Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Encyclopedia
Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs is an album released by Marty Robbins
on the Columbia Records
label in September 1959, peaking at #6 on the U.S. pop albums chart
. It was recorded on April 7, 1959
It is perhaps best known for Robbins’ most successful single, “El Paso
”, a major hit on both the country and pop music charts. It reached #1 in both charts at the start of 1960 and won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording
that same year.
In 1999 it was re-released on the Legacy Records reissue label with the tracks resequenced and included three bonus tracks, including the full length version of “El Paso.”
Side 2:
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
on the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label in September 1959, peaking at #6 on the U.S. pop albums chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It was recorded on April 7, 1959
It is perhaps best known for Robbins’ most successful single, “El Paso
El Paso (song)
"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
”, a major hit on both the country and pop music charts. It reached #1 in both charts at the start of 1960 and won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording
Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording was awarded from 1959 to 1968. From 1959 to 1961 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Performance...
that same year.
In 1999 it was re-released on the Legacy Records reissue label with the tracks resequenced and included three bonus tracks, including the full length version of “El Paso.”
Track listing (1959 LP)
Side 1:- "Big IronBig Iron"Big Iron" is a country ballad by Marty Robbins, originally released as an album track on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959, then as a single in February 1960....
" (Marty Robbins) – 3:56 - "Cool WaterCool Water"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number...
" (Bob NolanBob NolanBob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
) – 3:09 - "Billy The Kid" (Traditional) – 2:19
- "A Hundred And Sixty Acres" (David Kapp) – 1:40
- "They're Hanging Me Tonight" (James N. Low - Art Wolpert) – 3:05
- "The Strawberry Roan" (Traditional) – 3:25
Side 2:
- "El PasoEl Paso (song)"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
" (Marty Robbins) – 4:19 - "In The Valley" (Marty Robbins) – 1:48
- "The Master's Call" (Marty Robbins) – 3:05
- "Running Gun" (Tompall GlaserTompall GlaserTompall Glaser is an American country music artist. Active since the 1950s, he has recorded both as a solo artist and with his brothers Chuck and Jim in the trio Tompall & the Glaser Brothers...
- Jim GlaserJim GlaserJim Glaser is an American country music artist. The brother of country singers Chuck and Tompall Glaser, he has performed as both a solo artist and alongside his two brothers in the group Tompall and the Glaser Brothers...
) – 2:10 - "The Little Green Valley" (Carson RobisonCarson RobisonCarson Jay Robison was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although his impact is generally forgotten today, he played a major role in promoting country music in its early years through numerous recordings and radio appearances. He was also known as Charles Robison and sometimes...
) – 2:26 - "Utah Carol" (Traditional) – 3:13
Track listing (1999 CD)
- "Big IronBig Iron"Big Iron" is a country ballad by Marty Robbins, originally released as an album track on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959, then as a single in February 1960....
" (Marty Robbins) – 3:56 - "A Hundred And Sixty Acres" (David Kapp) – 1:40
- "They're Hanging Me Tonight" (James N. Low - Art Wolpert) – 3:05
- "Cool WaterCool Water"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number...
" (Bob NolanBob NolanBob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
) – 3:09 - "Billy The Kid" (Traditional) – 5:14
- "Utah Carol" (Traditional) – 3:13
- "The Strawberry Roan" (Traditional) – 3:25
- "The Master's Call" (Marty Robbins) – 3:05
- "Running Gun" (Tompall GlaserTompall GlaserTompall Glaser is an American country music artist. Active since the 1950s, he has recorded both as a solo artist and with his brothers Chuck and Jim in the trio Tompall & the Glaser Brothers...
- Jim GlaserJim GlaserJim Glaser is an American country music artist. The brother of country singers Chuck and Tompall Glaser, he has performed as both a solo artist and alongside his two brothers in the group Tompall and the Glaser Brothers...
) – 2:10 - "El PasoEl Paso (song)"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
" (Marty Robbins) – 4:19 - "In The Valley" (Marty Robbins) – 1:48
- "The Little Green Valley" (Carson RobisonCarson RobisonCarson Jay Robison was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although his impact is generally forgotten today, he played a major role in promoting country music in its early years through numerous recordings and radio appearances. He was also known as Charles Robison and sometimes...
) – 2:26 - "The Hanging TreeThe Hanging Tree (song)The Hanging Tree is a western ballad from the 1959 movie The Hanging Tree. It was scored by Max Steiner and written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston who received nominations for the Laurel Awards and the Academy Awards in 1960. The text is a short reference to the film's story...
" (Jerry LivingstonJerry LivingstonJerry Livingston was an American songwriter, and dance orchestra pianist.-Biography:...
- Mack DavidMack DavidMack David was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning from the early 1940s through the early 1970s. Mack was credited with writing lyrics and/or music for over one thousand songs...
) - 2:50 - "Saddle Tramp" (Marty Robbins) - 2:03
- "El PasoEl Paso (song)"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
(Full Length Version)" (Marty Robbins) – 4:38
Personnel
- Marty RobbinsMarty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
- Vocals, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Grady MartinGrady MartinThomas Grady Martin was one of the most renowned, inventive and historically significant American session musicians in country music and rockabilly....
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jack H. Pruett - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Bob L. MooreBob MooreBob Loyce Moore is an American session musician, orchestra leader, and bassist who was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
- BassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Louis Dunn - DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Tompall & the Glaser BrothersTompall & the Glaser BrothersTompall & The Glaser Brothers was an American country music group composed of three brothers: Chuck, Jim, and Tompall Glaser, all of whom also had success in the 1970s as solo artists. Between 1960 and 1975, the trio recorded ten studio albums, and charted nine singles on the Billboard Hot Country...
- Vocal Chorus