Rex has a new CD: Frontier Favorites

Subject: Rex has a new CD
From: GUEST,Rex on the work 'puter
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 01:49 PM

Attention: lovers of 19th century music. My friend Mark Gardner and I have built a CD of music from around the time of the Mexican War and the Civil War. Frontier Favorites: Old-Time Music of the Wild West. About half vocals and half instrumentals. Mark used six different banjos on the recordings. Two from the 1880's, one from around 1900, two from the early 20th century and a reproduction of an 1840's tackhead. He also plays bones and jawbone (yes, the jawbone of an ass, just like Samson) to great effect. I am playing fiddle with a bit of mandolin and guitar. These pieces were done in the styles of the times and have been well researched. Some of the 21 tracks are: Old Dan Tucker, De Boatman's Dance, Gen. Pike's Dixie, Barlow Knife, and yes, Capt. Jinks of the Horse Marines. The CD will be sent to you for $15 ppd. Contact: [e-mail] to order. This music will set your toe to tapping. Try it and you will use no other.

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 03:23 PM

That sounds great! I'll put it on my list...plumbing and other things ate my budget this month. Thanks for letting us know. I look forward to hearing it!

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 12:03 PM

Nice to hear from you Kat, when I get a chance, I'll put up the covers of the CD that has the list of songs and tunes. But right now I'm getting ready for another living history trip down to Bent's Old Fort. Adios,

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:09 PM

Well folks, I have the cover photos but can't get them in here. If someone knows how to put photos here, kindly let me know. I suppose it isn't so simple as to just drag a picture into this box. Meanwhile I can at least list the tracks: $15 ppd.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FRONTIER FAVORITES: OLD-TIME MUSIC OF THE WILD WEST
(Mark Gardner & Rex Rideout)

1. Old Dan Tucker (Daniel D. Emmett, et al., 1843) 2:23
   
2. The Arkansas Traveller (trad., 1847) 1:36
   
3. Oh! Susanna (Stephen C. Foster, 1848) 3:20
   
4. De Boatman's Dance (Daniel D. Emmett, et al., 1843) 2:40
   
5. Buffalo Gals (orig. Lubly Fan, John Hodges, 1844) 2:07
   
6. Red Haired Boy (orig. The Little Beggar Man, trad., 1700s Scotland) 1:33
   
7. Turkey in the Straw (orig. Zip Coon, circa 1830) 1:35
   
8. Old Rosin the Beau (anon., 1838) 4:13
   
9. Camptown Races (Stephen C. Foster, 1850) 1:25
   
10. Old Joe Clark (trad., late 19th century) 3:12
    
11. Soldier's Joy (orig. The King's Head, trad., 1700s) 1:50
    
12. Song of Texas (lyrics anon., circa 1845; melody Miss Lucy Neale, Jim Sanford, 1844) 2:20
    
13. Capt. Jinks of the Horse Marines (William H. Lingard and T. Maclagan, 1868) 2:27
    
14. The Girl I Left Behind Me (trad., 1600s Ireland) 1:31
    
15. Garry Owen (trad., late 1700s Ireland) 1:18
    
16. The Battle Cry of Freedom (George F. Root, 1862) 4:21
    
17. Gen. Pike's Dixie (lyrics Albert Pike, 1861, melody Daniel D. Emmett, 1859) 3:43
    
18. Lorena (Henry D. Webster and Joseph P. Webster, 1862) 6:14
    
19. Grandfather's Clock (Henry C. Work, 1876) 2:06
    
20. The Santa Fe Trail (James G. Rogers, 1911) 3:28
    
21. Barlow Knife (trad., a personal favorite, but probably 20th century) 1:57

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:01 PM

Sounds great, Rex. I'll check the website.

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: GUEST,Rex on the work 'puter
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 02:35 PM

Hello LEJ, it's good to hear from you. I'm sorry to say that there is no website as yet. I'm not so up to speed with these computers. I was hoping to send in an image of the CD that would show up here or somewhere. I'm off to Bent's Old Fort again for their Santa Fe Trail event. I'll cover that on the Bent's Old Fort thread. Adios,

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 03:14 PM

Rex, you can send the photo to Jeff/Pene, email accessed on the Members Photos and Info page and he could put it up with your member photo, then we could link to it from this thread.

Or, PM me and I'll give you an email where you could send it. I have a site I could put it on and link to.

Good to *see* you!! Have fun at Bent's.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 04:29 PM

Well that makes sense. Thankee most kindly for the suggestion Kat. I have sent the photo to our Pene and it should show up at with my photos in time. Now I'll try to make the link thingie:

Rex's photos

Hokay, here goes.

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:44 PM

Kewl!!

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: GUEST,Rex on the work 'puter
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 12:33 PM

For what it's worth, Frontier Favorites, done by Mark Gardner and myself is now available on Tower Records:

http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2895179

and it's also on CD Baby:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markrex

Just in case youall want to hear sound clips and such.

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: black walnut
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 02:03 PM

Really nice!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 02:55 PM

I started turning the titles of Rex's songs into links, but The Woman In Charge Of This Household has other things for me to do just now. I'm looking for the DT song numbers or the thread numbers for the songs on Rex's CD. Anybody want to do some searching for me?
Rex, we need your lyrics for Barlow Knife and Red-Haired Boy, also "Pike's Dixie." Also, please check the Song of Texas thread and DT entry.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: bill\sables
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 08:10 PM

What's the chance of sending one to the UK Rex?
Bill

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 01:16 PM

Well gee whiz Joe, thank you for linking up the titles. As for Barlow Knife, there isn't much to the words that I've found. I'm still hoping to find some kind of date of origin as has been discussed in the thread about it. Here's all the words I've found:

Barlow Knife (AKA Cabin Creek)

Lived on Cabin Creek all my life,
All I need is a Barlow knife. X2

Got a buckhorn handle and a Barlow blade,
Best damn knife that ever was made. X2

Take my dog, take my wife,
Just don't take my Barlow knife.
Take my liquor, take my wife,
Just don't take my Barlow knife.

