The Sons Of The Pioneers recently released their album, 85 Years of Harmony, with fifteen all-new recordings.
In the band's eighty-five year history, they have had dozens of members. Some had fame apart from the group, such as actors Ken Curtis and Roy Rogers. But every man who has ever been a member has played an important part in the growing of Western music.
Today's Pioneers are Tommy Nallie (lead guitar; vocals), Ken Lattimore (vocals; fiddle), Roy "Dusty" Rogers, Jr. (vocals), John Fullerton (vocals, guitar), Paul Elliott (fiddle), and Chuck Ervin (bass, vocals). And this group proves that they are more than just the "legendary Sons Of The Pioneers"—they stand on their own as top-class musicians.
I am thoroughly enjoying this album. Since the album is for their eighty-fifth anniversary, I would have liked to see some liner notes. And of course, there are always more songs you could wish were included, but overall I think they made excellent choices.
The album can be purchased here, and more information on the Sons Of The Pioneers, as well as their touring schedule, can be found at their website: https://sonsofthepioneers.org/
These are the songs on the album:
(Ghost) Riders in the Sky (Written by Stan Jones)
Perhaps the most widespread of all Cowboy and Western songs, Riders in the Sky has been recorded by dozens of artists—in several different languages even! In 1949, the Sons Of The Pioneers were among the first to record it. Dusty Rogers does the solos on this version. Shivering strains of the fiddle and the steady rhythm guitar lend a unique and appropriate drive to the music.
Don’t Fence Me In (Written by Cole Porter)
Don't Fence Me In is a fun song with lyrics based off a poem by a Montana poet Bob Fletcher. Tin Pan Alley composer Cole Porter reworked the lyrics and added music to create this tune about "Wild Cat Kelly," who doesn't want to go to jail (verse one), or settle down with his sweetheart (verse two, not included in this version or most other versions). The Pioneers appeared with Roy Rogers in the 1945 film Don't Fence Me In, and they do it up in fine style in 2019, too.
Skyball Paint (Written by Bob Nolan)
And I won't brag but I rode that nag til his blood began to boil
Then I hit the ground and I ate three pounds of good ol' Texas soil. . . .
One of Roy Roger's favorites, Skyball Paint has been in the Pioneers' repertoire since at least 1935. Dusty Rogers, John Fullerton, and Ken Lattimore alternate on the verses, and Fullerton's yodeling completes the package.
Along The Santa Fe Trail (Written by Edwina Coolidge, Al Dubin, and Hugh Williams)
Originally written for the movie Santa Fe Trail (1940) starring Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland, and Ronald Reagan. Ken Lattimore handles the solo verse on this beautifully descriptive song.
Cool Water (Written by Bob Nolan)
Undoubtedly one of the Pioneers' most popular songs. This fresh, yet classic rendition of Cool Water might be my favorite to date, with Rogers once again soloing, and Lattimore's cries of "water, water" echoing in the background.
Chant Of The Plains (Written by Bob Nolan)
This is my personal favorite off the album. Chant of the Plains represents the heart of Bob Nolan's writing, with its consistent rhyming and strong themes of nature and loneliness.
John Fullerton solos on the verses; Paul Elliott's fiddle in the foreground of the instrumentation gently
surrounding the vocals.
Goldmine In The Sky (Written by Charles Kenny, and Nick Kenny)
The title song of a 1938 Gene Autry film, Goldmine In The Sky has been recorded by a number of country and pop artists over the years, including Pat Boone, Slim Whitman, and Nat King Cole. The Pioneers' version is touching and dreamy, as is fitting for a song about a "goldmine in the sky, far away, far away . . ."
When Payday Rolls Around (Written by Bob Nolan)
A popular tune in Cowboy music, and the second song on the album to feature yodeling, When Payday Rolls Around might just put you in the mood to put on some spurs and "jingle off into town." Nolan originally wrote it for South of Arizona (1938), starring Charles Starrett.
Teardrops In My Heart (Written by Vaughn Horton)
This lovely song about a broken-hearted cowboy features Trail Boss Tommy Nallie, and includes a spoken-word section: "They say a cowboy's not supposed to cry . . . ."
My Adobe Hacienda (Written by Louise Massey and Lee Penny)
Recorded by many artists since 1941, this is a feel-good number describes life in and around a home that has "a touch of Mexico." The pleasing blend of voices is set off with creative notes from the fiddle and guitar.
Song Of The Prairie (Written by Bob Nolan)
I have to admit—my favorite version of this song will always be the one released by the Pioneers in 1966, on which Lloyd Perryman soloed. That being said, Song Of The Prairie is one of the prettiest songs you'll ever hear; Ken Lattimore's plaintive tenor vocals are a good match to it.
Cimarron (Roll On) (Written by Johnny Bond)
Described by the Pioneers as "a fast-moving song about a slow-moving river," Cimarron has been a Pioneer favorite for over fifty years.
Blue Prairie (Written by Tim Spencer and Bob Nolan)
This moving number showcases what the Pioneers are famous for: their harmony. It is a slow, steady description of a lonely nighttime prairie through the eyes of an even lonelier person.
Fiddlin’ Around (Written by Hugh Farr and Karl Farr)
The Farr brothers (Hugh on fiddle; Karl on guitar) gave the Pioneers a firm instrumental music foundation when they joined the group back when it all started in the 1930s. This is one of the many instrumental songs they wrote, and it was a fun choice to include on the album.
Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Written by Bob Nolan)
Tumbling Tumbleweeds. A familiar song to many folks, it is the longtime theme song of the Sons Of The Pioneers. There is no better number with which to close their album celebrating eighty-five years of making the finest in Western music.
Lonely but free I'll be found,
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.