Remember the Alamo (song)
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"Remember the Alamo" is a song written by Texan folk singer and songwriter Jane Bowers. Bowers details the last days of 180 soldiers at the Alamo and names several famous figures who fought at the Alamo, including Mexican general Santa Anna and Texans Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Davy Crockett. The song champions the Texans' efforts against Mexico to establish an independent republic.
Tex Ritter first released the song as the b-side of "Gunsmoke" in 1955. Ritter's recording was used in the film "Down Liberty Road" the following year. While the song was never a hit single and did not initially make a big impact on the folk community, it has since been covered by many important folk and country artists.
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[edit] Covers
[edit] The Kingston Trio's recording
The Kingston Trio met Jane Bowers while playing shows in Austin, Texas in the late 1950's. They went on to record several of her songs, including "Remember the Alamo". The song was released with slightly different lyrics on their 1959 album The Kingston Trio at Large, which subsequently reached #1 on the Billboard pop album charts in the United States.
[edit] Johnny Cash's recording
In the early 1960s Johnny Cash recorded "Remember the Alamo" with Tex Ritter's original lyrics. He also utilized different instrumentation from the Kingston Trio's version by adding a military drumbeat and lush backing vocals. The song was included on his 1963 compilation Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash which also reached #1 in the United States.
[edit] Donovan's recording
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan recorded "Remember the Alamo" with a mix of both Kingston Trio revised lyrics and Tex Ritter's original lyrics in early 1965 for inclusion on his debut album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid. Although he had never visited the United States, Donovan was deeply interested in the American folk tradition. He stripped away all backing vocals, military drumbeats and militant guitar strumming and simply sang the song with an acoustic guitar as accompaniment.
| "Remember the Alamo" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Donovan | ||
| from the album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid | ||
| Released | April 1966 (UK) | |
| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | 1965 | |
| Genre | folk | |
| Length | 3:04 (Side A) 3:18 (Side B) |
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| Label | Pye Records | |
| Producer(s) | Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden, Geoff Stephens | |
| Donovan singles chronology | ||
| "Josie" (1966) |
"Remember the Alamo" (1966) |
"Sunshine Superman" (1966) |
In early 1966, Donovan was still suffering from the legal battles between his original record label Pye Records and his new label Epic Records. During the dispute, Pye Records released "Josie" without Donovan's approval and the single failed to chart. Not long after, Pye Records culled "Remember the Alamo" from What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid and prepared it for single release in the United Kingdom. The song was backed with "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" and released in April 1966 (Pye 7N 17088). The single was quickly withdrawn from the market not long after its release, ostensibly due to the ongoing contractual battles, and never charted.
