ULTIMATE COLLECTION - The Sons of the Pioneers

YEAR: 2002

LABEL: Hip-O Records

TRACK LISTING: Way Out There, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, There's A Roundup in the Sky, Empty Saddles, Blue Prairie, One More Ride, So Long To the Red River Valley, Cool Water, I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande), The Hills of Old Wyomin', Blue Bonnet Girl, Ride Ranger Ride, Echoes From the Hills, I Follow the Stream, My Saddle Pals and I, Song of the Bandit, I Wonder If She Waits For Me Tonight, Chant of the Wanderer, Riders in the Sky, The Lillies Grow High, The River of No Return

IMPRESSIONS: Every once in a while you need an album of cowboy songs.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Way Out There, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Empty Saddles, Blue Prairie, So Long to the Red River Valley, Cool Water, I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande), Echoes From the Hills, I Follow the Stream, Song of the Bandit, Chant of the Wanderer, Riders in the Sky, The River of No Return

FACT SHEET: In 1931, an Ohio truck driver and fruit picker named Leonard Slye entered a singing contest on an L.A. radio show called Midnight Frolics; he would later change his name to Roy Rogers. A few days later, he was invited to join a group called the Rocky Mountaineers. In September 1931, Canadian Bob Nolan answered a classified ad for a "Yodeler for old-time act, to travel. Tenor preferred" and joined the Rocky Mountaineers now led by Slye. Nolan only remained in the group a short time and was replaced by Safeway warehouse worker Tim Spencer; however Nolan remained in touch with Slye. In the spring of 1932, Slye and Spencer left the Rocky Mountaineers to form a trio which quickly failed. After passing through a series of short-lived groups, Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer formed the Pioneers Trio in 1933 with Nolan performing on string bass and Rogers on rhythm guitar. Shortly after they added fiddle player Hugh Farr who also added a bass voice to the vocals. During a radio broadcast an announcer made a remark which led to the group changing their name to the Sons of the Pioneers; the announcer said that the men were too young to have been pioneers but could be sons of pioneers. The name was well-received and stuck. Bob Nolan actually wrote many of the songs which have been considered traditional cowboy songs such as "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", "Way Out There" and "Cool Water".