Songs of the
Prairie
· Audio CD (November 25, 1998)
· Original Release Date: November 25, 1998
· Format: 5-CD boxed set
· Label: Bear Family
· ASIN: B0000253PZ
This 5-CD set is the Part One of a collection of the Standard Radio Transcriptions of 1934-35. The remainder of the transcriptions are contained in "Memories of the Range". The set is accompanied by 11 ½" x 11 ½" – 32 page booklet by Laurence Zwisohn filled with recording history and historic photographs from the collections of R. A. Andreas, Les Leverett and Packy Smith. Artwork is by Wolfgang Taubenauer and Nadine Wuppesahl.
On the first 102 tracks, Len Slye (Roy Rogers), Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer make up the vocal trio, accompanied by Hugh Farr on the violin. Hugh's brother, Karl, joined the group after that. Bob also plays the string bass and Roy plays rhythm guitar. Although they made very little money from these transcriptions, they got nationwide radio exposure. For your interest, composers, original recording dates and release numbers are given as well as which Pioneer is featured for each song.
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Sons of the Pioneers
SONGS OF THE PRAIRIE
Bear Family Records BCD 15710 EI, 1998
August, 1934, Recordings, Inc. 5505 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA
CD1
1. Happy Roving Cowboy (Happy Cowboy) (Bob Nolan) B 1679-A; Side A, Bob lead
2. Nellie’s Blue Eyes (My Nellie’s Blue Eyes) (Billy Scanlan) B 1679-A. Side A, Bob lead
3. Called Away (unknown) B 1679-A; Side A, Bob lead
4. Old MacDonald Had a Farm (traditional) B 1680-A; side B, Len leads
5. Peekaboo (Billy Scanlan) B 1680-Side B, Bob leads
6. The Heavenly Airplane (Bob Nolan) B 1680; Side B, Bob lead
7. Oh Susanna (Stephen Foster) B 1681-A; Side C, Bob lead
8. Song of the Prairie (Bob Nolan) B 1681-A; Side C, Spencer lead
9. Way Out There (Bob Nolan) B 1681-A; Side C
10. Belle of Baltimore (J. G. Evans) B 1682-A; Side D, Bob lead
11. Moonlight on the Prairie (Nolan/Spencer) B 1682-A; Side D, Spencer lead
12. Walk in Jerusalem (spiritual) B 1682-A; Side D, Bob lead
13. Milenburg Joys B 1683-A; Side E Instrumental featuring Hugh Farr with Len on rhythm guitar
14. Cagen [sic] Stomp (Hugh Farr) B 1683-A; Side E, instrumental featuring Hugh with Len on guitar
15. Fire in the Mountains B 1683-A; Side E, instrumental featuring Hugh
16. Whistlin’ Rufus (Kerry Mills/Murdock Lind) B1683-A; Side E, instrumental featuring Hugh
17. White Mule of Mine (Bob Nolan) B 1684-A; Side F, Bob lead
18. Roundup in the Sky (Bob Nolan) B 1684-A; Side F, Spencer lead
19. Hold Him Down (Hold That Critter Down) (Bob Nolan) B 1684-A; Side F, Bob lead slower
20. Fiddlin’ Around (Hugh Farr) B 1684-A; Side F, instrumental featuring Hugh
21. Cowboy’s Night Herd Song (‘Cactus’ Macki MacPeters) B 1685-A; side G, Len solo
22. Betsy From Pike (Old Put aka John A. Stone) B 1685-A; Side G, Bob lead
23. She Came Rolling Down the Mountain (Arthur Lippman/Harry Richman/Manning Sherwin)B 1685-A; Side G, Bob lead
24. My Daddy (Bob Nolan) B 1690-A; Side H, Bob lead
