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Pistol Packin' Mama
Composer: Al Dexter

Pistol Packin' Mama was performed by the Good Old Boys in February 1975 with Jerry Garcia sitting in on banjo.

The song was written by Al Dexter at the start of 1942. It was recorded by Al Dexter and his Troopers in March of that year and then by a number of other performers. The song immediately became popular with at least three versions (Al Dexter, Tex Ritter and Bing Crosby) reaching number one in the charts. It was the biggest selling song during the World War II years.

Pistol Packin' Mama also became a popular rock 'n' roll song in the late 50's and early '60's after being recorded by The Hurricanes, Gene Vincent and others.


Jerry Garcia

info Good Old Boys Live: Drink Up And Go Home, Good Old Boys, 2018

Al Dexter

no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Rosalita), Al Dexter & His Troopers, 1943
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Rosalita), Al Dexter & His Troopers, 1947
no info Song Of The Southwest (box set), Al Dexter & His Troopers, 1947
no info Song Of The Southwest (LP), Al Dexter & His Troopers, 1949
no info Pistol Packin' Mama / I Won't Be Number Two, Al Dexter, 1957
no info Pistol Packin' Mama (LP), Al Dexter, 1961
no info Sings And Plays His Greatest Hits (LP), Al Dexter, 1961
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Rosalita), Al Dexter, 1966
no info The Original Pistol Packin' Mama (LP), Al Dexter, 1968
no info Single (Rosalita / Pistol Packin' Mama), Al Dexter, 1972
info Columbia Country Classics, Vol. 1: Golden Age, Various Artists (Al Dexter), 1990
no info Pistol Packin' Mama (CD), Al Dexter, 1999
info Country: The American Tradition, Various Artists (Al Dexter), 1999
info Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century, Various Artists (Al Dexter), 1999
no info Pistol Packin' Mama (2CD), Al Dexter, 2001
no info High Price For Love (CD), Al Dexter, 2010

