Monday, May 28, 2018

May 28, 1955 - Ballad of Davy Crockett – Popular single in the U.S. by Kaye Spencer #firestarpress #prairierosepubs #classictv



On May 28, 1955, The Ballad of Davy Crockett performed by Bill Hayes was the most popular song in the U. S.¹ The song ended 1955 in the Number 6 position. Here are the Top Ten singles for 1955².


  1. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado
  2. Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets
  3. The Yellow Rose of Texas by Mitch Miller
  4. Autumn Leaves by Roger Williams
  5. Unchained Melody by Lex Baxter
  6. The Ballad of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes
  7. Love is a Many –Splendored Thing by the Four Aces
  8. Sincerely by The McGuire Sisters
  9. Aint’t that a Shame by Pat Boone
  10. The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry) by Georgia Gibbs

I have a 45 rpm of The Ballad of Davy Crockett by the Sons of the Pioneers. The “B” Side is The Grave Yard Filler of the West. I don't recall the lyrics, but I remember it has an upbeat tempo and silly lyrics. Due to a basement flood a few years ago, I lost the covers to my vinyl records, but I salvaged the records. Unfortunately, I don’t have a record player. It would be great fun to listen to this record.

Kaye's 45 rpm - Ballad of Davy Crockett by the Sons of the Pioneers
 A little history of The Ballad of Davy Crockett and the made-for-tv movie³:



Buena Vista Distribution poster6
George Bruns4 wrote the music and Thomas W. Blackburn wrote the lyrics. George Bruns is considered a Disney Legend4. His film scores include Johnny Tremain, One Hundred and One Dalmations, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood, to name a few. He was also the recipient of several Academy Awards.

Thomas W. Blackburn was an American Author, screenwriter, and lyricist5. The lyrics to The Ballad of Davy Crockett were his first musical lyrics. He was a Disney employee who worked in the story department. He wrote several novels and screenplays for movies and television. Examples are Raton Pass, Colt .45, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Cattle Queen of Montana, Johnny Tremain, Davy Crockett (King of the Wild Frontier), Maverick (several episodes), and single episodes for other popular television westerns of the time.

Fess Parker played Davy Crockett for the live-action Disney television miniseries, and he also sang the song as the show’s theme. Buddy Ebsen was his co-star. The show had three episodes: 
  • Davy Crockett Indian Fighter (aired December 15, 1954)
  • Davy Crocket Goes to Congress (aired January 26, 1955)
  • Davy Crockett at the Alamo (February 23, 1955)
The song was covered by a host of artists, and it ultimately sold ten million copies. The television show became wildly popular the world over thanks to Disney’s targeted marketing campaign in the UK to piggyback on the show’s U.S. popularity. It was called the “Crockett craze” in the U.S., particularly the signature coonskin cap that Crockett wore.

Here is Bill Hayes singing The Ballad of Davy Crockett.



 
Until next time,

Kaye Spencer





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 Resources (Note: Wikipedia as a reliable resource should be taken with a grain of salt… preferably around the rim of a Margarita.) ;-)
1- On-This-Day.com. Music History for May 28. http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/may28.htm. 1999-2018. 26 May 2018
2- Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1955. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_year-end_top_30_singles_of_1955. 31 March 2018. 26 May 2018.
3- The Ballad of Davy Crockett. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Davy_Crockett. 30 March 2018. 26 May 2018.
4- George Bruns. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bruns. 12 February 2018. 26 May 2018.
5- Tom. W. Blackburn. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_W._Blackburn. 8 January 2018. 26 May 2018.
6- Buena Vista Distribution. Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. Movie poster. By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32739297. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett,_King_of_the_ Wild_Frontier#/media/File:Davy_Crockett,_King_of_the_Wild_Frontier_FilmPoster.jpeg.15 may 2018. 26 May 2018.
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5 comments:

  1. Elizabeth ClementsMay 28, 2018 at 12:34 PM

    Kaye, I always love reading your blogs...I have instant recognition with most of the songs on this list--some great songs in each decade, but I think the 60's is my fave and then the disco 70's.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kaye SpencerMay 28, 2018 at 7:32 PM

    Elizabeth,

    Thank you.

    I'm familiar with these Top 10 songs, too. They just keep cycling around for the next generation. Yay! Another disco fan. I'M also a Michael Jackson fan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Michael E. Gonzales, FictionistMay 28, 2018 at 9:30 PM

    One of my favorites shows! As a child my dad took to to Disneyland, where, in Frontier Land, he bought me a Coonskin Cap. He jokingly call it my "scook skin scap". That cap and I were inseparable. When the tail, worn thin, fell off, my mom sewed it back on for me.
    When at last the old critter bit the dust I got my dad to take us back to the Magic Kingdom where, of course, I got a new one.
    Decades later, I took my son to Disney World. I bought him a scoon skin scap and we wore it to death too.
    Now...I'm going to eBay and get me another one. Do ya think thay make em in size 7 1/2?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cheryl PiersonMay 29, 2018 at 9:32 AM

    Kaye, I loved this song so much. Had the sheet music, handed down from my older sister, and I learned to play it (over and over and over--did you know that song had like 10 verses to it?) LOL

    You can buy a turntable for your records online, ya know! LOL I got one that records from the turntable to the computer, but I don't know how to set it up and have no help. Also Gary told me he'll do it "at some point" but has to be sure the electronics are compatible so I don't blow up my computer. Right now, I'd settle for just getting it set up to play the records. LOL

    Great post, as always. I also had some books when I was young that had photos of this miniseries of Fess Parker/Buddy Ebsen and featured Davy's nemesis MIKE FINK! Sure wish I still had those! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sarah J. McNealMay 30, 2018 at 7:42 AM

    I loved this post. It brought back so many memories. The TV show Davy Crockett was my nephew's favorite show when he was 4 or 5 years old. He and Pop had a special bond, maybe because Pop had us 3 girls and his grandson was that boy he could share his experiences with. Matthew (my nephew) thought Pop could do absolutely anything. You may remember how Davy Crockett could split wood with one stroke. Well, Matthew thought Pop could do that, too. I don't know if Pop was able to pull that feat off, but we all loved that the little guy believed he could.

    I still have a collection of my favorite vinyl records and a turn table a friend gave me years ago when she converted to CD's only. Once in a while I play those records just to reminisce. It's wonderful.

    Thank you so much for this post and a walk down memory lane, Kaye.

    ReplyDelete