Talk:Pistol Packin' Mama

untitled

1943 was dominated by the Musician's Strike, which since August 1942, had prevented the recording of commercial music by the record companies. As the strike dragged on, the labels began releasing material from their artists' back catalogues, until by mid-1943, that ran out too. Fortunately for Okeh records, they released Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama" (PPM), backed by "Rosalita", in April. It caught fire quickly, thanks to reports in Billboard magazine, and the nation's jukeboxes, which had run out of fresh material to play. Another double-sided hit for Okeh, "No Letter Today" / "Born To Lose", by Ted Dafan's Texans, ran second with PPM for the rest of 1943 into 1944. Although Billboard did not publish it's first Folk-Hillbilly chart until January 8, 1944, PPM became the first "Hillbilly" record to reach no. 1 on the U.S. Popular sales chart, on October 30, 1943, on it's way to selling 2 million copies. In Billboard's 1943 Yearbook, released in September, PPM by Dexter was the only hillbilly record to join Glen Miller and Tommy Dorsey in the best-selling record list.

Top vocalist Bing Crosby, always a major fan of "hillbilly" music, was finally able to record a cover version with the Andrews Sisters on September 27, when his label, Decca, became the first to settle with the union. The single, released October 21, followed Dexter's to the top, revitalizing popularity and sales into 1944. Tillywilly17 (talk) 13:33, 14 July 2021 (UTC)

notes

a.  Multiple recordings of the same song were listed together. Joel Whitburn regards only the first act listed as having been number one in the week in question, and does not list Baxter, Peltyn and Fisher's versions as having charted at all.

b. Multiple songs tied for the number one position.

In 1944, Billboard magazine published its first chart specifically covering the top-performing country music songs in the United States, under the title Most Played Juke Box Folk Records; the subtitle on the first chart indicated that it covered "Hillbillies, Spirituals, Cowboy Songs, etc". The chart was compiled based on reports from "Billboard representatives" showing the most-played songs of the genre in jukeboxes from "all the country's leading operating centers", which were averaged to give an overall chart.[1][2] The first chart listed six songs, but the number of entries was not consistent from week to week. This chart is considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.[3]

The first number one song listed was "Pistol Packin' Mama", which remained in the top spot for the first seven weeks. The song, originally recorded by Al Dexter in 1942, had remained hugely popular ever since, and been recorded by many different singers.[4] Up to four different versions of "Pistol Packin' Mama" were bracketed together as a single entry in the number one position during the seven-week run, although noted chart historian Joel Whitburn regards only the first-named artist each week as having achieved the number one hit, and does not record some of the credited artists as having charted at all.[5] Subsequently, different recordings of a song were not bracketed together in this way: in later issues of Billboard, different versions of "Pistol Packin' Mama" appeared listed separately.[6][7] The chart methodology also allowed for the possibility of records tying for a position, and on several occasions during 1944 two or more different songs tied for the

number one spot.

Counting all seven weeks in which his version of "Pistol Packin' Mama" was bracketed with other artists' recordings of the same song and counting each of his two  of songs which tied for the top spot in the issue of Billboard dated April 15 as having one week at number one, Al Dexter spent the highest number of weeks at the top

the chart in 1944, with 24. If the first five weeks of the chart, for which Whitburn does not give Dexter credit as having achieved a number one, are discounted, he nonetheless still had the most weeks in the top spot. Dexter was also the artist with the most different songs at number one in 1944, topping the chart with "Pistol Packin' Mama", "Rosalita", "Too Late to Worry" and "So Long Pal".[8][9] Louis Jordan was the only other artist to top the chart with more than one song during the year. Red Foley had the longest unbroken run at number one, spending thirteen consecutive weeks in the top spot in the fall with the patriotic wartime song "Smoke on the Water". Al Dexter's "So Long Pal" spent the same number of weeks at number one, but split across seven different spells at the top. The final number one of the year was "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" by Tex Ritter. Ritter is one of three acts to top the chart in 1944 who are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame,[10] the others being Ernest Tubb[10] and Red Foley.[11]

Overwhelmed by news of bloody conflict, Americans in early 1943 just wanted to forget the war and laugh. Reprieve came in the form of Al Dexter’s jukebox favorite about spurned love and ladies with guns — “Pistol Packin’ Mama.” The song became the first country crossover hit of World War II, encouraging pop fans to expand their musical palettes, and paving the way for future southern superstars like Gene Autry, Bob Wills and Ray Price.

