The Official Website of Gene Autry, America's Favorite Singing Cowboy

Fun Autry Fact:

In the late 1930s, Gene turned down an offer of $3,000 to endorse a brand of cigarette.

Album Information

Goin' Back to Texas – 25 Texas Classics

Released:
October 30, 2001

Label:
Varèse Sarabande Records

Born in Tioga, Texas, Gene Autry sang several songs about the Lone Star State during his career. This package includes rare tracks, such as Beautiful Texas (from 1934), The Night Before Christmas In Texas and Sleepy Rio Grande, along with traditional Texas favorites such as Deep In The Heart Of Texas, The Yellow Rose Of Texas and Can't Shake The Sands Of Texas From My Shoes. Selected tracks also feature commentary by Gene.

This is the first Gene Autry collection with masters from all facets of his career: Columbia Records recordings, feature film performances, recordings from his Melody Ranch Radio Show, and songs from television's The Gene Autry Show. Liner notes by the official Gene Autry biographer, Holly George-Warren,make this release Texas-sized fun!

Track Listing

  1. Goin' Back to Texas (1:45)
    (Carson J. Robison)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 06/11/1949
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  2. Way Out West in Texas (1:30)
    (Tex Fletcher)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 12/01/1940
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  3. Texas Sandman (1:25)
    (Doris Fisher/Allan Roberts)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 08/24/1947
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  4. Gonna Build a Big Fence Around Texas (1:55)
    (Cliff Friend/Katherine Phillips/George Olsen)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 07/07/1946
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  5. Lone Star Moon (1:51)
    (Dave Franklin/Cliff Friend)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 12/28/1947
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  6. Ride, Ranger, Ride (1:58)
    (Vern Spencer)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 04/27/1947
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  7. There's a Rainbow on the Rio Colorado (2:04)
    (Gene Autry/Fred Rose)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 10/04/1942
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  8. Beautiful Texas (3:28)
    (W. Lee O'Daniel)
    Gene Autry and Jimmy Long
    Recorded in Chicago 03/31/1934
    Okeh/Vocalion 04267
  9. The Yellow Rose of Texas (1:52)
    (Traditional, Arranged by Gene Autry)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 01/25/1942
  10. Sleepy Rio Grande (1:53)
    (Carson J. Robison)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 05/17/1942
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  11. Texans Never Cry (1:59)
    (Gene Autry/Shotgun Britton/Hank Fort/Oakley Haldeman)
    From The Gene Autry Show, Episode 9: Doublecross Valley
    Telecast 09/10/1950
    Musical Director Carl Cotner
  12. A Boy From Texas, a Girl from Tennessee (2:14)
    (Joseph Allan McCarthy/Jack Segal/John Benson Brooks)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 05/30/1948
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  13. Can't Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes (1:51)
    (Gene Autry/Diane Johnston/Kenneth Pitts)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 08/06/1950
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  14. I've Got a Heart As Big As Texas (1:37)
    (Oakley Haldeman/Buddy Feyne)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 09/09/1950
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  15. Gallivantin' Galveston Gal (1:24)
    (Milton Leeds/Steve Nelson/Fred Wise)
    Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys
    From The Gene Autry Show, Episode 79: Saddle Up
    Telecast 12/03/1955
    Musical Director Carl Cotner
  16. When the Bloom Is on the Sage (When It's Round-Up Time in Texas) (1:29)
    (Nat Vincent/Fred Howard Wright)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 11/14/1948
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  17. San Antonio Rose (2:02)
    (Bob Wills)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 12/15/1946
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  18. Lone Star Trail (2:03)
    (Tex Fletcher)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 12/21/1941
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  19. The Streets of Laredo (2:26)
    (Ray Evans/Jay Livingston)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 05/14/1949
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  20. Fort Worth Jail (1:36)
    (M. Ager/J. Yellen)
    From Bells of Capistrano, Republic Pictures
    Released 11/21/1946
    Musical Supervisor Morton Scott
  21. Down Texas Way (2:02)
    (Gene Autry/Johnny Marvin)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 09/27/1942
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  22. I'll Go Ridin' Down That Old Texas Trail (1:21)
    (Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette)
    Gene Autry with Mary Lee and Smiley Burnette
    From The Singing Hill, Republic Pictures
    Released 04/26/1941
    Musical Supervisor Raoul Kraushaar
  23. (Down The) Trail to San Antone (1:20)
    (Deuce Spriggins)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 08/18/1946
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  24. Deep in the Heart of Texas (1:51)
    (June Hershey/Don Swander)
    From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
    Broadcast 04/02/1942
    Arranged by Carl Cotner
  25. The Night Before Christmas (in Texas, That Is) (2:42)
    (Leon A. Harris Jr./Bob Miller)
    Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys
    Recorded in Hollywood 07/20/1952
    Musical Director Carl Cotner
    Columbia 90172-V

Notes & Background Information

The masters used for this package are from original Columbia Recordings, Gene Autry's personal Radio, Film, and Television archives.

Compilation Producers: Cary E. Mansfield and Karla Buhlman
Executive Producer: Jackie Autry
Research Consultant: Jon Guyot Smith
Digital Remastering: Bob Fisher, Pacific Multimedia Corp.
Notes: Holly George-Warren
Graphics and Art Direction: Howard Levine, www.cdsphoto.com
Design: Bill Pitzonka

This compilation (P) 2001 Autry Qualified Interest Trust, The Autry Foundation and Flying A Pictures Inc. (C) 2001 Varèse Sarabande Records, Inc. Released through the courtesy of Gene Autry Entertainment, Inc. except "Beautiful Texas," and "The Night Before Christmas (In Texas, That Is)" which are under license from Sony Music Special Products, a Division of Sony Music, A Group Of Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.

Manufactured by Varèse Sarabande Records, Inc., 11846 Ventura Blvd.,
Suite 130, Studio City, CA 91604. Distributed by Universal Music and Video Distribution, 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in the U.S.A.


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