Bonanza! (great themesong)

[Tay Joslin]

I was not sure as to which section to post this in, but here it is regardless.

Dan Blocker, aka Hoss Cartwright, would have been 80 years old today had he lived.
Super nice fella from what I have heard.
Did anybody ever meet Mr. Blocker in person?

HERE IS A CLIP OF JOHNNY CASH DOING BONANZA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_HL0WA_bas

[Donny Hinson]

I liked Hoss too! All the others seemed "plastic" in their portrayals. The instrumental TV theme (done by Al Caiola, I believe) is the one I consider best. Johnny Cash's lame rendition leaves much to be desired, IMHO. He just didn't have the range for that type of song.

[Tay Joslin]

I respectfully disagree
with your opinion, friend.

There are few artists who would have
had the desire to perform the
"Bonanza" number on television
when they could have promoted
something different.
For that reason, John R. Cash
deserves our respect!

I agree, though, that this is
one of the best and most recog-
nizable themesongs of all time!

[Stephen Gambrell]

Me like Hop Sing!

[Donny Hinson]

I respectfully disagree
with your opinion, friend.

That's allowed, Tay...I'm certainly nobody special. It was just always my opinion that Cash's best recordings were the early songs on the SUN label. Cash recorded the song right after Lorne Greene did, as it was in vogue back in those days for stars to do TV show themes. TV was becoming such a big part of the entertainment business in the '50s and '60s.

[Tay Joslin]

Donny,

I didn't mean to come across
as harsh! Forgive me.

I live near Memphis, and
the unfortunate truth is that
the boys who were all legends
at Sun Records during the 1950s
are severely overshadowed around
here by (you guessed it) Elvis.
I can't help but get a little
defensive when it comes to Cash
or Carl Perkins.
Besides, I did say "respectfully
disagree", didn't I?
Don't be offended!
NOTHING PERSONAL, MY FRIEND!

-Tay

[Tay Joslin]

Back to the original topic, does anybody have a story to share concerning
Dan Blocker or any other cast member from Bonanza?

[Rick Campbell]

I always thought it was funny that on Bonanza, Ben and his sons all appeared to be about the same age. Ben must have fathered the first one when he was about five or six.

[Tay Joslin]

I've never thought about that, Rick!
Hoss couldn't have been more than
ten years younger than Ben, right?
Good point!

[Fred Shannon]

Ran across this website while surfing the net. Thought you might like it:

http://www.bonanzaworld.net/forums/show ... eadid=5282


phred

[Mike Perlowin RIP]

Did anybody ever meet Mr. Blocker in person?

I did. More than once. In 1969 I was working as a salesman at a store in Hollywood called Wallach's Music City. (Some of you will have heard of, or remember the place.) We frequently had show biz personalities and celebrities come in. Dan Blocker was one of our customers and I waited on him 3 or 4 times.

He was exactly the same as he was on the show. Some actors create a personality to fit the roles they played, but he was just acting like himself on the show.

He was very friendly, and like most of the real celebrities that came in, not at all stuck up or full of himself.

Some of our celebrity customers who came in frequently included Brian Wilson, and Johnny Mathis, both of whom used to come in every few days to buy something.

One of my former co-workers, with whom I'm still friends, swears I waited on John Wayne, but I don't remember.

George Harrison came in one day, but I was not there at the time.

One day a guy asked me about the record "River Deep Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner. I told him I loved that record, and couldn't wait for still unreleased LP produced by Phil Spector to be released.

Well, I hadn't realized it, the guy I was talking to was Phil Spector. The next he sent me a test pressing of the LP, which I still have.

[Michael Douchette]

The instrumental TV theme (done by Al Caiola, I believe)

I'm probably wrong... but I think it was actually our Bill Lawrence. Can anyone confirm one way or the other? Seems like I heard that years ago...

[Cal Sharp]

I always thought it was funny that on Bonanza, Ben and his sons all appeared to be about the same age. Ben must have fathered the first one when he was about five or six.

I remember an article in TV Guide in the 60's where Pernell Roberts (Adam was the oldest son) complained about that very thing. He was only 13 years younger than Lorne Greene.

BTW, the first 4 bars of the theme makes a great quote to stick in any other song where you have 4 bars of a 1 chord.

[Bill Hatcher]

I liked Hoss too! All the others seemed "plastic" in their portrayals. The instrumental TV theme (done by Al Caiola, I believe) is the one I consider best. Johnny Cash's lame rendition leaves much to be desired, IMHO. He just didn't have the range for that type of song.

A zillion folks covered the Bonanza theme. The original theme you heard on the TV show was played by session guitarist Tommy Tedesco. You heard him on so many recording in the 60s it is amazing.

There were four other guitar players on that Bonanza session. Bob Bain, Al Hendrikson, Dennis Budimer, and Laurindo Alemeida.

[Michael Douchette]

Bill, thanks. I know Bill did some famous TV theme. Anyone remember which it was?

[Donny Hinson]

Thanks Bill, that's good information. While I know a lot of people recorded that song, most did it instrumentally. The vocal versions were pretty limited in appeal. Some of that was due to the song. To me, and much like Steel Guitar Rag, the song just doesn't work that well as a vocal.

Younger readers may not know that the proverbial weekly "Horse-Operas" (cowboy-themed TV shows) were as popular long ago as the dopey "reality shows" we have on TV today. From 1955-1965, there were over 150 different weekly TV shows with a cowboy theme.

[Mike Perlowin RIP]

...a lot of people recorded that song, most did it instrumentally. The vocal versions were pretty limited in appeal. Some of that was due to the song. To me, and much like Steel Guitar Rag, the song just doesn't work that well as a vocal.

One of my guitar heroes is the great Charlie Byrd (Any relation to Jerry? I honestly don't know.)

Between 1955 and 1960, Byrd recorded a bunch of really good albums for Riverside records. Many of these were just his trio. Guitar, bass and drums. Some had guest artists as well.

But then in '60 or 61 Byrd signed with Columbia records, and they made him make a bunch of highly produced, middle of the road, elevator music albums.

I made the mistake of buying one, on which he played the opening notes "bum bada bum bada bum bada bum bada bum bum" at which point the white bread singers sang the word "Bonanza," followed by Byrd repeating the opening phrase, followed by some violins (I think) playing the last line, "la la-la la la la la.

NOT the best version of the song. Or the best example of his artistry.

When Byrd's contract with Columbia expired, he signed with Fantasy records and went back to recording jazz. One of his best albums was a live recording called "Byrd By The Sea" recorded in '71 or 72.