The Ballad of Davy Crockett
Encyclopedia
"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song
with music by George Bruns
and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.
The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker
, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford
(recorded February 7, 1955). All three versions made the Billboard charts: Hayes' version made #1 on the weekly chart (from March 26 through April 23, 1955) and #7 for the year, Parker's reached #6 on the weekly charts and #31 for the year, while Ford's peaked at #4 on the weekly country chart and #5 on the weekly pop chart and charted at #37 for the year. A fourth version, by bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman
, reached #10 on the radio charts in May 1955. The song also reached #1 on the Cash Box
charts, from March 26 through May 14, 1955. A contemporary version also exists of the famous Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers
. Over ten million copies of the song were sold.
The song was introduced on the television miniseries Davy Crockett
, first telecast on December 15, 1954, on ABC
's Disneyland. Fess Parker
played the role of Davy Crockett
and continued in four other episodes made by Walt Disney
Studios. It was sung by The Wellingtons
. Buddy Ebsen
co-starred as George "Georgie" Russel, and Jeff York
played legendary boatman Mike Fink
.
(released in Britain in 1956), Walt Disney Productions launched a massive marketing campaign in the UK
in order to make the country's youth "Crockett conscious." There was already a "Crockett craze" in the U.S., where the episodes had become wildly popular. Crockett merchandise was produced en masse, the most iconic item being the imitation coonskin cap
. The craze became immensely popular amongst schoolchildren, and the ballad made its way across the Atlantic Ocean
. A French version by Annie Cordy
was number 1 for 5 weeks in France in August of 1956.
The Crockett phenomenon is referenced in books of the time such as Back in the Jug Agane, one of the Molesworth
series by Geoffrey Willans
and Ronald Searle
.
The craze was referenced in the film Back to the Future
, which is set predominantly in 1955. In the film, the Fess Parker
version of the song is heard on a jukebox
and, in a later scene, one of Lorraine Baines' brothers appears wearing a coonskin cap
. The song is sung by the characters Henry and Sammy in the Country Bear Jamboree
The 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox
opens with the eponymous fox playing the song on his belt radio.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
with music by George Bruns
George Bruns
George Bruns was a composer of music for film and television who worked on many Disney films. He was nominated for four Academy Awards for his work.-Career:...
and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.
The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
(recorded February 7, 1955). All three versions made the Billboard charts: Hayes' version made #1 on the weekly chart (from March 26 through April 23, 1955) and #7 for the year, Parker's reached #6 on the weekly charts and #31 for the year, while Ford's peaked at #4 on the weekly country chart and #5 on the weekly pop chart and charted at #37 for the year. A fourth version, by bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman
Mac Wiseman
Malcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
, reached #10 on the radio charts in May 1955. The song also reached #1 on the Cash Box
Cash Box magazine
Cashbox magazine was a weekly publication devoted to the music and coin-operated machine industries in the USA which was published from July 1942 to November 16, 1996...
charts, from March 26 through May 14, 1955. A contemporary version also exists of the famous Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers
Sons of the Pioneers
The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
. Over ten million copies of the song were sold.
The song was introduced on the television miniseries Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett (TV miniseries)
Davy Crockett is a five part serial which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes on the Disneyland series. The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his fictional best friend, George Russel....
, first telecast on December 15, 1954, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Disneyland. Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
played the role of Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
and continued in four other episodes made by Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
Studios. It was sung by The Wellingtons
The Wellingtons (folk group)
The Wellingtons were a folk singing group who performed the title songs for multiple television programs, including "Gilligan's Island" and "Davy Crockett." They were also regulars on the television series "Shindig!"...
. Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
co-starred as George "Georgie" Russel, and Jeff York
Jeff York
Jeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
played legendary boatman Mike Fink
Mike Fink
Mike Fink called "king of the keelboaters", was a semi-legendary brawler and boatman who exemplified the tough and hard-drinking men who ran keelboats up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers....
.
