Okay folks it's a slow day here folks. Since you haved stumbled across this would you be kind enough to log in on your favorite songs or scores from a non-musical western movie.
mine are; The scores from The Man with No Name trio, the Oscar winning score (and songs by The Brothers Four) in the Duke's The Alamo and the immortal High Noon main title theme. Anyone else?
Askin a body to pick their favorite "western" movie theme song is like askin which western movie they would like to have if it were jest them n a dvd re chargeable solar battery powered player on a desert island.
The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Roy Rogers' Happy Trails, How the West Was Won, The Big Country, Butch Cassity and the Sundance Kid, The William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger Theme) She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, jest too many for one ta pick frum!
The William Tell Overture sure brings back some memories. There also was a a radio show, called "Sergent Preston of the Yukon" that used a classical piece for it's theme; I sure wish I could find out the name of it.
The Sgt. Preston theme music was taken from "Overture to Donna Diana" by Nikolaus von Reznicek. A lot of those old radio shows used classical music as their theme. Why? Because the composers had been dead a long time and didn't have to be paid.
Many thanks pard, I'm going to be 65 this month and I have wondered aqbout that since I listened to it. When all is said and done, there are two advantages to those old radio programs: You had to use your imagination (I'll bet no two of us had the same mental image of Sergent Preston or the Straight Arrow), and the only money they needed for special effects went to a few dime store items. BTW did you ever wonder if Edger Bergen actually had ol' Charlie with him for his show?
I have a question about movie western music. Hymnals in the 19th century had hundreds of hymns in them, but in westerns, any time you're in a hymn-singing venue like a church service or a funeral (or, most memorably, a temperance march) they only know two hymns: "Gather at the River" and "Bringing in the Sheaves"? Likewise, those old player pianos had huge rolls and each piano came with dozens of rolls. They could go on for days without repeating a tune. Yet in movies, any time someone walks into a saloon, it's always playing either "Oh, Suzannah" or "Buffalo Gals." Of course, this goes for other eras. In any movie about the WWII era the background music is always either Glenn Miller or the Andrews Sisters. If it's about Vietnam the music is always the Doors or the Rolling Stones, and only two or three songs by them. Is this just lack of imagination or is it a shorthand way of establishing the era?
Mr. Kid, I am of the opinion that is very likely the latter; they resort to the most familiar tunes of the era. IMHO The Sting was rather creative in their use of Scott Jopiln's rags It brought them back into popularity (for a while at least). I rember hearing Itzac (sp?) Pearlman playing the "Maple Leaf Rag" on public TV a few years ago. Also I understand his opera Treminisha was performed not too long ago.
Ironically, "The Sting" takes place in the 30s, while Joplin dated from the turn of the century. Because of that one movie, most Americans now think that Ragtime is Depression-era music.
AAh, the wonderful "state of the art" of the American educational system, the Arts and Physical education are not important in the overall development of the students. I just love the way bureaucrats think and act don't you? :'( :( :-[
All too true; I've heard that in some history books Marylin Monroe Got more space than George Washinton did. and they've begun teaching that the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving to thank the "Native Americans" rather than expressing their gratitude to God.
I, for one am not surprised by that, saddened, but not surprised.
as for thanking the "Native Americans" I don't doubt that the pilgrims did that, as well as thanking "I Am who AM."
They would have been foolish not to as the Indians outnumbered them at the time.
'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', 'Major Dundee', 'Blazing Saddles'!
Over here in the u.k.,The western group/show team play cd's by DAVE BOURNE & DWANE BOND.
These two talented piano players are very good,we play these as we have no one who can actually play a piano in our club.
(www.laredo.org. uk)
I think most people my age has to start with The Lone Ranger If you where in the kitchen when the show started you knew what was comming on. I'm a bit supprised noone has written about Happy Trails (Roy) Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Gene) as far as movies, Iguess I would have to say the Good the Bad and the Ugly, theirs just something about it that grabs me.
At this week's Acadamy Awards ceremony, Ennio Morricone is to receive a special Oscar for lifetime achievement. His themes for Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns are some of the most familiar music of the 20th century. It's about time he was honored.
Hate to disagree with the concensus here, but the two best cowboy western songs are Frankie Lane's themes for "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and "Man without a Star." Tombstone's theme and Silverado's not bad either.
