Tex Ritter was one of the first “singing cowboys”, a singer and actor who started out singing on radio in Texas in the 1920s, soon moving to New York to appear on radio and on Broadway. He made his first records in 1933, going on to have a recording career that lasted four decades, and after his screen debut in 1936 in western movies, made more than 70 films through to the mid-1970s. He is best known on record for his pop hits with “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)”, the theme song of the landmark 1952 movie “High Noon”, “The Wayward Wind” in 1956 and “I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven” in 1962. This great-value 77-track 3-CD set comprises recordings on the Vocalion, Champion and Decca labels from the 1930s, and then, when he was one of the first signings to the newly-founded Capitol label, further selected A & B sides from the 1940s and ‘50s, the heyday of his career, and through to the early ‘60s. It includes all his 17 chart entries during this era, including the country No. 1s “I’m Wasting My Time On You”, “You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often” and “You Will Have To Pay”, and the Top 3 hits “There’s A New Moon Over My Shoulder”, “Jealous Heart”, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” and “When You Leave Don’t Slam The Door”, plus the pop hits mentioned above. Encompassing children’s songs, faith-based material, and some of his trademark recitations as well as the more familiar fare of cowboy songs, it’s a substantial and varied showcase for his talent and his highly distinctive style.