Born Clarence Albert Poindexter in Jacksonville, Texas, in 1902, Al Dexter spent his early years as a house painter, but his first love was music. He taught himself to play harmonica and built his first guitar from a washboard, which he played at Square Dances every chance he could. His first recordings were gospel music, but after record execs told him “gospel doesn’t sell,” he switched to country and quickly made a name for himself playing small East Texas clubs. His first big hit was “Honky Tonk Blues” in 1936, which is widely credited as the first song to use the term “honky tonk.” Fittingly, Dexter used the money he earned to buy several honky-tonks himself, including the Round-up Club and Palm Isle in Turnertown and Longview, respectively.

Dexter signed a deal with Okeh, the country division of Columbia Records, and enjoyed additional regional hits, but by the early 1940s his record sales had hit a lull. A Columbia exec urged producer Art Satherley to drop Dexter, who, now nearing the age of 40, desperately needed a hit, but Satherley refused.

A conversation Dexter had with a waitress in a roadhouse he owned finally led to success. The woman was chased through a barbed-wire fence by the gun-toting wife of the man she was seeing, and Dexter began to muse about what he’d say to a gun-toting lady, writing on a paper napkin, “Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down.”

On March 18, 1942, Al Dexter and his Troopers recorded “Pistol Packin’ Mama.” The record enjoyed brisk sales, building steam month by month. It was common in that era for a song to be recorded and released by multiple artists — in fact, different versions of the same song would often make the charts simultaneously — and Dexter hit a home run when “Pistol Packin’ Mama” was covered by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Wartime America couldn’t get enough of it. It was funny and easy to sing, with an unforgettable chorus you could be certain to find someone humming in jukeboxes and roadhouses across the country. In 1943, the New York Yankees sang the song in the locker room after defeating the Cardinals in the World Series. Dour film star Gary Cooper sang it on a USO tour overseas. Marines on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands shared the song with natives. Hundreds of fighter planes, bombers, tanks and cannons were painted with cowgirls and labeled “Pistol Packin’ Mama.”

It was the Billboard No. 1 hit on Oct. 30, 1943, as well as the top song on the most popular radio show of the day, The Lucky Strike Hit Parade. It was also the first No. 1 record on the new Juke Box Folk Song Records Chart that later became the Hot Country Songs Chart. The first No. 1 version to chart was sung by Bing Crosby, followed by Dexter’s original and interpretations by Frank Sinatra and Tex Ritter. Republic Pictures even made a movie named after the song three months later, which did a brisk business.

“Pistol Packin’ Mama” sold over three million copies to become the largest selling record of World War II, and one of the best sellers of that entire decade. Dexter, who called his guitar his “starvation box,” made $250,000 from the song — over $3.5 million in today’s currency. He’d go on to be the first country singer to play on Broadway, and he enjoyed six additional No. 1 recordings, including “Guitar Polka,” which topped the country charts for 15 weeks in 1946. Dexter had 12 gold records in the ‘40s, and he continued to record until the mid-1950s before he officially retired from music in the early 1960s.

Always an astute businessman, realizing early on the importance of owning his own copyrights, Dexter became a wealthy man. He bought and sold real estate and owned clubs in Dallas and a motel in Lufkin.

All the while, “Pistol Packin’ Mama” continued to earn him money. Gene Vincent and Lloyd Price recorded rock ’n’ roll versions of the song, while the Hurricanes shared an R&B take. In the 1970s, the song was used in English candy advertisements, and it later appeared on an episode of Seinfeld, sung by Kramer. Willie Nelson covered the song on his 2010 album, Country Music.

