of an angel,
Over these prison walls I would fly.
And I'd fly to the arms of my darling,
And there I'd be willing to die.

Glenda Price

Glenda is not just a music fan. She's also a columnist and writer who's done an excellent job covering the agriculture industry and the folks who produce our food and fiber. Readers should check out the collection of her columns in A Goat Tale and Other Stories Heard Around the Supper Table

Our two songs today go out especially for Glenda: Roy Acuff performing The Great Speckled Bird and Eddy Arnold singing The Prisoner's Song.

Song Of The Day #297

Ranch Radio continues our answer song series with Roger Miller and Jody Miller performing King Of The Road and Queen Of The House. Both songs were recorded in 1965.

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Song Of The Day #296

Ranch Radio continues with answer songs this morning. Today's selections are Geisha Girl by Hank Locklin (1957) and Lost To A Geisha Girl by Skeeter Davis (1958).

Song Of The Day #295

Ranch Radio will bring you some "answer songs" this week. We'll start with two classics by Hank Thompson & Kitty Wells: The Wild Side Of Life & It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.

I remember reading somewhere that this same melody went to #1 on the charts 4 times. The two offered here, The Great Speckled Bird by Roy Acuff and for the life of me I can't remember the fourth this morning. If you know, please email me.

Song Of The Day #294

Ranch Radio will get your blood pumpin' this Monday morning with a fiddle tune by bluegrass fiddler Barbara Lamb.

The tune is Bumblebee In The Gourdvine and is available on her 13 track CD Tonight I Feel Like Texas.

Song Of The Day #293

Ranch Radio's Gospel tune this Sunday morning is There's One by The Bishops.

The song is available on their 13 track CD Kentucky Bluegrass.

Song Of The Day #292

Ranch Radio brings you some early Gene Autry who, like so many in the late 20's and early 30's, got his start by mimicking the singing and yodeling of Jimmie Rodgers. Autry did it better than most and here he is performing Birmingham Daddy.

The tune is available on his 23 track CD Gene Autry: Blues Singer, 1929-1931.

You'll note in the photo he strikes a pose very much like Jimmie Rodgers.

Song Of The Day #291

This morning Ranch Radio brings you some early Tommy Sands. Yes, take a look, THAT Tommy Sands. The movie and recording star who was married to Nancy Sinatra.

While born in Chicago, he was raised in Louisiana and taught himself to play the guitar at 7, and by 8 he had his first gig performing twice a week on radio station KWKH (the Louisiana Hayride station). At 15 he had a recording contract with RCA. His big break came in 1957 when he got the part of a rock singer on the Kraft Television Theater.

But he got started as a hillbilly singer and we've got two of his earliest recordings for you: A Dime and a Dollar and I Know About Bees. Both are on his 28 track CD Early Hillbilly and Rockabilly Days.

Song Of The Day #290

Ranch Radio will continue with its "early" series, as I enjoy finding out how these artists sounded when they first went into a recording studio. We have two selections by Jim Reeves today. The first Chicken Hearted, was recorded in 1950. The second, Beating On The Ding Dong, is from 1954 and is one I'll bet he wished he had never recorded...for several reasons.

His stuff is widely available.

Song Of The Day #289

Ranch Radio invites you to listen to some really early Hank Thompson as he performs Playin' Possum.

His stuff is widely available, as you can see here.

Song Of The Day #288

Ranch Radio continues with our Monday tradition of uptempo or swing type songs to help you get the week started.

Our selection today is Don't Want To Do That Again by the Domino Kings.

The tune is available on their 11 track CD Some Kind Of Sign.

Ranch Radio likes this song, but I want to assure all my loyal listeners that The Westerner has never been involved in the kind of situations described in this swinging tune.

Song Of The Day #287

Ranch Radio features one of my favorite gospel tunes this morning: Lonesome Valley by Tom T. Hall & Earl Scruggs. That's Scruggs finger pickin' the guitar, just like he did on those great Flatt & Scruggs gospel songs.

The song is available on their 11 track CD Storyteller & the Banjo Man.

Song Of The Day #286

Darlin' Sharon visited with the proprietor of Ranch Radio and allowed as how there hadn't been a single positive song about love and marriage.

So what?

I can serve up any kind of damn song I want on Ranch Radio. Is that because I'm a big ol' rough and tumble guy and the absolute master of my universe? No, it's because I put a picture of Tom Selleck on The Westerner tonight. When I do that I can get away with anything.

But, since I'm really just a big ol' cuddly-type sweetie, here's a tune we both like: Young Lovers' Waltz by Robert Earl Keen, Jr. You'll find it on his No Kinda Dancer CD.

Song Of The Day #285

Ranch Radio is very aware all courtships have their ups and downs, and sometimes dangers. Dangers? Well just listen to Tennessee Ernie Ford explain in his recording of Shotgun Boogie.

Song Of The Day #285

Ranch Radio continues its sojourn into love and marriage.

Today Reese Shipley dispenses some sage advice in his tune Middle Age Spread.

Song Of The Day #284

This week Ranch Radio will delve into that wonderful emotion - love, and that great institution - marriage.

For some, though, it's neither wonderful or great. Take, for instance, Red River Dave as he sings the WWII classic I'd Rather Die For My Country (Than Live With My Wife).

Song Of The Day #282

Ranch Radio's gospel tune this Sunday morning is Faron Young's 1958 recording of Traveling On.

Song Of The Day #281

Ranch Radio presents more tunes from 1965. Here's two that charted in the top 30: Ribbon of Darkness by Marty Robbins and Ode To The Little Brown Shack by Billy Ed Wheeler.

I dedicate the Wheeler tune to Rand Perkins.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.