Gene Autry/Mexican?

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 16 Oct 2002 8:12 pm

I've been playing some of my old R-R tapes,
I love old mexican music, and one tape is very old and is a mexican band. It has [among others] instrumentals identical to Gene's "South of the border, Ayeo {spelling] rancho Grande, . Was Gene Autry singing American versions of mexican music, or the other way around?.
Jim

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 17 Oct 2002 3:01 am

....South of the Border is still listed with Gene Autrey as the writer.

An interesting side-bar to this post, is that I once worked some shows with Smiley Burnett (Frog Millhouse, Autry's sidekick in the movies). He was a fine musician aside from his silly-character act.

Smiley did a medley of songs on the show that had been in those movies, and he revealed that in their early, lean years, he and Gene traveled to shows by automobile and he wrote most of those songs for something to do to kill time while traveling....and sold them to Gene Autrey for $5.00 each.

www.genejones.com

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 17 Oct 2002 5:46 am

Thanks Gene. Smiley once said during an interview that he'd rather be #2 than #1. Number one can only remain in that slot for a limited time. Number 2 can stay there as long as he lives.
Jim

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 17 Oct 2002 3:02 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>He was a fine musician aside from his silly-character act.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> that's Smiley playing the accordian on "Back In the Saddle Again"[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 17 October 2002 at 04:04 PM.]

Bruce Clarke · Post by **Bruce Clarke** » 23 Oct 2002 1:16 pm

I think that the song "South of the border" was written by Irish songwriters Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr, who introduced it to Gene Autry while he was in Dublin during his European tour in 1939.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 23 Oct 2002 3:51 pm

Could be......maybe Smiley was just taking credit for it! I checked and the "Agency" does credit some other writers in addition to Gene Autry??? www.genejones.com

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 23 Oct 2002 5:47 pm

Thanks guys, but the question is still there since these songs are all instrumentals, could be that someone wrote english lyrics to
some mexican melodies they had heard. Remember these 1. "I won't love you any more than you love me. 2. "When they ring those golden bells for you and me. 3. [ uh oh, I can't remember the third one]. Any way these three songs had the exact same melody.
Jim

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 23 Oct 2002 7:09 pm

Sorry Jim ,I cant help you on this one. I once had some information on some of Gene Autry songs .Just cant remember them now .There was a woman , great song writer, that made a trip to California, saw Gene Autry studios, stopped ,went in ,found gene talked to him ,then sold him some songs ,then wrote some songs for Gene. The same Lady wrote Distant Drums for Jim Reeves .
It may come to me some dark nite while I`m sleeping
R.L.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Oct 2002 10:22 pm

That would be Cindy Walker.

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 24 Oct 2002 6:23 pm

Thanks Donny , Thats the lady I was thinking of. Cindy Walker wrot a lot of songs for lots of singers . It somehow sticks out in my mind ,she may have written Mexicali Rose, for Gene Autrey, but my memory is sure going bad. Today i`d have plumb forgot my Dr.s appt. but my wife , bless her heart, told me get up and go.
I have a book here with that info in it , if I can remember where i put the book. If I find it I will surely post it for you
R. L.

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 24 Oct 2002 6:25 pm

Thanks Donny , Thats the lady I was thinking of. Cindy Walker wrot a lot of songs for lots of singers . It somehow sticks out in my mind ,she may have written Mexicali Rose, for Gene Autrey, but my memory is sure going bad. Today i`d have plumb forgot my Dr.s appt. but my wife , bless her heart, told me get up and go.
I have a book here with that info in it , if I can remember where i put the book. If I find it I will surely post it for you
R. L.

Bruce Clarke · Post by **Bruce Clarke** » 25 Oct 2002 11:42 am

The info in my previous post was based on an interview that Gene Autry gave to writer James Horwitz, when the latter was gathering material for his book "They went thataway", in which Autry describes how he came by the song "South of the border" Of course if you can get your name listed as co writer on a song, you are in for a share of the royalties, whether or not you actually had a hand in the writing.The afore mentioned book, by the way, is a great read for anyone interested in the B movie cowboys, whether of the singing variety or otherwise.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 25 Oct 2002 12:57 pm

Thanks Bruce....and here is a website with "tons" of information about the movie cowboys and singers. http://www.johnnywakely.com/JW.htm [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 25 October 2002 at 02:02 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Oct 2002 2:39 pm

Smiley Burnett (Frog Millhouse, Autry's sidekick in the movies). He was a fine musician aside from his silly-character act

Seems to be true of most guys named "Smiley", as far as I can tell.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 25 Oct 2002 4:35 pm

.....be nice Smiley...Jim quoted me out of context!....

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 25 Oct 2002 6:54 pm

Well I found out for sure I was wrong about Cindy Walker, Writing Mexicali Rose for Gene Autry. I found the book I was looking for Miss Cindy Walker was Inducted into the hall of " Country Music" hall of fame in 1997. Harlan Howard called her " The greatest livingsong writer of country music. Anyone have any information on Cindy today, how she`s doing?
I dont like to guess , but I dont think the song. Mexicali Rose, was a mexican song sang in english.
R.L.