25. Uncle Ned (Old Uncle Ned) (Stephen Foster) B 1690-A; side H, Bob lead
26. Rolling Stones (unknown) B 1690-A; Side H, Bob lead
27. Blue Ridge Mountain Home (Carson Robison) B 1691-A; Side J, Len lead, trio whistling
28. Grandfather’s Clock (Henry Clay Work) B 1691-A; Side J, Spencer lead
29. Hear Dem Bells (David S. McCosh) B 1691-A; Side J, Bob lead
30. Swiss Yodel (Shaefer Grant) B 1692-A; Side K, Len solo great yodeling
31. Rainbow’s End (Bob Nolan) B 1692-A; Side K, Bob solo.
CD2
1. Whoopie-Ty-Yi-Yo (traditional) B 1692-A; Side K, Len lead
2. St. Louis Blues (W. C. Handy) B 1693-A; Side L, instrumental featuring Hugh, Len on rhythm guitar
3. Kilocycle Stomp (Hugh Farr) B 1693-A, Side L, instrumental featuring Hugh
4. Kelly Waltz (Hugh Farr) B 1693-A; Side L, instrumental featuring Hugh
5. Mandy Lee (Thurland Chattaway) B 1694-A; Side M, Spencer lead
6. Kingdom Coming (Henry Clay Work) B 1694-A; Side M, Bob lead
7. Dear Evalina (traditional) B 1694-A; Side M, Len lead
8. Ridin’ Home (Bob Nolan) B 1695-A; Side N, Tim lead
9. Sagebrush Sea (Bob Nolan) B 1695-A; Side N, Bob lead
10. Get on the Golden Train (spiritual) B 1695-A; Side N, Bob lead with Tim
11. Rosalee (Jimmy Adams) B 1695-A; Side O, Bob lead
12. Nancy Till (traditional) B 1696-A; Side O, Bob lead
13. Spanish Cavalier (William D. Hendrickson) B 1696-A; Side O, Tim lead
14. Hills of Old Montana (Pinky Herman/Bill Barry) B 1728-A; Side P, Len lead
15. Lone Star Trail (traditional) B 1728-A; Side P, Bob, then Len, Tim, etc, alternating leads
16. Little Red Barn (Joe Young/Milton Ager/Jean Schwartz) B 1728-A; Side P, Tim lead
17. Juanita (Caroline Norton) B 1727-A; Side R, Spencer lead
18. Dese Bones Gwine to Rise Again (spiritual) B 1727-A; Side R, Bob lead
19. Fair to Middlin’ (unknown)B 1727-A; Side R, instrumental featuring Hugh
20. Carry Me Back to the Mountain (Carson J. Robison) B 1700-A; Side S, Tim lead
21. Jordan am a Hard Road to Travel (Dan Emmett) B 1700-A; Side S, Bob lead
22. When Roundup Time is Over (Fred Howard/Nat Vincent) B 1700-A; Side S, Len lead
23. Prairie Lullaby (Billy Hill) B 1726-A; Side T, Bob lead
24. Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (Andrew B. Sterling/Harry von Tilzer) B 1726-A; Side T, Bob lead
25. Little Brown Jug (R. A. Eastburn_ B 1726-A; Side T, Tim lead, last two verses are Roy.
26. Home on the Range (Dr. Brewster Higley/Dan Kelley) B 1702-A; Side U, Bob lead, then Tim
27. Sidewalk Waltz (Joe Young/J. Fred Coots) B 1702-A; Side U, Tim lead
28. Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet (Stanley Murphy/Percy Wenrich) B 1702-A; Side U, Bob lead
CD 3
1. Hills of Old Kentucky (In the Hills of Old Kentucky) (Chas. Johnson/Jas. Royce Shannon) B 1706-A; Side V, Bob lead
2. Apple Blossom Time in Normandy (Tom Mellor/Harry Gifford/Huntley Trevor) B 1706-A; Side V, Tim lead
3. Cabin in the Lane (Will S. Hays) B 1706-A; Side V, Bob lead
4. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny (James A. Bland) B 1707-A; Side W, Spencer lead, Roy/Tim duet, Bob counterpoint.
