GHOST RIDERS

 Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

Photo (c) and Property of Doris McCraw

Halloween = Ghosts, Goblins, and all things scary. Since I love music, comics, and history who knows where this post will end up.

History: Let's start with the 'Wild Hunt'. Wild Hunt is a folklore tail, popularised by Jacob Grimm, who coined the term 'Wild Hunt', which is a part of many northern European cultures. The story typically involves a chase led by a mythologic,  historic, or biblical figure. This leader is usually followed by a ghost or supernatural band of hunters. The hunters were usually composed of the souls of the dead, possibly ghost dogs, or in some cases depending on the composition of the believers could've been fairies, valkyries, or even elves.

In those cultures seeing the Wild Hunt was usually thought to presage some catastrophic event such as a war, a plague, or possibly the death of the person who witnessed it. For some people there was the belief that if you encountered the hunt you could be abducted and taken to the underworld or a fairy kingdom or your spirit was pulled away while you were sleeping to join the hunters behind the leader.

Comics: 'Ghost Rider'. Anyone who has read comic books has probably heard of Ghost Rider. This comic debuted in 1967 and was put out by the Marvel Comics Group. The original comic was actually a Western with the title character named Carter Slade. This particular series with Slade as the rider only lasted seven issues.

The next time we see Ghost Rider the title character had the name, Johnny Blaze. This character rode a motorcycle. Some of you may remember the movie of the same name that starred Nicholas Cage.

I believe the original seven Ghost Rider comic stories may have been renamed Phantom Rider, but I can't verify that.

And this brings us to the music part of the post.

Music: The song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" was written in 1948 by songwriter and actor Stan Jones. This song has been recorded by numerous singers, including Jones. According to Wikipedia, Jones claims that he was told the story,  at the age of twelve, of ghost riders by a Native American who was living near his hometown of Douglas, Arizona. The story was that when the soul left the physical body it resided in the sky as a spirit. To Jones, the cloudy shapes that he saw when he looked up in the sky resembled the "Ghost Riders".

The song reached number one on Billboard magazine's chart as recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1949. It also made the charts when sung by, The Outlaws, Bing Crosby, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, two different versions by Burl Ives, Marty Robbins, The Ramrods, and Johnny Cash. Even Lawrence Welk recorded the song. 

Western Writers of America chose it in 2010 as the Greatest Western Song of all time.

Peggy Lee Version

Stan Jones Version?

Vaughn Monroe

Latest Version

So as the season progresses you can always take a trip down the rabbit hole that is YouTube and listen to all the versions of this song you can find.  Have a wonderful October.

For those who wonder what I've been up to, I've released two non-fiction works under the name Doris McCraw:

"Under the Stone: EarlyWomen Doctors in Evergreen Cemetery" and "52 Haiku: Reflections From Life in Colorado"

Amazon

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Doris McCraw

How the West Was Fun

 By Alison Bruce

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I'm not sure where that puts parody, but you can't effectively poke fun at something unless you know it well and the best parody artists know and love their sources.

One of my favourite comic westerns is Blazing Saddles. In true Mel Brooks fashion, it goes over the top in poking fun at the western genre... and a few others in the process.

Blazing Saddles also tops the list of the top twenty western comedies compiled by Most Wanted Western Movies (rated by YouTube hits). With one exception, their top five match mine. (I haven't seen Destry Rides Again yet)

1. Blazing Saddles – (1974)
Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman in one movie. That's a hat trick for me.

2. Support Your Local Sheriff – (1969)
 This was one of those movies my father could watch over and over. Every time he did, I'd stop what I was doing and watch it with him.

3. Destry Rides Again -(1939)
 I haven't seen it, but I took a look at the summary and it bears a passing resemblance to the plot of Blazing Saddles... which means Mel Brooks "borrowed" it. (As he borrowed the Bugs Bunny-style voice from Mel Blanc.)

4. Cat Ballou -(1965)
This one might tie for second place on my list. I love Lee Marvin as the drunken gunfighter. Another Lee Marvin movie made the list: Paint Your Wagon. I only saw it once, decades ago but I still remember the theme song.

5. Maverick – (1994)
 I used to watch the original series with my father. He loved James Garner - which is why one of his other favourite shows was Rockford Files. He wasn't that crazy about the movie but I thought it did justice to the cleverness and fun of the old show.

Comic strips, movies, TV shows... Does anyone remember F-Troop? And then there's the cat herding commercial. Gotta love it.

Wit, Wisdom and Chuckles

Wit and Wisdom from Will Rogers, Red Green and other Suspect Sources

By Alison Bruce

"If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there." Will Rogers

Will Rogers was a rancher, a roper, star of wild west shows, vaudeville, movies and radio. He wrote six books and thousands of columns and was particularly famous for his plain-speaking observations about American politics.

 "On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does." Will Rogers

Despite having been born in the nineteen century and dying before the world-changing second world war, Will Rogers' humor has stood the test of time.

"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?" Will Rogers

In a thoroughly Canadian way, Red Green might be considered Will Rogers' successor... if you're willing to stretch the definition of successor a bit.

"Be really nice to your friends and family. You never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan." - Red Green

Created by comedian Steve Smith, Red Green is a source of wit, wisdom and what not to do with power tools. With duct tape, on the other hand, he's a pro and the official face of 3M Scotch Duct Tape.

 "You need only two tools.  If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.  If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape."

Red Green doesn't belong in the old west, of course. But, just as Will Rogers' advice can be taken forward, some of Red's can be taken back.

"When you make a mistake, make amends immediately.  It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm."
"Never Interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
"Never pass up an opportunity to pee."
Red Green

Take the fishing cap and put a stetson on him and Red would fit in. In fact, there's a lot of us who could or would fit ourselves to the cowboy mold given the chance. Least ways, that's what my children keep telling me.

Strange Brew 8Feb2012