Other recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Old Glory Be A Wavin'), Tex Grande & His Range Riders, 1943?
no info Single (Hitler's Funeral / Pistol Packin' Mama), Don Baxter & His Orchestra, 1943?
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Vict'ry Polka), Bing Crosby And The Andrews Sisters, 1943
no info Single (My, My, Ain't That Something / Pistol Packin' Mama), Johnny Denis And His Novelty Swing Quartet, 1943?
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey), Tex Grande, 1944
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Paper Doll), Sid Peltyn & His Orchestra, 1944
no info Single (Don't Fence Me In / Pistol Packin' Mama), The Three Suns, 1944
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Redman Blues), Don Redman, 1944
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Wilberforce, Get Off That Horse), Freddie "Schnickelfritz" Fisher, 1944?
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Deacon Jones), The Pied Pipers, 1944?
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Blue Eyes), Bill Mooney And His Cactus Twisters, 1949
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / They Can't Make A Devil), Charlie Adams, 1955
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Poor Little Dancing Girl), The Hurricanes, 1955
no info Wicked Women, Jim Lowe, 1958
no info Cowboy Songs Of The West, Billy Arnold And His Rangers, 1958
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / The Saddest Eyes), Merl Lindsay, 1959
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Careless), Adolph Hofner & The Pearl Wranglers, 1959
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Have Another), Lou Monte With Orchestra And Chorus, 1959
no info Single (Pistol Packing Mama / Hey, Jo Baby), Jack Arnold & The Chalecos, 1959
no info Single (Anna-Annabelle / Pistol Packin' Mama), Gene Vincent, 1960
no info Single (Trouble In Mind / Pistol Packin' Mama), Marijohn And The Jacks, 1960
no info The Marshall Swings!!!, Jack Marshall, 1960
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / The Sun), The Del Vikings, 1960
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Darlin' Why?), The Knightsmen, 1961
no info Presents Original Country Sing-A-Long, Cliffie Stone, 1961
no info Meet Claude King, Claude King, 1962
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / You're My Girl (I've Got A Right To Love You)), The High Keys, 1963
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Tennessee Waltz), Lloyd Price, 1963
no info Misty, Lloyd Price, 1963
no info EP (Pistol Packin' Mama / Wear My Ring / Gonna Back Up Baby / If You Want My Lovin'), Gene Vincent, 1964
no info The Best Of, Gene Vincent, 1967
no info Don't Squeeze My Sharmon, Charlie Walker, 1967
info Supersnazz, The Flamin' Groovies, 1969
no info Bobby Smith & the Boys from Shiloh, Bobby Smith & the Boys from Shiloh, 1970
no info Single (Fly Little Blue Bird / Pistol Packin' Mama), The Goins Brothers, 1970
no info Bluegrass country, The Goins Brothers, 1971
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad), Mac Curtis, 1975
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Pistol Packin' Mama), Mac Curtis, 1975
no info All Time Favorites, Lloyd Price, 1975
no info Fast Flying Vestibule, Union Station, 1976
info Pistol Packin' Mama, The Good Old Boys, 1976
info For Dead Heads, Various Artists (Good Old Boys), 1976
no info Single (Abilene (live) / Pistol Packin' Mama), Sonny JAMES with his Tennessee State Prison Band, 1977
no info Sonny James In Prison, In Person, Sonny James, 1977
no info Single (Keep Doin' What You're Doin' Now / Pistol Packin' Mama), Mac Curtis, 1978
no info Best Loved Favorites, Boxcar Willie, 1979
no info Blues Stay Away From Me, Frank Wakefield, 1980
no info Thyme & Thyme Again, Wild Mountain Thyme, 1980
no info Texas Rockabilly Legend, Mac Curtis, 1981
no info Pistol Packin' Mama (LP), Hoyt Axton, 1982
no info The Singles Album, Gene Vincent, 1982
no info Single (Pistol Packin' Mama / Fearless The Wonder Dog), Hoyt Axton, 1982
no info Baby Blue, Gene Vincent, 1985
no info The Capitol Years '56-'63, Gene Vincent, 1987
no info Be Bop A Lula, Gene Vincent, 1987
no info Jimmmy C. Newman & Cajun Country , 1989
no info Complete Capitol And Columbia Recordings: 1956-1964, Gene Vincent, 1990
no info Cypress Room, The Country Rockers, 1991
no info Free Range Chicken, The Country Rockers, 1991
info She's No Angel, Frank Wakefield & Good Old Boys, 1992
no info More Than Climbing That Mountain: Wolverton Mountain, Claude King, 1992
no info The Illinois Cowboy, Denver Darling, 1992
no info Rebem Heart, Gene Vincent, 1993
no info We'll Carry On, The Goins Brothers, 1995
no info Rockin' Behind The Green Door, Jim Lowe, 1995
no info The Rollin' Rock & Rebel Singles Collection, Mac Curtis, 1995
no info Pistol Packin' Mama / Spin Of The Wheel (Twofer), Hoyt Axton, 1998
no info E.P. Collection, Volume 2, Gene Vincent, 1998
no info Adolph Hofner And The Pearl Wranglers, Adolph Hofner And The Pearl Wranglers, 1998
no info Pick Me Up On Your Way Down: Complete Decca, Columbia, Epic recordings, Charlie Walker, 1999
no info Shake My Hand, Snooky Pryor, 1999
no info Cattin' ARound, Charlie Adams, 2000
no info Hardrock Gunter, Hardrock Gunter, 2000
no info Blast From The Past, Gene Vincent, 2001
no info 200 Years Of Country Music / In Prison In Person, Sonny James, 2001
no info Live, Wild, Red Hot 'N' Rockin', The Wild Angels, 2002
no info Outlaws, Renegades and Rogues: Songs Of The Badman: 25 Classics, Various Artists (Bobby Smith & the Boys from Shiloh), 2004
info The Road Is Rocky: Complete Studio Masters 1956-1971, Gene Vincent, 2005
no info Classic: Recorded Live, July 28, 1987, Hot Rize with Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers, 2006
no info Standard Songs For Average People, John Prine & Mac Wiseman, 2007
no info Knock Galley West, Knock Galley West, 2009
no info Country Music, Willie Nelson, 2010
no info The WDON recordings, 1963, Frank Wakefield & Red Allen, 2014

 
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