Gene Autry holds a multifaceted place in America’s pop culture as (a) beloved singing radio, movie and TV cowboy; (b) recording artist who racked up some significant non-cowboy hits including “South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way)” and, later, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”; and (c) wealthy businessman. In Autry’s case, he owned film and record companies, a song publishing operation and, later, the California Angels baseball team. Less well known, except to his hardcore fans, are his musical beginnings. Bear Family’s nine-CD, 225-track collection explores that first phase (1929-1933).
A Texas-born telegrapher working in Oklahoma, the young Autry originally aspired to sing pop songs, but by the time of his first recording session in 1929, had chosen to emulate the hottest singer of that day: Jimmie Rodgers. He covered many Rodgers tunes and recorded Rodgers-like numbers for various labels, some issued under pseudonyms. Since only lyrics differentiate many of these sound-alike melodies, this set is best savored in small doses. In 1931 Autry became the first artist to record “The Death Of Mother Jones”, a tribute to the elderly labor activist who died in 1930. An excellent sidebar essay by folk authority Dave Samuelson explains how Autry’s recording entered folk tradition.
Over time, Autry redefined himself by developing a more distinctive spin on blue yodels with his own “Rheumatism Blues”. His first hit, the sentimental 1931 ballad “That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine”, sung with partner Jimmy Long, bore little resemblance to Rodgers. Its success led Autry to quit his telegrapher’s job and perform full-time, starting at WLS in Chicago, then one of America’s major radio outlets. When tuberculosis finished Rodgers in 1933, Autry, now a major star, capitalized on the death with mawkish tributes. But, encouraged by producer Art Satherley, he began augmenting the Rodgers knockoffs with cowboy material, the direction he’s heading by the end of disc nine.
Like other Bear Family prewar reissues, the audio restoration is stunning. Depending on the quality of the source material, in many cases the surface noise associated with vintage 78s is reduced, often nearly eliminated, bringing forth the music with remarkable depth that melts away the decades. The hardcover book, replete with rare photos and a discography, includes an extensive if occasionally stiff essay by Packy Smith that in part chronicles inconsistencies in Autry’s early history. It’s a fascinating collection, albeit one clearly aimed at Autry completists.