5. Home in Wyoming (Billy Hill/Peter de Rose) B 1707-A; Side W, Tim lead
6. Open Up Them Pearly Gates (Carson Robison/Vernon Dalhart) B 1707-A; Side W, Bob then Len lead
7. Dem Golden Bells (Dion De Marbelle) B 1708-A; Side X, Bob lead
8. Hadie Brown (Jimmie Rodgers/Elsie McWilliams) B 1708-A; Side X, Len solo plus yodel
9. My Old Kentucky Home (Stephen Foster) B 1708-A; Side X, Tim lead
10. Cowboy’s Dance (traditional) B 1709-A; Side Y, Bob lead
11. My Pretty Quadroon (Fred Howard/Nat Vincent/Mary Dodge) B 1709-A; Side Y, Len lead
12. Way Out West in Kansas (Carson J. Robison) B 1709-A; Side Y, Bob lead
13. Giddyap, Napoleon (Benjamin Hapgood Burt) B 1714-A; Side Z, Len lead
14. Abdul Abulbul Amir (Percy French) B 1714-A; Side Z, Bob solo
15. Preacher and the Bear (Joe Arizona) B 1714-A; Side Z, Len solo
16. Threw it Out the Window (traditional) B 1715-A; Side AA, Len lead
17. Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown (Andrew B. Sterling/Harry von Tilzen) B 1715-A; Side AA, Tim lead
18. Casey Jones (Eddie Newton/T. Lawrence Seibert) B 1715-A; Side AA, Len lead
19. Wait For the Wagon (George P. Knauff/R. bishop Buckley) B 1715-A; Side AA, Len lead
20. Oh, Mona (Ted Weems/Country Washburn) B1716-A; Side BB, Len lead
21. Go Long, Mule (Henry Creamer/Robert A. King) B 1716-A; Side BB, Bob lead
22. When the Golden Train Comes Down (Bob Nolan) B 1716-A; Side BB, Len lead
23. Texas Crapshooter B 1716-A; Side BB, instrumental featuring Hugh
24. 11 More Months and 10 More Days (Arthur Fields/Fred Hall) B 1717-A; Side CC, Bob lead
25. Somewhere in Old Wyoming (Charlie Tobias/Peter de Rose) B 1717-A; Side CC, Tim lead
26. Seaside Schottische (unknown) B 1717-A; Side CC, instrumental featuring Hugh
27. Little Annie Rooney (Michael Nolan) B 1719-A; Side DD, Bob lead
28. The Big Corral (Romaine Lowdermilk/James Rowe/Emmett S. Dean) B 1719-A; Side DD, Len lead
29. At the End of the Lane (Fred Howard/Nat Vincent) B 1719-A; Side DD, Bob lead
CD 4
1. Ain’t We Crazy (unknown) B 1720-A; Side EE, Len lead
2. Gentle Nettie Moore (Marshall S. Pike/James Pierpont) B 1720-A; Side EE, Bob lead
3. Jim Crack Corn (Dan Emmett) B 1720-A; Side EE, Bob lead
4. Skinner’s Sock (traditional) B 1721-A; Side FF, instrumental featuring Hugh
5. Old Pine Tree (unknown) B 1721-A; Side FF, instrumental featuring Hugh
6. Whing Ding (Hugh Farr) B 1721-A; Side FF, instrumental featuring Hugh
7. Sailor’s Hornpipe (traditional) B 1721-A; Side FF, instrumental featuring Hugh.
8. Alabamy Stomp (unknown) B 1722-A; Side GG, instrumental featuring Hugh
9. Cider Schottische (traditional) B 1722-A; Side GG, instrumental featuring Hugh.
10. Rye Straw (unknown) B 1722-A; Side GG, instrumental featuring Hugh
11. Square Dance (traditional) B 1722-A; Side GG, solo by Len, featuring Hugh
12. Dear Old Girl (Richard H. Buck/Theodore F. Morse) B 1723-A; Side HH, Len lead
13. Carry Me Along (Stephen Foster) B 1723-A; Side HH, Bob lead
14. The Gospel Train (traditional) B 1723-A; side HH, Bob lead
c. SEPTEMBER 1935, Karl Farr joins the group with his guitar.
15. Whispering Wind (Tim Spencer) B 3060-A; Side JJ, Bob lead
16. Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Tim Spencer) B 3060-A; Side JJ, Len lead