BAT
just to add to some fine lists already mentioned
Monty Walsh (Lee Marvin)...Cass Elliot's " The Good Times Are Comin' "
C'mon, it's gotta be all the songs in Paint Your Wagon! ;D
Jes' kiddin! ;)
actually, from "Paint Your Wagon" I like lee Marvin's "I was Born Under a Wander'n' Star"
and Harve Presnell's "They Call the Wind Maria" Pernell Roberts did very good version of it too
Then there is "Ghost Riders in the Sky " by just about any artist, but in particular Son's of the Pioneers and Johnny Cash
And speaking of Cash, I like The Highwayman , with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
My pard Marty Robbins , ANYTHING he did ... "El Paso" , "Big Iron" , his version of the "Ballad of the Alamo" and of course "Ghost Riders in the Sky " are my favorites.
Major 2,
That is a +2 for me as well. "The Boys" also did concerts under the title of "The Highwayman" that is on music video, with all their best known songs.
Back in the early to mid 1980's they did an album called "White Mansions". It is not very well known, but I like the music from it a lot.
My best,
Blair
I remember "White Mansions" I had the Cassette , Civil War themed ..not CW period but good stuff
Loved "Union Mare and the Confederate Grey" Waylon Jennings
https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrSbDfYyTJVwDEAZ39XNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lteXktdC01MDAEZ3ByaWQDUTY1aWJWbkhRNS5JcjdHSlVFbEQ5QQRuX3JzbHQDMARuX3N1Z2cDNARvcmlnaW4Dc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMQRwcXN0cgMiVW5pb24gTWFyZSBhbmQgdGhlIENvbmZlZGVyYXRlIEdyZXkiICB3YXlsb24EcHFzdHJsAzQ1BHFzdHJsAzUxBHF1ZXJ5A3VuaW9uIG1hcmUgYW5kIHRoZSBjb25mZWRlcmF0ZSBncmV5IHdheWxvbiBqZW5uaW5ncwR0X3N0bXADMTQyOTM5MjE2Ng--?p=union+mare+and+the+confederate+grey+waylon+jennings&fr2=sa-gp-search&fr=ymyy-t-500
if you watch the YouTube @ 20 seconds that my 2nd Florid Cavalry in the photo
Quote from: Free Hand on December 04, 2006, 10:47:33 PM
The William Tell Overture sure brings back some memories. There also was a a radio show, called "Sergent Preston of the Yukon" that used a classical piece for it's theme; I sure wish I could find out the name of it.
ask and ye shall ...know .... :) "Donna Diana Overture"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew4LwBUzX5A
Talkin about The Lone Ranger..................you know your an intellectual when you hear the The William Tell Overture and you don't think of The Lone Ranger.
If you want to go there.... Franz von Suppé's Light Cavalry Overture is probably most recognized in Warner Brothers Cartoons :)
I really the original Sons of the Pioneers, Vaughn Monroe singing Ghost Riders, Ken Curtis singing anything, and for Fun, Riders in the Sky singing The Cowboy Way.
Here's a link to my favorite western music playlist on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF5CD90F1AE5C7A68
How about this one? It says that this was the first recording of this song except for the author.
Lucky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2klh2cTa_Q
Lucky,
I very much agree!
I would like to suggest seeing if you can find the complete "Highwayman" concert by the boys.
My best,
Blair
Burl Ives was such a performer. That Ghost Riders is still the best rendition of that song. Did the get an Oscar for Big Country?
The main theme from Silverado is about as good as it gets. The haunting "Clara's Theme" from Unforgiven really tugs at my heart. The melody was composed by Clint Eastwood himself.
The Magnificent Seven had a wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein. The above-mentioned "The Big Country" also had a great "Western epic" musical score.
I had the EP of The Big Country. It had 4 or maybe 5 pieces of music from the movie, all great stuff. Anyone wondering what an EP was?
Quote from: nagantino on April 29, 2015, 11:39:24 AM
I had the EP of The Big Country. It had 4 or maybe 5 pieces of music from the movie, all great stuff. Anyone wondering what an EP was?
Yep. I'm probably old enough to know what it was - just never heard of it referred to as that.
Ike, EP stood for Extended Player as opposed to LP Long Player. It was the size of a single.