Happy Trails (song)

Last updated
"Happy Trails"
Single by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
Released1952 (1952)
Genre Country, folk, theme song
Label RCA Victor
Songwriter(s) Dale Evans

"Happy Trails" is a song by Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans, known as the theme song for the 1940s and 1950s radio program and the 1950s television show in which they starred. It was written by Evans and always sung by the duo over the end credits of those programs.

Contents

"Happy Trails" was released in 1952 as a 78 RPM and 45 RPM by Rogers and Evans with the Whippoorwills and Orchestra, on RCA Victor Records. It was re-issued in 1957 as a 45 RPM record on RCA Victor/Bluebird. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. [1]

Foy Willing's version

In 1951, Foy Willing had written a song titled "Happy Trails" for the Republic Pictures movie, Spoilers of the Plains , starring Roy Rogers with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. Subsequently, the first three notes of Foy's song and the title were used by Dale Evans in writing her version of "Happy Trails" for both the original The Roy Rogers Show and the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show , which aired on ABC in 1962. Dale's is the version that is popularly played and sung today, albeit without giving credit to Foy Willing. [2]

Cover versions

There have been numerous notable covers of Dale Evans' version of the song. For example:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Rogers</span> American singer and actor (1911–1998)

Roy Rogers, nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and rodeo performer.

The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music performers and remained popular through the years. Since 1933, through many changes in membership, the Sons of the Pioneers have remained one of the longest-surviving country music vocal groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Evans</span> American actress, singer and writer

Dale Evans Rogers was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers.

<i>The Dick Cavett Show</i> Television series

The Dick Cavett Show is the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singin' in the Rain (song)</span> Title song of the 1952 film and subsequent stage musical

"Singin' in the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Doris Eaton Travis introduced the song on Broadway in The Hollywood Music Box Revue in 1929. It was then widely popularized by Cliff Edwards and the Brox Sisters in The Hollywood Revue of 1929. Many contemporary artists have since recorded the song.

"Buttons and Bows" is a popular song with music written by Jay Livingston and lyrics by Ray Evans. The song was published on February 25, 1948 by Famous Music Corp., New York. The song was written for and appeared in the Bob Hope and Jane Russell film The Paleface and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally written with an Indian theme, but was changed when the director said that would not work in the movie. It was a vocal selection on many radio programs in late 1948. It was reprised in the sequel, Son of Paleface, by Roy Rogers, Jane Russell and Bob Hope. In 2004 it finished #87 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of the top tunes in American cinema.

"In the Garden" (sometimes rendered by its first line "I Come to the Garden Alone" is a gospel song written by American songwriter C. Austin Miles, a former pharmacist who served as editor and manager at Hall-Mack publishers for 37 years. According to Miles' great-granddaughter, the song was written "in a cold, dreary and leaky basement in Pitman, New Jersey that didn't even have a window in it let alone a view of a garden." The song was first published in 1912 and popularized during the Billy Sunday evangelistic campaigns of the early twentieth century by two members of his staff, Homer Rodeheaver and Virginia Asher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman Is the Nigger of the World</span> 1972 song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" is a song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Elephant's Memory from their 1972 album Some Time in New York City. Released as the only single from the album in the United States, the song sparked controversy at the time due to the use of the word nigger in the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles' Christmas records</span> Discography

From December 1963 to December 1969, English rock group the Beatles sent out spoken and musical messages on flexi disc to members of their official fan clubs in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) each Christmas. An LP compilation of all seven, titled From Then to You in the UK and The Beatles Christmas Album in the US, was sent out in 1970.

"Without a Song" is a popular song composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics later added by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, published in 1929. It was included in the musical play, Great Day. The play only ran for 36 performances but contained two songs which became famous, "Without a Song" and "Great Day".

"Don't Fence Me In" is a popular American song written in 1934, with music by Cole Porter and lyrics by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

<i>The Roy Rogers Show</i> Television series

The Roy Rogers Show is an American Western television series starring Roy Rogers. 100 episodes were broadcast on NBC for six seasons between December 30, 1951, and June 9, 1957. The episodes were set in the prevailing times (1950s) in the style of a neo-Western, rather than the Old West. Various episodes are known to be in the public domain today, being featured in low-budget cable television channels and home video.

"Heroes and Friends" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was written with Don Schlitz. It was released in January 1991 as the second and final single from his album of duets, Heroes & Friends and his only song on the album that was not a duet. The song opens and closes the album. "Heroes and Friends" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

<i>Out California Way</i> 1946 film

Out California Way is a 1946 American Western musical film directed by Lesley Selander for Republic Pictures. It starred Monte Hale, Lorna Gray and Robert Blake. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans made cameo appearances. The film was the first feature to be shot in Trucolor.

<i>Spoilers of the Plains</i> 1951 film by William Witney

Spoilers of the Plains is a 1951 American Western film directed by William Witney, and starring Roy Rogers and Penny Edwards, with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. The film was distributed by Republic Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tumbling Tumbleweeds</span> 1934 song by Bob Nolan

"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a Western music song composed by Bob Nolan, a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers. Nolan wrote the song in the early 1930s while he was working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles. It was first recorded by the Sons of the Pioneers in 1934, and it became one of the most famous songs associated with the group. Originally titled "Tumbling Leaves", the song was reworked into the title "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and into more widespread fame with the 1935 film of the same name starring Gene Autry. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

Foy Willing was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and bandleader, who performed Western music and appeared in Western movies. He formed the band Riders of the Purple Sage.

<i>The Yellow Rose of Texas</i> (film) 1944 film

The Yellow Rose of Texas is a 1944 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane, and starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

<i>Televisions Greatest Hits: 65 TV Themes! From the 50s and 60s</i> 1985 compilation album by Various

65 TV Themes! From the 50's and 60's is the first volume of the Television's Greatest Hits series of compilation albums by TVT Records. From the 50's and 60's was a double LP that featured 65 themes from television shows ranging from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s.

Don't Fence Me In is a 1945 black-and-white Western film directed by John English and starring the "King of the Cowboys" Roy Rogers and his palomino Trigger, promoted in the production's opening credits and on theater posters as "The Smartest Horse in the Movies". Also featured in the film are Roy's sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes and Rogers' future wife Dale Evans. Produced and distributed by Republic Pictures, Don't Fence Me In is part of a long-running series of singing-cowboy films released by that company to showcase Rogers' musical talents and equestrian skills, as well as Trigger's abilities at performing impressive stunts and tricks.

References

  1. Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  2. Willing, Sharon Lee (October 16, 2006). No One to Cry To. Wheatmark. p. 80. ISBN   1-58736-686-X.
  3. "John Lennon and Yoko Ono Dick Cavett Show Excerpt 4 of 6". YouTube. 2006-12-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-06-09.