Al Dexter was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He died in Lewisville, Texas, in 1984.

Overwhelmed by news of bloody conflict, Americans in early 1943 just wanted to forget the war and laugh. Reprieve came in the form of Al Dexter’s jukebox favorite about spurned love and ladies with guns — “Pistol Packin’ Mama.” The song became the first country crossover hit of World War II, encouraging pop fans to expand their musical palettes, and paving the way for future southern superstars like Gene Autry, Bob Wills and Ray Price.

Born Clarence Albert Poindexter in Jacksonville, Texas, in 1902, Al Dexter spent his early years as a house painter, but his first love was music. He taught himself to play harmonica and built his first guitar from a washboard, which he played at Square Dances every chance he could. His first recordings were gospel music, but after record execs told him “gospel doesn’t sell,” he switched to country and quickly made a name for himself playing small East Texas clubs. His first big hit was “Honky Tonk Blues” in 1936, which is widely credited as the first song to use the term “honky tonk.” Fittingly, Dexter used the money he earned to buy several honky-tonks himself, including the Round-up Club and Palm Isle in Turnertown and Longview, respectively.

Dexter signed a deal with Okeh, the country division of Columbia Records, and enjoyed additional regional hits, but by the early 1940s his record sales had hit a lull. A Columbia exec urged producer Art Satherley to drop Dexter, who, now nearing the age of 40, desperately needed a hit, but Satherley refused.

A conversation Dexter had with a waitress in a roadhouse he owned finally led to success. The woman was chased through a barbed-wire fence by the gun-toting wife of the man she was seeing, and Dexter began to muse about what he’d say to a gun-toting lady, writing on a paper napkin, “Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down.”

On March 18, 1942, Al Dexter and his Troopers recorded “Pistol Packin’ Mama.” The record enjoyed brisk sales, building steam month by month. It was common in that era for a song to be recorded and released by multiple artists — in fact, different versions of the same song would often make the charts simultaneously — and Dexter hit a home run when “Pistol Packin’ Mama” was covered by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Wartime America couldn’t get enough of it. It was funny and easy to sing, with an unforgettable chorus you could be certain to find someone humming in jukeboxes and roadhouses across the country. In 1943, the New York Yankees sang the song in the locker room after defeating the Cardinals in the World Series. Dour film star Gary Cooper sang it on a USO tour overseas. Marines on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands shared the song with natives. Hundreds of fighter planes, bombers, tanks and cannons were painted with cowgirls and labeled “Pistol Packin’ Mama.”

It was the Billboard No. 1 hit on Oct. 30, 1943, as well as the top song on the most popular radio show of the day, The Lucky Strike Hit Parade. It was also the first No. 1 record on the new Juke Box Folk Song Records Chart that later became the Hot Country Songs Chart. The first No. 1 version to chart was sung by Bing Crosby, followed by Dexter’s original and interpretations by Frank Sinatra and Tex Ritter. Republic Pictures even made a movie named after the song three months later, which did a brisk business.

“Pistol Packin’ Mama” sold over three million copies to become the largest selling record of World War II, and one of the best sellers of that entire decade. Dexter, who called his guitar his “starvation box,” made $250,000 from the song — over $3.5 million in today’s currency. He’d go on to be the first country singer to play on Broadway, and he enjoyed six additional No. 1 recordings, including “Guitar Polka,” which topped the country charts for 15 weeks in 1946. Dexter had 12 gold records in the ‘40s, and he continued to record until the mid-1950s before he officially retired from music in the early 1960s.

Always an astute businessman, realizing early on the importance of owning his own copyrights, Dexter became a wealthy man. He bought and sold real estate and owned clubs in Dallas and a motel in Lufkin.

All the while, “Pistol Packin’ Mama” continued to earn him money. Gene Vincent and Lloyd Price recorded rock ’n’ roll versions of the song, while the Hurricanes shared an R&B take. In the 1970s, the song was used in English candy advertisements, and it later appeared on an episode of Seinfeld, sung by Kramer. Willie Nelson covered the song on his 2010 album, Country Music.

