Denver Darling, WWII Motivational Album (1939 / 1945)

As a native Texan, I greatly enjoy old style cowboy music. So when I purchased a badly beaten Decca record by Denver Darling and His Texas Cowhands I was fully expecting standard country songs. Instead of country music, the album is a World War II motivation record sung in the old cowboy style. Since the album talks about fighting the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy), that should put it between 1939 and 1945.

Listing of Denver Darling Records

Side A is titled “The Little Brown Jug Goes Modern (Hank Keene), 6061 A. Absolutely fantastic song containing a complete historical record of all the WWII fronts. As you would expect from an album of this type, there is humor with a clear objective. Win the war.

Side B is titled “I’m A Pris’ner of War (On A Foreign Shore) (Ed. G. Nelson Harry Pense-Dick Sanford), 6061 B. This song is more melancholy. I can imagine having loved ones held captive during war time and playing this song for solace. Unfortunately it is in terrible shape. It is scratched and the grooves are just about played off of it as compared to the A side which is playable. I like to think that the excessive ware is from someone repeatedly playing it and taking comfort in the message.