Cowgirls and Cowboys

More years ago than I care to remember we visited old friends in California. From their house in Oakland we headed out on an excursion to see some other scenic parts of the Golden State. They said we could, if we so desired, join them on a visit to an old friend who was a real cowboy. Their friend, Joe – the cowboy, was the real thing and had taken over the duties on his family’s ranch which he was steadily converting into an organic farm and rearing the many cattle he had on purer grass and grain. (I”ve probably got these technicalities all wrong already, but go with me here…)

Joe hadn’t long been married and, as he spent all the day out on the fields of the ranch, his wife went into work as a journalist on the local newspaper. The scenario reminded me of an old US sitcom we used to watch as kids called ‘Green Acres’ where Eva Gabor played the Manhattan sophisticate who’d found herself hitched to a handsome hillbilly. Tensions and comedy ensued. Joe’s wife, whose name escapes me now, recounted a great story of how Joe had received a postcard from his old friends on a ranch where he’d spent a year or so learning the ropes (literally) of being a real cowboy. The postcard bore news of how things had developed since Joe left and  included the immortal line, ‘They done up the bunk house real good.’

I realised when we were being shown round the ranch by Joe, whose enthusiasm and knowledge was infectious, that we were hoovering up every detail due to a lifetime of addiction to The Virginian, Rawhide and The High Chaparral. In my lifetime and in the generations that preceded, The Western movie, TV show and book were central to our idea of popular entertainment. The idea of the camp fire, circling the wagons and joining a posse, heck even even a bar fight were all ingrained in our popular imaginations.

So, when Alice Randall and the recent Charley Crockett albums appeared pver the last few months and alluded to cowboy and cowgirl tales we needed no further excuse to disappear down a prairie rabbit hole and put together some classic Western songs. On this week’s show you’ll hear from Sista Strings, Marty Robbins, Beyonce, Tiera Kennedy, Hank Williams and many more.

We’ll also have many new songs – some of which feature cowboys and cowgirls and listen out for some great things from Katie Pruitt, Sam Hunt and Willie Watson.

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Having spent the morning at my local dentist practice which was playing 3 different radio stations in three different rooms it was noticeable how few (if any) new songs would be heard on the various outlets they had tuned in to. Not only that, but the average age of those attending to me was a good 30 years younger…possibly more….than myself. And yet they were listening to songs I’d grown up with in my teens an early twenties. So I draw you attention to the AC where, as well as some fab old faves tonight. we will be bringing you new things with which to fall in love. Hopefully you’ll still be playing them again in a few years time too.

It all starts at five past eight on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sounds this Tuesday evening. It’s going to be a long ride so buckle in.