San Antonio Rose

"San Antonio Rose" is a swing instrumental introduced in late 1938 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Quickly becoming the band's most popular number, Wills and band members devised lyrics, which were recorded on April 16, 1940,[3] and released on Okeh 5694 in August as "New San Antonio Rose". Despite having completed a lengthy Hillbilly/Folk chart run in 1939, which culminated at #1, it quickly rose to the top again, in early 1941.[5] It went on to become the band's theme song for the next forty years, reverting to its original title.

Not to be confused with San Antonio Rose (film) or San Antonio Rose (album).

"San Antonio Rose"
Single by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
B-side"The Convict And The Rose"
PublishedJune 5, 1940 (1940-06-05) by Irving Berlin, Inc.[1]
ReleasedApril 1939 (1939-04)[2]
RecordedNovember 28, 1938 (1938-11-28)[3]
StudioDallas, Texas
GenreWestern swing
Length2:35
LabelVocalion 04755
Songwriter(s)Bob Wills
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys singles chronology
"Whoa Babe"
(1939)		 "San Antonio Rose"
(1939)		 "Liza Pull Down the Shades"
(1939)
"New San Antonio Rose"
Single by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
B-side"Bob Wills' Special"
ReleasedAugust 1940 (1940-08)[4]
RecordedApril 16, 1940 (1940-04-16)[5]
StudioBurrus Sawmill Studio, Saginaw, Texas
GenreWestern swing
Length2:37
LabelOkeh 05694
Songwriter(s)Bob Wills
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys singles chronology
"Lone Star Rag"
(1940)		 "New San Antonio Rose"
(1940)		 "Time Changes Everything"
(1940)

The song is written in the first person with the "Rose of San Antone" being the singer's lost love. In 2010, the Western Writers of America ranked it at number 49 on its list of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[6]

Recordings

While it was also a successful hit for other Hillbilly artists, it also broke through to the pop charts, where Bing Crosby's version reached #7 on December 16, 1940.[7][8] Over a million copies were sold, for which he was awarded a gold disc.

The song was the third dominating hit by Wills in the Western Swing field over the last five years. "Spanish Two Step" was second to only Mexicali Rose in 1936, "Steel Guitar Rag" topped the 1937 chart, and this one finished in the top ten in 1939 and 1940. The Texas Playboys finished with thirteen Number one chart hits.[9]

The song, both the music and lyrics, reflects the Mexican influence Bob Wills found growing up in the Southwest.[10] Wills developed the melody of the original "San Antonio Rose" itself from a traditional tune, "Spanish Two Step", by playing the bridge in reverse.[11]

"New San Antonio Rose" ruffled the feathers of Southern country music moguls when Wills and the Playboys performed it with horns and a drum at the Grand Ole Opry on December 30, 1944.[12][13]

Film appearances

Cover versions

The song has been recorded by many artists in several genres.

Other uses

It lends its name to San Antonio Rose Palace in San Antonio, Texas, owned by George Strait.

Tish Hinojosa's "San Antonio Romeo", on her album Culture Swing, provides Rose's side of the story.

References
  1. Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1940). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1940 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 35 Pt 3 For the Year 1940. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  2. 78 Record: Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys - San Antonio Rose (1939), retrieved July 20, 2021
  3. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  4. 78 Record: Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys - New San Antonio Rose (1940), retrieved July 20, 2021
  5. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  6. Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010.
  7. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 2, side A.
  8. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 558. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  10. La Chapelle, Proud to Be an Okie, p. 94: "Influenced by his early exposure to Mexican fiddle practices, Bob Wills introduced a mariachi chorus into his signature 'New San Antonio Rose' performing it and a few Spanish-language songs to spillover crowds while in Los Angeles."
  11. McWhorter, Cowboy Fiddler, p. 60: "The Colonel [Art Sutherland] went back in the control room and the boys asked Bob what they were going to do. Bob [Wills] said, "I don't have any idea. I'm going to play the bridge of 'The Spanish Two-Step' backwards, and Leon [McAuliffe], when I get through, you do anything you want to do and let's get out of here'. The played it through for a time and the Colonel came running out of there with his eyes wide open, said, 'Bob, what do you call that tune?' Bob said, 'You know, we haven't named it. We were going to let you name it. This tune's especially for you and you can name it anything you want to.' He said, 'I'm going to call it 'San Antonio Rose'.'"
  12. Kienzle, Southwest Shuffle, p. 256: "'He [Uncle Dave Macon] about flipped his dipper,' Mountjoy explained. 'We were breaking' tradition and all that. He went by a couple of time mumblin' about 'God-damn young upstarts'; and 'What they doin' with those drums here?'"
  13. Kienzle, Southwest Shuffle, p. 257: "When Acuff finished the introduction, the Playboys snapped into 'New San Antonio Rose,' Montjoy's drums and Brashear's trumpet clearly visible to the audience. ... 'They couldn't get the people to quit applauding; they just kept on and on and on. They kept tryin' to quiet the crowd down, and they wouldn't quiet down.' That kind of response usually justifies an encore. But Wills had remorselessly flouted Opry tradition, first by the act of bringing a drummer, then by defying their request that Mountjoy stay concealed. ... There would be no encore. But no one forgot, either."

Bibliography
  • Boyd, Jean Ann. Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998. ISBN 0-292-70859-9
  • Dorman, Robert. It Happened in Oklahoma. Globe Pequot Press, 2006) . ISBN 0-7627-4000-0
  • Gioia, Ted "Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: New San Antonio Rose", Jazz.com, July 8, 2008
  • La Chapelle, Peter. Proud to Be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California. University of California Press, 2007. ISBN 0-520-24888-0
  • Kienzle, Rich. Southwest Shuffle: Pioneers of Honky Tonk, Western Swing, and Country Jazz. New York: Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0-415-94102-4
  • McWhorter, Frankie. Cowboy Fiddler in Bob Wills' Band. University of North Texas Press, 1997. ISBN 1-57441-025-3
  • Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Billboard Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8230-8291-1
  • Wolff, Kurt; Orla Duane. Country Music: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides, 2000. ISBN 1-85828-534-8
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