Down Yonder

"Down Yonder" is a popular song with words and music by L. Wolfe Gilbert. It was first published in 1921. It was introduced in 1921 at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans.^[1]

Gilbert had written the lyrics for the 1912 song "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" (for which Lewis F. Muir wrote the music). In "Down Yonder," Gilbert brought back four of the characters from the earlier song — Daddy, Mammy, Ephram and Sammy. However, the lyrics of "Down Yonder" are seldom heard because the song has usually been performed as an instrumental, especially on the piano or organ.

"Down yonder" is an expression meaning "down there", referring to a place that is considerably lower in elevation or farther south.^[2] In the sense of the song's lyrics, it means "in the American South."

Versions

Before 1951

• 1934: Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers, whose instrumental version sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.^[3]

1951

Versions which charted in 1951 included those by Del Wood, by Joe ´Fingers´ Carr, by Champ Butler, by Lawrence (Piano Roll) Cook, by the Freddy Martin orchestra, by the Frank Petty Trio, and by Ethel Smith.

The recording by Del Wood was released by Tennessee Records as catalog number 775. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on August 24, 1951 and lasted 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4.^[4]

• The recording by Joe ´Fingers´ Carr was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1777. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on October 12, 1951 and lasted 17 weeks on the chart, peaking at #14.^[4]

• The recording by Champ Butler was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39533. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on September 21, 1951 and lasted 16 weeks on the chart, peaking at #18.^[4]

• The recording by Lawrence (Piano Roll) Cook was released by Abbey Records as catalog number 15053. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on September 21, 1951 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #23.^[4]

• The recording by the Freddy Martin orchestra was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4267. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on October 12, 1951 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #24.^[4]

• The recording by the Frank Petty Trio was released by MGM Records as catalog number 11057. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on November 9, 1951 and lasted 1 weeks on the chart, peaking at #26.^[4]

• The recording by Ethel Smith was released by King Records as catalog number 986. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard Juke Box chart on October 27, 1951.^[5]

On the Cash Box charts, where all versions were combined, naturally the song got even higher, making #1 on one week, December 15, 1951.^[6]

After 1951

• 1960: An instrumental version by Johnny and The Hurricanes and released on Bigtop Records as catalog number 45-3036, backed with "Sheba". The record charted 48 on Billboard and number 81 in the UK.
• 1973: Bill Monroe & Friends, on Bill Monroe's Brown County Jamboree
• 1975: Willie Nelson's sister Bobbie, on the piano, for his album The Red-Headed Stranger.
• 1975, 1989: Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys.

References

1. ↑ Shaw, Arnold (1987). The Jazz Age: Popular Music in the 1920's. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 113. ISBN 0195038916. 
2. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yonder
3. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 0-214-20512-6. 
4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research. 
5. ↑ "Most Played Juke Box Records" (PDF). Billboard. 63 (43): 38. October 27, 1951. Retrieved December 11, 2016. 
6. ↑ "Top Singles". Cash Box. December 15, 1951. 

Bibliography

• Shaw, Arnold (1987). The Jazz Age: Popular Music in the 1920's. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195038916.