Al Dexter was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He died in Lewisville, Texas, in 1984.

1944

January 8 – "Pistol Packin' Mama" – Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters

February 5 – "Pistol Packin' Mama" – Al Dexter

February 26 – "Ration Blues" – Louis Jordan Tillywilly17 (talk) 22:28, 10 June 2022 (UTC)

Baptist and Reflector

Nashville, Tennessee

09 Dec 1943, Thu  •  Page 5

Respectfully submitted

Richard N. Owen

R. B. Jones

H. H. Stembridge Jr.

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama”

RAGING HIT SONG in America is called "Pistol-Packin’ Mama" "

The phenomenom of "Pistol Packin' Mama" penetrated the daily lives of the American public at home, as well as Armed forces fighting overseas in Europe and the Pacific. One December 1943 newspaper reported "Everywhere it is being sung, whistled, played on radio records," and it was described as the "most popular and thrilling song that can be born out of the crisis of war." In a December 16th news report on the battle for Tarawa in the Pacific, wounded U.S. Marines recovering at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland were "still reliving the horrors of...the bloodiest battle of the corp's history". But as their spirits rose, they called in unison for "Cold American beer," "Pistol Packin' Mama," and a good look at a lady Marine.

A1 Dexter, who wrote it, is from Texas, and he is set to collect $250,000 as a result of having struck the appetite of the nation just right with this syncopathic abortion. "It’s just a case", he says, "of a fellow dreaming for fourteen years and nothing happens. Then one night he has a nightmare and it makes him a fortune.”

   the music that has swept all America and the royalties collected by the author In just a short few weeks amounted to $250,000!

There is no doubt about that Unclean spirits inspire such songs as the above title. They prepare the soil in the minds the emotions the nerves and the flesh and even the muscles of people such as to make them capable or susceptible of being swept wild by such songs as "Pistol-Packin’ Mama!’

A part of the same satanical program of the seduction of unclean spirits is the great flood of sexitized "Detective Magazines” sweeping the country, for now almost a full generation. Did you ever read one of them? Well, don’t do it! It is dangerous. It is like taking morphine.

Baptist and Reflector

Nashville, Tennessee

09 Dec 1943, Thu  •  Page 5

Respectfully submitted

Richard N. Owen

R. B. Jones

H. H. Stembridge Jr.

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama”

RAGING HIT SONG in America is called "Pistol-Packin’ Mama" "

Everywhere it is being sung, whistled, played on radio records, and especially by the jazz bands which revel in coarse salacious stuff of this low mixture.

The author of "Pistol-Packin’ Mama” hardly understands his luck. A1 Dexter, who wrote it, is from Texas, and he is set to collect $250,000 as a result of having struck the appetite of the nation just right with this syncopathic abortion.

"It’s just a case", he says, "of a fellow dreaming for fourteen years and nothing happens. Then one night he has a nightmare and it makes him a fortune.” He at least and obviously has good sense.

Appropriate comment to make, as to its wild reception by the tastes of America is that if this is the most popular and thrilling song that can be born out of the crisis of war, one may well wonder if we have a country that is worth saving, or a civilization of culture that is worth defending, with the blood and lives of millions of the best

Thursday, December 9, 1943 suggestions!

And that is the song that is the music that has swept all America and the royalties collected by the author In just a short few weeks amounted to $250,000! The Scriptures tell us that Satan w’ill send seducing spirits in the last days My Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says: "Seduce’’ from Latin re-aside Ducere — to lead To lead or draw astray into foolish evil disastrous course’’ To any Bible instructed and Spirit taught believer today there is no doubt about this being the day of the greatest demon activity In the demon world there are evil spirits There are unclean spirits Demons are not fallen angels There is no doubt about that Unclean spirits enter men (and women) to defile corrupt and to morally befiith! The holy God given pow-er of procreation gender has always been the object of the wrork of undean spirits

They inspire such songs as the above title They prepare the soil in the minds the emotions the nerves and the flesh and even the muscles of people such as to make them capable or susceptible of being swept wild by such songs as "Pistol-Packin’ Mama!’