I've never found any words to Red Haired Boy, you'll find there is a thread stewing over that one too. The only words I know are "The Little Beggarman" or "Johnny Dhu" as found in the DT.

I see that Pike's Dixie has already been covered in the Origins of Dixie thread. I did add some words about Pike. He was also involved with Bent's Old Fort for what it's worth.

I know "Song of Texas" as it appears in the DT.

Lastly, its just a quibble but Mark and I found an original manuscript of James Grafton Roger's "The Santa Fe Trail" in the Denver Public Library and the one line differs from the entry in the DT. "But Lord, they're all _fluffles_ and beadin'". So that's how we sing it.

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 01:20 PM

And Bill, these CDs have already gone to the UK. If you like, just send me your address by means of the "personal message" gadjet up at the top and I'll be most pleased to send you one.

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 05 Jan 04 - 07:52 PM

For those of you in the Northern half of Colorado, Mark Gardner and I will be up in Boulder this Wednesday (1/07/03). We will be on the radio (KGNU 88.5) from 7:30 to 8:00PM. Then we will play at the Zolo Grill (2525 Arapahoe at the Village shopping center) from 8:30 to 10:30. We will be playing the music of the early west on banjo and fiddle with some other instruments thrown in. Hope you can come see us. Adios,

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Jan 04 - 08:55 PM

Rex, I wish I could make it over! Now that the holidays are over and the new grandson is almost two months old, grammakat is feeling a little flush; it's time to finally add a new CD to my library! Do you make more if we order direct from you, or should I go through Tower or CDBaby?

Thanks!

kat

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: Rex
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 12:53 PM

Hello Kat, you'll find that it's cheaper to get the CD from me directly than from either of the above vendors. I said that I would make a deal for all you 'Catters and pay the postage and I'm sticking to that. So it's $15 postage paid if you order through me. Thanks,

Rex

Subject: RE: Rex has a new CD
From: GUEST,Rex on the work 'puter
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 02:44 PM

Hi all, I haven't had much time to check in lately but wanted to let you know of a project I've been working on. Adios, Rex
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HISTORIC COWBOY SONGS TO RIDE THE RANGE
ONCE AGAIN

This month in a recording studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado, music historians Mark Gardner and Rex Rideout will record for a forthcoming CD and book some of the very first cowboy songs ever published. In a project sponsored by the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, Gardner and Rideout are performing 17 songs and poems collected and written by famed ballad hunter Nathan H. "Jack" Thorp in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Thorp published the very first book of cowboy songs at Estancia, New Mexico, in 1908. A working cowboy and rancher himself, Thorp titled his small paperback book Songs of the Cowboys, and he sold copies out of his saddlebags for fifty cents apiece. An original copy of Thorp's book now brings over $2000.00 in the rare book market. Thorp also wrote one of the most performed cowboy song of all time: "Little Joe, the Wrangler." The song tells the story of a young cowboy who is trampled to death in a cattle stampede.

"This project is a tribute to Thorp's immense contributions to cowboy music as well as the history and culture of New Mexico," Gardner said.   "Thorp was the first individual to realize the importance of this very American music, and he set out on his own hook to gather as much of it as he could. His ballad-hunting travels took him through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming." Thorp later wrote of his collecting adventures in an article titled "Banjo in the Cow Camps," published in 1940 in Atlantic Monthly. "That article alone is extremely valuable for scholars of cowboy music," Gardner said. "Thorp tells us that the cowboy songs he heard were always sung by one person, not by a group, which means none of those Sons of the Pioneers harmonies that Thorp was hearing in the 1930s." "In fact," Gardner added, "Thorp claimed that he never heard a cowboy with a real good voice; they had probably lost their voices 'bawling at cattle, or sleeping out in the open.'"

Gardner and Rideout are using Thorp's recollections as a guide for their recording sessions – with the exception of the poor voices, of course. There will only be a single voice on each song, Gardner said. And the instrumentation will be sparse. Gardner and Rideout are approaching the recording sessions as "living historians," even to the point of using vintage instruments and playing styles. And they are using the same type of banjo Thorp is known to have carried on his packhorse. "Today Thorp's instrument is called a piccolo banjo; it's really a miniature 5-string banjo that's tuned an octave higher than the standard banjo. It was designed to be played in banjo orchestras of the late 19th-century, but Thorp found its small size real handy for his horseback tramps across the Southwest."

Gardner and Rideout's CD will be included in a special publication titled Jack Thorp's Songs of the Cowboys, to be issued by the Palace Press (the Palace Press owns a historic printing press from Estancia, New Mexico, that may have printed Thorp's 1908 songbook). Each song or poem in the book will be accompanied by an illustration by renowned New Mexico cowboy artist Ron Kil, while Gardner is writing a scholarly introduction to the volume. The first printing, scheduled for next year, will be limited to only 100 copies. A trade edition will follow.

For more information on the Jack Thorp project, contact Curator of the Press Tom Leech at the Palace Press at 505-476-5096, or e-mail him at [e-mail]. Or go to the web site SONGOFTHEWEST.com.

-30-
Press Inquiries: Mark L. Gardner
719-651-6887
[e-mail]