The California State Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles honored Gene during the summer of 1980 with a thirteen-week exhibit and film retrospective.

Album Information

Gene Autry A Melody Ranch Christmas

Buy It Now

Released:
November 18, 2016

Label:
Varèse Sarabande

Gene Autry A Melody Ranch Christmas is a special album with a vintage radio show approach. It includes iconic and rare Christmas songs performed live on Gene Autry's popular Melody Ranch radio show by Gene, the Cass County Boys, the Pinafores, the Gene Autry Blue Jeans, Rosemary Clooney, and Carl Cotner's Orchestra. You'll also hear Gene introduce songs, Pat Buttram perform classic comedy, and Johnny Bond thoughtfully reflect on the season.

The album has traditional Christmas standards like Jingle Bells and Joy to the World plus rare performances of Gene Autry's holiday hits including a Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) & Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Medley. Several tracks are songs Gene and his Melody Ranch pals performed every holiday season but never released on record such as White Christmas, Cowboy Santa Claus, and Winter Wonderland. Many of Gene's hit records were introduced to the American public on his radio show and several of those debut performances are on this album including Frosty the Snow Man, I Wish My Mom Would Marry Santa Claus, and Sleigh Bells.

Radio show favorites like Pat Buttram's humorous holiday poem Did You Ever Hafta Sleep at the Foot of the Bed? and Gene's reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas are also included. All of these performances, ranging from 1942 to 1955, are from Gene Autry's personal archive of radio show lacquer transcriptions discs that were restored via digital transfer and restoration over the last twenty years.

This collection of Christmas music and spoken word from Gene Autry's radio show broadcasts not only provides rare performances of seasonal favorites but also gives the listener a glimpse of the holidays from the last century.

The album liner notes are by Gene Autry Entertainment President Karla Buhlman. The CD's booklet includes rare images of Melody Ranch cast members and Christmas photos and art from Gene Autry's career.

Track Listing

Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) & Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer Medley (3:07)
(Gene Autry/Oakley Haldeman) (Johnny Marks)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/24/1949
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
White Christmas (2:26)
(Irving Berlin)
From The Sergeant Gene Autry Radio Show
Broadcast 11/08/1942
Sgt. Gene Autry and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
Christmas Carols by the Old Corral (2:05)
(John Lange/Archie Gottler)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/23/1945
Gene Autry and Paul Sell's Orchestra
Jingle Bells (1:45)
(Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1946
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
Cowboy Santa Claus (2:48)
(Tim Spencer/Roy Rogers)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1946
The Cass County Boys and The Pinafores
Joy to the World (1:15)
(Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1946
The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
O Little Town of Bethlehem (3:10)
(Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1946
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (2:39)
(Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1946
Gene Autry with Carl Cotner's Orchestra
An Old Fashioned Tree (4:00)
(Adel Becker/Cordelia Pearl Williams)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/05/1948
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
Winter Wonderland (1:32)
(Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/12/1948
The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
Christmas Medley: Jingle Bells, Happy Holiday, I'll Be Home for Christmas (2:46)
(Carl Cotner Arrangement) (Irving Berlin) (Kim Gannon/Buck Ram/Walter Kent)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/19/1948
The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra
He's a Chubby Little Fellow (1:49)
(Gene Autry/Oakley Haldeman)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 10/15/1949
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Frosty the Snow Man (2:19)
(Steve Nelson/Jack Rollins)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 10/07/1950
Gene Autry with Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Thirty-Two Feet, Eight Little Tails (2:06)
(James Cavanaugh/Frank Weldon)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 11/10/1951
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Did You Ever Hafta Sleep at the Foot of the Bed? (2:42)
(Pat Buttram/Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/22/1951
Pat Buttram with Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
He'll Be Comin' Down the Chimney (1:40)
(Al J. Neiburg/J. Fred Coots)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 11/15/1952
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, Girls' Trio and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Look Out the Window (2:48)
(Lew Porter/Mitchell Tableporter)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 11/29/1952
Gene Autry with Rosemary Clooney and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Where Is My Snow-Man? (2:16)
(Hermann Krasnow/Alfred Poser/Geoffrey Venis)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/06/1953
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Gene Autry Blue Jeans and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Hard-way-Six
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth (1:18)
(Donald Yetter Gardner)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/06/1953
Pat Buttram with The Cass County Boys and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
I Wish My Mom Would Marry Santa Claus (1:43)
(Gene Autry/Michael Carr)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/13/1953
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Gene Autry Blue Jeans and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Sleigh Bells (1:10)
(Gene Autry/Michael Carr)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/05/1954
Gene Autry with The Gene Autry Blue Jeans and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Round, Round the Christmas Tree (1:30)
(Fred Stryker)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 11/27/1955
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Gene Autry Blue Jeans and Carl Cotner's Melody Ranch Orchestra
Silent Night (2:52)
(Franz Gruber/Josef Mohr/Carl Cotner Arrangement)
From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show
Broadcast 12/24/1949
Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys, The Pinafores and Carl Cotner's Orchestra

Notes & Background Information

Compilation Produced and Compiled by:
Cary E. Mansfield and Karla Buhlman

Executive Producer: Jackie Autry

Digitally Remastered by: Bob Fisher, Pacific Multimedia Corp.

Notes by: Karla Buhlman, President Gene Autry Entertainment

Researchers: Tessa Blanchard, Jocelyn Buhlman, Karla Buhlman, Bob Fisher, Maxine Hansen, Irynne Isip, and Kim Mansfield

Cover Design and Layout by: Bruce Rigney, Josh Nelson, James Callaghan, Rigney Graphics

Art Director for Varèse Sarabande Records: Bill Pitzonka

Image Restoration: Jill and Howard Levine, CDS Photo & Graphics

Manufactured by:
Varèse Sarabande Records, LLC.
9100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 455 East
Beverly Hills CA 90212

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