JULES VERNE ALLEN
Jules Verne Allen, billed as "The Singing Cowboy" (and later "The Original Singing Cowboy"), was one of the earliest authentic cowboy singers to record commercially. Having worked as a cowboy from childhood and participated in cattle drives before entering radio, he learned his songs through the oral tradition rather than from published collections. His recordings preserve an important part of the genuine cowboy repertoire and influenced the development of western music long before Hollywood popularized the genre.
HOME ON THE RANGE
Recorded April 24, 1928 — El Paso, Texas
Matrix: 42213-2 - Victor 21627
"Home on the Range" had already become one of the best-known cowboy songs by the time Allen recorded it in 1928. His version is notable for its direct, unembellished delivery and steady guitar accompaniment, reflecting the way the song was performed by working cowboys rather than as a polished stage piece. The restrained accompaniment allows both the melody and the traditional character of the song to remain at the forefront.
PUNCHIN' THE DOUGH
Recorded April 27, 1929 — Culver City, California
Matrix: BVE-50866-2 - Victor V-40263
“Punchin’ the Dough” gives the chuck-wagon cook his turn to answer the cowboys. Based on a poem by Henry Herbert Knibbs, the song humorously compares the cook’s work with the supposedly more heroic business of riding, roping and handling cattle. Allen was himself a former working cowboy, which gives this affectionate portrait of camp life an unusual authenticity.
LITTLE OLD SOD SHANTY
Recorded April 8, 1929 — Los Angeles, California
Matrix: BVE-50598-2 - Victor 23757
“Little Old Sod Shanty” is an old homesteader song rather than a cowboy ballad, describing with humor the rough conditions of life on a prairie claim. Sung to the tune of The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane, it predates the classic cowboy era and reflects the experience of settlers trying to establish a home on the western plains. Allen later included the song in his 1933 collection Cowboy Lore.