A part of the same satanical program of the seduction of unclean spirits is the great flood of sexitized "Detective Magazines” sweeping the country, for now almost a full generation. Did you ever read one of them? Well, don’t do it! It is dangerous. It is like taking morphine. It will grow on you. The current voluptuous songs, the current nude pictures, and the current salacious fiction are all a part of Satan’s program of pincher movements against the whole kingdom of righteousness that will come to its spearhead in the final crashing apostasy that will immediately precede the rapture of the Saints! Never did all true believers need to pray for the discernment of spirits as today!

But no need to pray for discernment if you are not going to be fully armoured against them! And no use to be armoured against them if you are not going to fight! Spiritual passivity in Christians is a part of Satan’s great program of softening up for the attack! Satan sends his evil spirits into Christians But the cowardice of demons is such that when openly and aggressively and offensively resisted in the powrer of the spirit and with the wrar implements of the spirit they flee Demons never enter any but unoccupied territory Passivity of believers in the name of great spirituality is itself a master part of Satan’s program of deception!

That is true in the matter of morals and also in the matter of error! It is not enough to proclaim truth Jude said contend for it with agony and Paul stood upright and fought against its perverters i There is no revealed teaching of the Scriptures to w’hich the true ministers need to give themselves w’ith more attentive caution than that of the teaching about demons today! The true ministers remaining uninformed about these things about Demonology and hence silent about it is itself a great part of Satan’s program — for "the last times”1 and helps to bring on the great apostasy! Page 5

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Swing, with its variations, broke its own record for bad songs when it gave birth to "Pistol Packin' Mama"—for this one was worse. If anybody would like to challenge this statement, I will print, with an impartial air, all opinions submitted to this column.

What if there about thin hip-swinging, pistol-packin' mama that moves listeners to such heights of barnyard boisterousness? Two weeks ago in Chicago, I talked to A1 Dexter, father of "Pistol Packin' Mama," while he was appearing at a Loop theater and giving the original touch to the performance of the song. Al has been leading a hillbilly band for the past 10 years out in the southwest. But it took his "Gun Totin' Pal" number to shoot him into the national limelight. It wasn't until this double-barreled tune came out about five months ago that Dexter's name was heard outside his native Texas.

Dexter is equally talented as a composer, guitarist and singer. He first became interested in music at the age of 15, when he mastered the French horn, banjo and organ. He later studied guitar and mandolin. In addition to the "Pistol Packin'" ditty, some of the most popular songs he has composed are "Honky Tonk Blues," "Mother Mine," and "Calico Rag," all of which he has recorded.

This was Dexter's first trip to Chicago, in fact his first time east of Colorado. Before he struck it rich, he was playing for dimes, several times a week, in and around Longview, Texas. Al is known throughout the Lone Star state for his personal appearances.

Another song he plans to release soon is "Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry," which is exactly the way I feel about the future of swing, after I heard "Pistol Packin' Mama' for the first time. There I was, biting down a big lunch of bun and beef at the Yum Yum hut, when the thing came roaring out of the juke-box like a herd of longhorns.

Dexter is a young chap, and must have something on the sphere to produce his pistol-packed dollar dynamite.

Appearing on the same bill of entertainment with Dexter in Chicago that week were Hi, Lo, Jack and the Dame, noted radio foursome. The quartet had only a last-minute notice of their Chicago engagement, and spent all available time in preparing for their act a wind up number which they figured would dynamite the house.

That was before they arrived in town and noticed they had been ‘beaten to the draw by Al Dexter, and at that crucial moment the four decided to give! up their grand finale song, which they had sweated over so freely—"Pistol Packin' Mama."

Speaking of guns, Dexter is so fast with his shootin' irons, that he can stand before a mirror and beat himself to the draw. If you wish to express your own opinion pro and con on Dexter's song, address your communication to Miss Winn Nelson, Pushbutton Periods Editor, Sunday Journal and Star.

