Lyr/Tune Req: Roll Along Prairie Moon

Subject: LYR/TUNE ADD: Roll Along Prairie Moon
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 09 Nov 00 - 11:13 PM

I've posted a MIDI to MMario with great four part harmony for this song from the 1930's, but have yet to tackle the lyrics. It's not in the DT.

I know and love this song because it was featured in the classic BBC/Denis Potter TV drama 'Pennies From Heaven' about 25 years ago. Is this the product of a cowboy singer/group like Sons of the Pioneers, or was it just pop music at the time? Any help appreciated.

Regards, John

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: ROLL ALONG PRAIRIE MOON
From: Gene
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 12:18 AM

A quick search at www.google.com found:

ROLL ALONG PRAIRIE MOON - Roy Rogers
(3/27/45) The Roy Rogers Show

One of Roy's most exciting films was 'King Of The Cowboys', released in April 1943.

The fast-paced storyline involved foreign saboteurs, giving the film something of the feel of the cliff-hanging serials popular at the time. In the midst of all the action, Roy still had time to sing the fine song "Roll Along Prairie Moon," written in 1935 by bandleader Ted Fio Rito (who had written "Toot Toot Tootsie" for Al Jolson), Harry MacPherson, and Albert Von Tilzer (whose credits include "Take Me Out To The Ballgame").

Subject: RE: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
From: Gene
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 12:34 AM

* CLICK/PENNIES FROM HEAVEN NFO *

Subject: RE: SONS OF THE PIONEERS
From: Gene
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 12:44 AM

RE: ROLL ALONG PRAIRIE MOON

* CLICK/SONS OF THE PIONEERS DISCOGRAPHY *

Subject: Lyr Add: ROLL ALONG PRAIRIE MOON
From: Gene
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 12:57 AM

* CLICK/LYRICS WORLD *

Roll Along Prairie Moon
Smith Ballew

Words and music by Ted Fiorito,
Harry MacPherson
and Albert Von Tilzer.

Introduced by Harry Stockwell in the film 'Here Comes the Band.'

Roll along prairie moon
Roll along while I croon,
Shine above lamp of love
Prairie Moon.

Way up there in the blue
Maybe you're lonely too
Swinging by in the sky
Prairie moon.

I need your tender light
To make things right
You know I'm so alone tonight.
Faraway shed your beams
On the girl of my dreams
Tell her too, I've been true
Prairie moon.

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: Roll Along Prairie Moon
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 06:47 AM

I guess that an exceptional quality response is what I've come to expect from Gene. Thanks enormously!

I was under the incorrect impression that the Sons of The Pioneers were around in the 30's. I gather that this is not the case.

Many thanks, John

Subject: RE: PIONEERS WEBSITES
From: Gene
Date: 10 Nov 00 - 12:51 PM

RE: THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS WEBSITEs-

* CLICK/SONS OF PIONEERS WEBSITES *

The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the most enduring and recognizable groups of the Western music genre. Their roots can be traced all the way back to 1930 when a shy young man named Leonard Slye (better known as Roy Rogers) arrived in California seeking work.

Roy's biggest assets were his engaging personality and his fine singing voice, and he decided to use these assets to pursue a career in the music industry. After performing on a local amateur radio show, Roy was offered his first singing job as a soloist with a hillbilly instrumental group known as the Rocky Mountaineers.

Roy was soon joined by Bob Nolan and Bill Nichols in the group, and later by Tim Spencer. Rogers, Nichols, and Spencer split from the Mountaineers in 1933 and joined Bennie Nawahi's International Cowboys for a brief stint, and later that year performed as the O Bar O Cowboys.

By 1934 Rogers and Spencer had parted ways with Bill Nichols and rejoined with Bob Nolan to form the Pioneer Trio. The trio soon recognized the need for instrumental backup and welcomed fiddler Hugh Farr to the group. Not long after Hugh joined the group announcer Harry Hall introduced the quartet as the Sons of the Pioneers. The name stuck, and the group became a legend that endures today.

In the years since March 3, 1934, when the first verified appearance of the name Sons of the Pioneers appeared in a newspaper, the Pioneers have seen many changes. Roy Rogers left the group in 1937 and went on to enjoy a fairly successful solo career as the King of the Cowboys.

Several other members of the group have also come and gone, but the trademark Pioneer sound has remained a hallmark of the group for over 65 years. Classic Pioneer hits such as "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cool Water" are recognizable favorites all over the world.

Current group members Dale Warren, Luther Nallie, John Nallie, Sunny Spencer, Gary LeMaster, and Ken Lattimore continue the Pioneer legacy with regular performances in Branson, MO and Tucson, AZ.