The Crockett craze
To publicise the 1955 film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild FrontierDavy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier is a 1955 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. This film is an edited compilation of the first three stories from the Disney television series Davy Crockett :...
(released in Britain in 1956), Walt Disney Productions launched a massive marketing campaign in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in order to make the country's youth "Crockett conscious." There was already a "Crockett craze" in the U.S., where the episodes had become wildly popular. Crockett merchandise was produced en masse, the most iconic item being the imitation coonskin cap
Coonskin cap
A coonskin cap is a hat fashioned from the skin and fur of a raccoon. The original coonskin cap consisted of the entire skin of the raccoon including its head and tail...
. The craze became immensely popular amongst schoolchildren, and the ballad made its way across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. A French version by Annie Cordy
Annie Cordy
Léonie Cooreman known under the stage name Annie Cordy is a Belgian film actress and singer. She has appeared in 50 films since 1954. She has staged many memorable appearances at Bruno Coquatrix' famous Paris Olympia...
was number 1 for 5 weeks in France in August of 1956.
The Crockett phenomenon is referenced in books of the time such as Back in the Jug Agane, one of the Molesworth
Nigel Molesworth
Nigel Molesworth is the supposed author of a series of books , with cartoon illustrations by Ronald Searle....
series by Geoffrey Willans
Geoffrey Willans
Herbert Geoffrey Willans , an English author and journalist, is best known as the co-creator, with the illustrator Ronald Searle, of Nigel Molesworth, the "goriller of 3b and curse of St. Custard's"....
and Ronald Searle
Ronald Searle
Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI, is a British artist and cartoonist, best known as the creator of St Trinian's School. He is also the co-author of the Molesworth series....
.
The craze was referenced in the film Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, which is set predominantly in 1955. In the film, the Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
version of the song is heard on a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
and, in a later scene, one of Lorraine Baines' brothers appears wearing a coonskin cap
Coonskin cap
A coonskin cap is a hat fashioned from the skin and fur of a raccoon. The original coonskin cap consisted of the entire skin of the raccoon including its head and tail...
. The song is sung by the characters Henry and Sammy in the Country Bear Jamboree
Country Bear Jamboree
The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction at the Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort and at Tokyo Disneyland in the Tokyo Disney Resort, as well as a former attraction at Disneyland Park. All versions of the attraction are similar....
The 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Mr. Fox (film)
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a 2009 American stop-motion animated film based on the Roald Dahl children's novel of the same name. This story is about a fox who steals food each night from three mean and wealthy farmers. The farmers are fed up with Mr Fox's theft and try to kill him, so they dig their way...
opens with the eponymous fox playing the song on his belt radio.
Covers
- A 1955 single release on Dot RecordsDot RecordsDot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
by International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee, Mac WisemanMac WisemanMalcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
, reached the #10 position on the Country charts. - A rendition was recorded and released on The Kentucky HeadhuntersThe Kentucky HeadhuntersThe Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock band. They were founded in 1968 as Itchy Brother, which comprised brothers Richard Young and Fred Young along with Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney...
' 1991 album Electric BarnyardElectric Barnyard-Personnel:*Greg Martin – electric guitar, slide guitar*Doug Phelps – bass guitar, background vocals*Ricky Lee Phelps – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion*Fred Young – drums, percussion*Richard Young – rhythm guitar-Chart performance:...
, and was released as a single. - Mannheim SteamrollerMannheim SteamrollerMannheim Steamroller is an American music group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, known primarily for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.-Beginnings:...
's New AgeNew Age musicNew Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
instrumental rendition appeared in their 1999 album Mannheim Steamroller Meets the MouseMannheim Steamroller Meets the MouseMannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse: Unique Musical Creations Based on Disney Songs is a music album by Mannheim Steamroller, released by Walt Disney Records and American Gramaphone in 1999 on CD and DVD.-Track listing:# "Chim Chim Cher-ee" – 2:31...
.