Gene Autry on Columbia

Gene Autry - Back in the Saddle Again (Columbia 4-20084), 1951

I have been a fan of Gene Autry's music for many years, so I couldn't pass this record when it popped up recently. The label of my copy is a bit damaged and seems to lose connection with the vinyl but it plays great though. "Back in the Saddle Again" ranks among my Autry favorites - besides such songs as "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" (one of his earliest recordings), "Riding Double", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You", "Can't Shake the Sands of Texas (from My Shoes)", or his versions of "South of the Border" and "You Are My Sunshine" (I could continue this list with several other titles). Autry was an extremely popular performer and actor, so the information provided here may not be new to you but I can't help but give you a little insight on his career and this particular disc.

"Back in the Saddle Again" is one of Autry's best remembered hits. Co-written with fellow western singer and actor Ray Whitley, the song became his signature song and was first released in September 1939 on Vocalion #05080, originally as "Back to the Saddle", and re-recorded by Autry for OKeh in 1940 under its correct title. It was an instant hit and was reissued several times in the years to come, including this issue from 1951, which was actually part of a record set with some of Autry's most popular hits.

Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry was born on September 29, 1907, near Tioga, Texas. Autry worked for the railroad in the 1920s, where he met his mentor and companion Jimmie Long, and also appeared on radio in Oklahoma. He signed his first recording contract with Columbia in 1929, previously auditioning unsuccessfully at Victor with Long. Autry also performed on the famed National Barn Dance on WLS in Chicago during these years. From 1930 through the early years of that decade, Autry recorded for Victor, Gennett, but mostly for the American Recording Corporation (ARC), often with Jimmie Long, and his recordings were released on a plethora of ARC labels like Perfect, Conqueror, Oriole, Banner, among others. His style during these years was heavily influenced by Jimmie Rodgers - in fact, Autry was one of many Singing Brakeman sound-a-likes. His sound was guitar and blues based and lyrically often included sexual connotations. In later years, Autry would relativize or even deny Rodgers' influence on him (similar to Jimmie Davis).

The year of 1934 saw Autry's first movie engagement for a Ken Maynard western production. At that time, movie studios tried to develop a new style of western with a "singing cowboy". Most of the western actors, including a young John Wayne, tried their hands at singing during this time but most of them had not a talent for it. Although Autry would appear in only one scene in his first movie, it was a success and he already starred the next movie. In addition, ARC records were sold and advertised through Sears-Roebuck warehouses and his face became known all over the country. Autry soon became the first star of this new genre called western or cowboy music and its accompanying B western movies.

Movie poster of "Ride Ranger Ride"

Western music today is known as a style or variation of country music but actually is a genre of its own (although connected and affiliated with country music and its root forms). The historic cowboy songs were often performed a Capella or with sparse instrumental accompaniment, mostly harmonica, guitar, or jew's harp, but by the 1920s often featured accompaniment by guitar, fiddle, or banjo. Actually it was one of Autry's early innfluences, Jimmie Rodgers, who recorded a couple of well selling songs in which he began to glorify and create the romantic life of cowboys in the wild west, therefore shaping the image that became so important for western music. Musically, the music began developing into a style that drew heavily from other popular genres, including jazz. Guitars, fiddles, and upright bass were used but also accordion, harmonica, and sometimes even wind instruments. Therefore, a style was created that had more in common with western swing than with traditional folklore. And Gene Autry became its first star.

Cover of one of "Autry's Aces" fan magazine issues

Until 1942, Autry could be seen in countless B-western movies in which he had enough opportunity to sing his songs, which were released on record at the same moment, selling well throughout the country. Often appearing with him was his sidekick Smiley Burnette. During World War II, Autry fought overseas as a pilot and when returning home, he had to find out that Roy Rogers from the Sons of the Pioneers, another successful and influential western group, had eclipsed him in popularity. While Autry's career as an actor never achieved the same level as before the war, his recording career remained as successful as it was. Until the early 1950s, he regularly achieved high chart positions in Billboard'c C&W charts and scored a couple of Christmas hits in the late 1940s that also crossed over into the pop charts (most notable "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer").

Promotional picture of Autry and his horse "Champion"

By the mid 1950s, his records didn't find entry into the charts anymore and movies about true and brave singing cowboys were outdated. Autry concentrated more on business, purchasing several hotels and even a baseball team. He also founded the west coast based Challenge record label, which had a big hit in 1958 with the rock'n'roll instrumental "Tequila" by the Champs.

Autry retired from show and music business in 1964 but continued to invest in real-estate as well as radio and television firms. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969 and into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. Gene Autry died on October 2, 1998, in Studio City, California, at the age of 91 years.

Sources

Gene Autry wikipedia entry

45cat entry and 45worlds entry

See also

I recommend reading the Wikipedia article on Western Music (the German-language article on this topic is even better), a genre often overlooked in context with country music.