I lent a critical ear to the music of Bandman Jerry Wald in the Panther room of the College Inn, Hotel Sherman, where he has been standing for the past several weeks. His high notes are good enough to warrant the tucking away of a few gas coupons for a trip to the dancery that brings him to Lincoln next weekend. At least Wald made the coffers ring with the sound of gold every night. He was in Chicago with is a in with in Williams of that as ¡on for of all in to the boys. Next band into the Panther room is Charlie Spivak's.

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COURIER -JOURNAL, LOUISVILLE, KY. FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER i", 1943. - . Guitar-Playing East Texas Hillbilly Is Author Of the Hit Tune. 'Pistol-Packin' Mama: Dexter Admits Top-Flight Song Is Pure Corn oa In 48. ' Jacksonville, Texas, Sept. 30 C4) A lanky youth from the piney woods of East Texas, whose first , guitar was a home-made, sweet-gum ; contraption, is the author of the nation's top-flight corny tune, "Pistol - Packin Mama." - He is Al Dexter, a seli-styled hillbilly, former painter and dec orator., The song has zoomed high on America's hit list. Doughboys on the' battlefronts are singing it. It's pure corn Dexter himself admits that but its popularity has gained him a tryout with Horace Heidt's Musical Knights. He's Surprised, Too. About the most surprised per son of all when the nation started singing "Pistol-Packin' "Mama." was the tall East Texan himself. "How come?" he said. "I dunno. Just got to thinkin' and it come out." That was a year ago, but it was only recently that the song caught on. 1 Dexter has been foolin' around with music since he was 15. He played a French harp and banjo and learned to finger an old reed organ his folks at Jacksonville used to have. Says he, "I got in the habit of singin while I worKed, Slid o whistlin like most folks. Guys and gals would gather 'round and listen. Kind of encouraged me, I guess, and that's the way it happened." Sang for Radio. His first "git-tar," he said, was made from sweet - gum strips picked up around a Jacksonville box factory and from a white-pine drain board from a dismantled kitchen sink. Then he got his first radio job singing over' a Fort Worth station. But "Pistol-Packin Mama" gave this country boy his big break. He is coining big money on royalties, and his tryout with the Heidt band may put him in the big time. At least, Dexter says: "Here's a-hopin'." 'Pistol-rackin' Mama' Now Goes to Court New York, Sept. 30 (U.R) Two music companies, one of which publishes "Pistol-Packin Mama," have filed a $100,000 suit against the American Tobacco Company, sponsor of the Lucky Strike Hit Parade radio show. "Pistol-Packin Mama" never has made the parade, and the song's popularity, the complaint set forth, logically would give it a fourth or fifth place listing among the nation's ten top tunes of the week. The complaint was filed by the Mayfair Music Company and the Everett H. Morris Company. Mayfair, which publishes "Sunday, Monday or Always," charged that that tune was removed unfairly from a first-place listing on the parade. The plaintiffs allege that the Hit Parade is a misrepresentation of the order of popularity of the first ten songs of Ameri- Next time you need calomel take Calotnb, trie Improved calomel compound tablets that make clo- mm-tfiklng plemeni. Buyar-roatod, icreenoie. prompt, ana ercecilve. ot neceunry to follow with salt ere.nble, No or castor OIL Use only as directed en label. ca, that the entire survey is Inaccurate, and that it is based upon some arbitrary form of selection by the defendants. $ Over U. S. Bombs Over Italy., RATION NOTICE: These Breakfast f-oods Require Stamps From Your Ration Book: Bacon. ' Canned bruits Butter for Toast Canned Juices BUT!- NO RATIONING OF DELICIOUS Quaker Puffed Wheat Sparlnes Wheal Shot from Guns with '- WHOLE GRAIN VALUES of Vitamin Bi, Nlocln, Iron. Ready to eat.' No Ration Ease Take out of nerves well - Blue m e a I cost is modest, Folks. Fried U. S. War Bonds

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