Posted on 05/18/2021 4:20:04 PM PDT by simpson96
"El Paso" is a western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September, 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching No. 1 in both at the start of 1960. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961, and remains Robbins' best-known song.
Robbins wrote two songs that are explicit sequels to "El Paso", "Feleena" in 1966, and "El Paso City" 1976.
Marty Robbins - "El Paso" (1959)
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
I grew up listening to this song and have loved it as long as I can remember. I have it in rotation on my phone and get to hear it once a month or so.
El Paso and Me and my Uncle are two of the Dead’s best songs.
Wow! I hadn’t heard that one before. It’s a good one for our own times.
I agree. He was my late father’s favorite singer. I still have the LP album “Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs.”
Both my dad and I were saddened when we learned Marty Robbins had died.
Name one place you’ve heard the name Feleena other than in these songs.
My B Collies are like that,........
Came across me and my uncle looking for these. Yes
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the ranger with the
big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip"
I have the original vinyl!😃
I have to admit I have a hard time stopping El Paso when it comes on. Even though I know it lasts too long and maybe I’m missing some other awesome song!
Awesome song. I play it often. A frozen dish called it “depressing”. I had to explain it as romantic, his love is greater than life itself. A very common theme in music and literature.
El Paso is just a great ballad.
Another I [lay over is Big Bad John, by Jimmy Dean.
Interesting. Somehow, 4:40 doesn’t seem ALL that long. Sure, longer than your standard 3 minutes. I guess that extra minute and a half makes all the difference in the world. In the 60s, you had all these songs that were over 7minutes long.
SOB. How the heck did spellcheck turn a misspelling of “friend” into “frozen dish”? Are you kidding me”? I think AI is just mocking us lately.
On AM radio in the early 60s when El Paso ruled the airwaves, much of the Top 40 songs were often just over 2 minutes. Of course, I wasn’t alive back then but that’s what dad told me. ;)
Great song.
Marty also had a sideline career
as a part time driver in NASCAR,
for 13 years. His best finish
was a top 5.
In 1980 (I think) I was working tech inspection for NASCAR. At the Firecracker 400 Marty and I got to talking. Marty used to come out and qualify even though he often ran 10-20 mph slower than most of the field.
Saturday, day before the race we got to talking. I told him I’d been a fan of his for a long time and had many of his albums. He asked me what the oldest album of his that I owned. I told him Running Gun. He said, “My, you have been a fan of mine foe a long time. What was your favorite track on that album?” I said, “Big Iron.” Marty stood there, at the gate between the Garage Area and Pit Row and sang, a capella, Big Iron. When he finished he smiled at me and said, “Thank you.” to me.
That, my friends, is Marty Robbins.
Oh Man, that’s awesome.
I like Red River Valley how he did it.
That’s what I think of when I play it on guitar.
I can’t sing it like him but I voice it out on guitar like him.
Great story! Very fortunate to have met one of the greats. I can’t think of any other great singers to have come out of the Phoenix area.
The surprising part is the identity of the group who performed it ...
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