17. A Sandman Lullaby (Bob Nolan) B 3060-A; Side JJ, Bob lead
18. Blue Prairie (Tim Spencer/Bob Nolan) B 3061-A; Side KK, Bob lead
19. A Summer Night’s Rain (Bob Nolan) B 3061-A; Side KK, Len sings bridge, Bob another, then Len
20. Syncopated Rhythm (Karl Farr) B 3061-A; Side KK, instrumental featuring Karl Farr.
21. Old Oaken Bucket (Samuel Woodworth/George Kiallmark) B 3062-A; Side LL, Bob lead
22. Chant of the Plains (Bob Nolan) B 3062-A: Side LL, Bob lead
23. Bluebird Blues (Hugh Farr) B 3062-A; Side LL, instrumental featuring Hugh.
24. Old Black Joe (Stephen Foster) B 3063-A; Side MM, Len lead
25. I Miss You So, My Darling (Bob Nolan) B 3063-A; Side MM, Bob lead
26. Barnyard Jubilee (Bob Nolan) B 3063-A; Side MM, Bob lead
27. Sweet Genevieve (Henry Tucker/George Cooper) B 3372-A; Side NN, Tim lead
28. Chuckwagon Blues (Rusty/Wayne/Homer Wood) B 3372-A; Side NN, Bob lead
29. Hand Me Down My Walking Cane (James A. Bland) B 3372-A; Side NN, Len lead
30. In the Gloaming (Annie Fortesque Harrison/Meta Orred) B 3366-A; Side OO, Tim lead
31. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Sarah Hannah Sheppard) B 3366-A; Side OO, Bob lead, Len “Swing low”
CD 5
1. Prairie Reverie (Karl Farr) B 3366-A; side OO, instrumental featuring Karl
2. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (J. T. Wood/H. J. Fulmer) B 3367-A; Side PP, Tim lead
3. That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine (Gene Autry/Jimmy Long) B 3367-A; Side PP, Roy solo/yodel
4. Prairie Whing Ding (Hugh Farr) B 3367-A; Side PP, featuring Hugh, Len calling the square dance.
5. Water of the Blue Juanita (Juniata) (Marion Dix Sullivan) B 3368-A; Side QQ, Bob lead
6. Bonnie Eloise (George W. Elliott/John R. Thomas) B 3368-A; Side QQ, Bob lead
7. Buffalo Gals (Cool White aka John Hodges) B 3368-A; Side QQ, Len lead
8. Gentle Annie (Stephen Foster) B 3373-A; Side RR, Tim lead.
9. When You and I Were Young, Maggie (George W. Johnson/James A. Butterfield) B 3373-A; Side RR, Tim lead.
10. Desert Hokum (Hugh and Karl Farr) B 3373-A; Side RR, instrumental featuring Farrs
11. Dear Old Western Skies (Gene Autry) b 3374-A; Side SS, Len solo/yodel
12. Pass Around the Bottle (George Yellow Hammers/Henry Clay Work) B 3374-A; Side SS, Len, Tim, then Bob in turn.
13. Roving Gambler (traditional) B 3374-A; Side SS, Bob lead.
14. Just Before the Battle, Mother (George Frederick Root) B3375-A; Side TT, Tim lead
15. Long Long Ago (Thomas Haynes Bayly) B 3375-A; Side TT, Tim lead
16. Shamus O’ Brien (traditional) B 3375-A; Side TT, instrumental featuring Hugh.
17. Strawberry Roan (Curley Fletcher/Fred Howard/Nat Vincent) B 3376-A; side UU, Len lead
18. Blue Bonnets (unknown) B 3376-A; Side UU, Bob solo
19. Dem Golden Slippers (James A. Bland) B 3376-A; Side UU, Tim lead.
20. While I Rock Our Babies to Sleep (Jimmie Rodgers) B 3377-A; Side W, Len solo/yodel
21. Mexicali Rose (Helen Stone/Jack B. Tenney) B 3377-A; Side W, Tim solo
22. ‘A’ Rag (Hugh and Karl Farr) B 3377-A; Side W, instrumental
23. Mellow Alabama Moon (Fred Howard/Nat Vincent) B 3388-A; Side WW, Len lead
24. Royal Telephone (F. M. Lehman) B 3388-A; Side WW, Bob lead
25. Hey There (Hugh Farr) B 3388-A; Side WW, instrumental featuring Hugh
26. The Day I Played Baseball (Pat Rooney) B 3389-A; Side XX, Tim solo
27. Stars of the West (Tim Spencer) B 3389-A; Side XX, Len lead
28. When It’s Autumn in the Hills of California (Jessie Warner Dunford) B 3389-A; Side XX, Bob/Roy duet
29. Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Bob Nolan) B 1729-A; theme Disc (c. SEPTEMBER 1934; the theme song is inserted here from an earlier recording.)
30. Echoes From the Hills (Bob Nolan) B 2542-A; disc 1, Len lead
31. The Glendy Burke (Stephen Foster) B 2542-A; Disc 1, Bob lead
32. Louisiana Belle (Stephen Foster) B 2542-A; Disc 1, Bob lead