Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Studio album by Marty Robbins
Released	September 1959 (LP) 1999 (CD)
Recorded	April 7, 1959
Genre	Country
Length	35:25 (1959 LP) 44:44 (1999 CD)
Label	Columbia
Producer	Don Law
Marty Robbins chronology
Marty's Greatest Hits (Apr 1959) Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (Sep 1959) More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (Sep 1960)

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs is an album released by Marty Robbins on the Columbia Records label in September 1959, peaking at #6 on the U.S. pop albums chart. It was recorded on April 7, 1959

It is perhaps best known for Robbins' most successful single, "El Paso", a major hit on both the country and pop music charts. It reached #1 in both charts at the start of 1960 and won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording the following year.

In 1999 it was re-released on the Legacy Records reissue label with the tracks resequenced and included three bonus tracks, including the full length version of "El Paso."

Reception

AllMusic gave the album four-and-a-half stars, calling it "[t]he single most influential album of Western songs in post-World War II American music". It is included in every revision of the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing (1959 LP)

Side 1:

1. "Big Iron" (Marty Robbins) – 3:56
2. "Cool Water" (Bob Nolan) – 3:09
3. "Billy The Kid" (Traditional) – 2:19
4. "A Hundred And Sixty Acres" (David Kapp) – 1:40
5. "They're Hanging Me Tonight" (James N. Low - Art Wolpert) – 3:05
6. "The Strawberry Roan" (Traditional) – 3:25

Side 2:

1. "El Paso" (Marty Robbins) – 4:19
2. "In The Valley" (Marty Robbins) – 1:48
3. "The Master's Call" (Marty Robbins) – 3:05
4. "Running Gun" (Tompall Glaser - Jim Glaser) – 2:10
5. "The Little Green Valley" (Carson Robison) – 2:26
6. "Utah Carol" (Traditional) – 3:13

Track listing (1999 CD)

1. "Big Iron" (Marty Robbins) – 3:56
2. "A Hundred And Sixty Acres" (David Kapp) – 1:40
3. "They're Hanging Me Tonight" (James N. Low - Art Wolpert) – 3:05
4. "Cool Water" (Bob Nolan) – 3:09
5. "Billy The Kid" (Traditional) – 5:14
6. "Utah Carol" (Traditional) – 3:13
7. "The Strawberry Roan" (Traditional) – 3:25
8. "The Master's Call" (Marty Robbins) – 3:05
9. "Running Gun" (Tompall Glaser - Jim Glaser) – 2:10
10. "El Paso" (Marty Robbins) – 4:19
11. "In The Valley" (Marty Robbins) – 1:48
12. "The Little Green Valley" (Carson Robison) – 2:26
13. "The Hanging Tree" (Jerry Livingston - Mack David) - 2:50
14. "Saddle Tramp" (Marty Robbins) - 2:03
15. "El Paso (Full Length Version)" (Marty Robbins) – 4:38

Personnel

• Marty Robbins - Vocals, Guitar
• Grady Martin - Guitar
• Jack H. Pruett - Guitar
• Bob L. Moore - Bass
• Louis Dunn - Drums
• Tompall & the Glaser Brothers - Vocal Chorus