Ken Curtis And The Sons Of Pioneers - What Makes A Man To Wander video free download


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Duration: 02:27
Uploaded: 2010/12/13

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ken Curtis joined the Sons of the Pioneers as a lead singer from 1949 to 1952. Now, for the seemingly ever increasing number of people who are saying, "who were they?", the Sons of the Pioneers were and are the foremost western vocal group in history. Ken's big hits with the group included "Room Full of Roses" and "Riders in the Sky". The Sons also worked in radio and on film soundtracks, including Rio Grande (1950), for director John Ford, who was a big fan.

The Searchers (1956) is considered by many to be a true American masterpiece of filmmaking, and the best, most influential, and perhaps most-admired film of director John Ford.

The opening credits (portrayed in a Playbill fontface) are displayed before a backdrop of an adobe brick wall. The words of the romantic Stan Jones ballad (sung by The Sons of the Pioneers) that play during the credits, What Makes a Man to Wander?, define the central theme of the film - one man's wanderings and obsessive search:

What makes a man to wander?

What makes a man to roam?

What makes a man leave bed and board

And turn his back on home?

Ride away, ride away, ride away.

The Searchers (Der schwarze Falke)tells the emotionally complex story of a perilous, hate-ridden quest and Homeric-style odyssey of self-discovery after a Comanche massacre, while also exploring the themes of racial prejudice and sexism. Its meandering tale examines the inner psychological turmoil of a fiercely independent, crusading man obsessed with revenge and hatred, who searches for his two nieces (Pippa Scott and Natalie Wood) among the "savages" over a five-year period. The film's major tagline echoed the search: "he had to find her...he had to find her."

John Wayne, the "Duke," had already played many major roles in numerous westerns in his career, including The Big Trail (1930), The Spoilers (1942), Howard Hawks' Red River (1948), and The Fighting Kentuckian (1949), and had appeared in five previous Ford westerns, including: Stagecoach (1939), 3 Godfathers (1948), Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950) -- and would appear in a few more, including: The Horse Soldiers (1959) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). In this film, his first anti-heroic role, he was a bigot and racist - a tragic, lonely, morally-ambiguous figure perenially doomed to be an outsider. It was a role that the actor often described as his favorite. It is commonly regarded as Wayne's finest-acted performance - and his ninth starring role in a Ford film. [Wayne's other Ford films, four non-westerns, included: The Long Voyage Home (1940), They Were Expendable (1945), The Quiet Man (1952), and The Wings of Eagles (1957).]

Comments

8 years ago

Geotexian

And he played Almaron Dickenson in John Wayne's "The Alamo". Dickenson was in charge of the artillery and his wife and child survived the battle.

9 years ago

Molly Denam

You might not think so if you see Ken Curtis as Festus, but he really was a very good looking man.

9 years ago

john Magill

Any chance I can talk you into emailing me a digital copy of this song?

9 years ago

john Magill

God I wish I could get a copy of this song. Been trying to get it for years.

9 years ago

Lamont Lewis

For all you Country & Western fans, THIS IS THE WESTERN PART! The singing cowboys were as much a part of my music as a youth as any R&R or R&B. Why? Because of the Sons of the Pioneers. I loved my singing cowboys. As a child, I used to wonder "Why doesn't Hoppy sing?" I guess not everybody could.

9 years ago

Ronnie Bishop

Ken Curtis, sang in the greatest western group of all time, was in the greatest western movie of all time, and greatest western TV show of all time. The Sons of the Pioneers, The Searchers, and Gunsmoke. Wow!!!

10 years ago

wdowsley

western!

10 years ago

John Mccourt

i,ll thank you to unhand my fiancee lol

10 years ago

balerick48

there is a much longer version of this song sung by them. It includes the verse that is played during the closing scene of "The Searchers".

11 years ago

Albert Mason

really good

11 years ago

Kenneth Riffel

My Dad-in-law loved the Sons of the Pioneers. We need more music like this...a lot more. Great job with the video.

11 years ago

GrizAnn Brewer

Beautiful song and perfect harmony.

11 years ago

virginialee allison

it's a great song and video. Love it : )

11 years ago

girlycajun

I'll never forget this song, nor Ken Curtis' acting in The Searchers. We need more calmness now.

11 years ago

Madi Dunigan

that is pretty good

12 years ago

rorkesdrift42

My bad. The song "Yellow Stripes" is apparently all chorus, no solo.

12 years ago

rorkesdrift42

Didn't Curtis, who was Ford's son-in-law eventually, sing the lead on Yellow Stripes, which was in both Rio Grande and Escape from Fort Bravo? The latter is one of my favorite William Holden movies. Also, did Stan Jones write "Yellow Stripes"?

12 years ago

jpavlvs

What's the chord progression?

12 years ago

fatjud1

The name of this song is The Searchers by The Sons of the Pioneers, it's a fantastic song.

12 years ago

Terrence Gurnee

@breton135 1956

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