Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers - On the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe

[ScotsmanRex]

So Bing ripped this guy off maybe?

[TasteTheRainbowMan]

@ScotsmanRex

Mercer wrote it, but Bing sung it as well. In fact, a whole lot of people have sung it. Back in those days, a lot of musicians sung the same songs and no one would get sued for copy-write infringement or any of that nonsense.

[1992kailash]

one part of this song was used in Tom and Jerry!

[IWPayu]

@1992kailash @1992kailash The piano cover. However, there is nowhere to be found. It was made for those particularly few seconds of the episode.

[CentralPark2camere]

Do you hear that whistle down the line I figure that its Engine Number 49 Shes the only one thatll sound that way On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe See the old smoke rising round the bend I reckon that she knows shes gonna meet a friend Folks around these parts set the time of day From the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe Here she comes whoo oo oo oo Hey Jim, you better get the rig whoo oo oo oo Shes got a list of passengers thats pretty big And theyll all want a lift to Browns Hotel

[mjcamck]

Posting appreciated. I used to ride this very train just about every Summer when in grade school, along with my siblings. We'd ride from Aurora, Illinois to Atchison, Kansas where my father's family lived. Later in life, I married a "trainiac." So, we take trains even when planes would be faster.  Happy Railing ALL!

[Bellairs120466]

Here from Tom and Jerry.

[sz05ry]

Köszönöm a feltöltést <:o)

[mkl62]

To all you pro wrestling fans out there (like myself): This was the #1 song in the USA when Vince K. McMahon came into the world (August 24, 1945).

[soundwave000]

what a great old piece of americana!! Thanks for preserving this history!!!!!

[LenMacHarStaBEAT]

YES!!!!!!!!!!

[nylonbird]

I'm from Georgia and go to school in Athison! this awesome!!!

[StLennyBruce]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!

[mjcamck71]

Hello. I'm married to a "trainiac" and just bought an original record of this for his "rail fan" collection. Like the old commercial said, "there's something about a train" which have universal and limitless appeal. Best Wishes and "Happy Railing" to all. PS - Amtrak ridership has been UP for 16 straight months (April, 2011).

[hankgurtz]

Heard this on xm radio, ch 4 music 40-50's. Glad I could find it on UTube. 84 yrs old and love music of my generation!

[Wolfsky9]

This is the music of my Parents generation--it makes me wistful & sad, knowing how long they've been gone. But ohhh, the music will never die. & their oldest Son loves it just as they did. Wolfsky9, 64 y/o now.

[Grimhilde7]

classic song,and a classic train too....i always liked the Santa Fe diesel in that "War bonnet" scheme! their crack express service was known nationwide as The Super Chief,one of America,s most famous trains of all time.

[exjazzbassbaz]

johnny mercer the king thanks from england

[enmccray]

Love Johnny Mercer and definitely love this song!

[DeeAndDee]

I never knew he recorded this piece, just thought he wrote it. This is now my favorite version as he puts emphasis where it should be. Many thanks for posting this.

[TheAngerla]

DAMN THAT IS A GOOD SONG (:-))

[alextemplemusic]

I can't stop listening to this song.

[AJNorth]

An American original. Our Huckleberry Friend was one of the finest songwriters of the twentieth century. Co-founder of Capitol Records and a truly decent human being, with his smoke-hued voice that fit his material perfectly, Johnny Mercer made the world a little better place with his musical gifts and humanity. As fine as the great production number from "The Harvey Girls" (1946) is, this version of "On the A,T & SF" is my "desert island" choice. What a great treat to find it here!

[tearmann]

@AJNorth couldn't agree with you more! mercer is one of the best american songwriters of that golden era. the era has passed, sadly. but his music lives on forever. and thanks to kitty, we can all experience it as if it were new.

[AJNorth]

@tearmann Thanks, tearmann. Others who covered this song include Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey and Judy Garland and the Merry Macs (studio recording).

This recording by Mercer with Jo Stafford, the Pied Pipers and Paul Weston & His Orchestra was made in New York City on 13 Dec, 1944, and released by Capitol Records as catalog number 195. The record first reached the Billboard Magazine charts on 5 July, 1945, and remained there for 16 weeks, peaking at #1 and becoming the biggest hit version.

[greenbean477]

My great great grand father worked on this railroad in Colorado in the 1920's

[greenbean477]

My great great grand father worked on this railroad in Colorado in the 1920's

[damone77]

I don't know about you all but I love hearing Mercer sing his own lyrics in this case or both melody and lyrics on other good goodies! Ty for the post!

[nolarae1929]

nolarae1929 So it is Not John Denver Singing/Johnny Mercer's song,PIED PIPERS SINGING/! GOOD JOB.

[woody95124]

cute song lovely music

[ParadisePeat111]

THANKS !!!

[TrishBell55]

Can just picture the peeps way back in the day loving this one.

[henryhilla1]

I live in Topeka!!

[kurandatrain]

i hacve the 78 version of this song at the house here, use to play it all the time

[BurgerChefGuy]

Long Live the War Bonnet AT&SF!!!! 5*

[JakobM325]

@BurgerChefGuy  GO THE CHIEF WAY ! (Not the amtrak one the ORIGINAL #17 or #18 train form ATSF :))

[Gryszaq]

"I think that is engine number fourty-nine, she's the only one that sound that way..." charming :)

[serchfer87]

all on board!!

[KittyCatInAMicrowave]

Happy that you people like it.

[CSXtrackworker]

As an actual railroad man, this has to be the finest railroad song in my book!!

[Vincentdeep]

Thanks for posting Kitty, this is when music was special. Johnny Mercer had a really smooth voice. 5stars for sure!

[doublevtoo]

Man when the day gets on my nerves and my head is pounding there is just nothing like these tunes. See two comments down- and I was born twenty years after this was recorded. I worked radio for eight years and landed at a big band station for a while and worked for a guy that grew up with the music. My father used to play this stuff on an old Victrola when I was a kid too. I just love it.

[jamrobarm]

@Vincentdeep Isn't that Tex Beneke singing??

[MrCombat1965]

@jamrobarm It's Johnny Mercer. He and Beneke do sound alike.

[arlene1934corwin]

I'm doing a Tribute To Johnny Mercer program on November 14th, to celebrate Johnny's 100th birthday and introduce the Swedish people to his importance. This song and his version is the best there is.  So natural.

Arlene Corwin (Sweden)

[doublevtoo]

This song was huge in its day- recorded by everyone from Glenn Miller to Warner Brothers for Bugs Bunny cartoons. It was a hit for Hit maker Mercer and Tex Beneke (Pied Pipers) , Judy Garland and others. In one version Gene Krupa was the drummer. Garland was choreographed in a movie musical with it with the guy who played the scare crow in the Wizard of OZ, Great Big band number - and one of my favorites.

[madnavigator]

Because "Burlington Northern Santa Fe" isn't quite as musical.

[OldsVistaCruiser]

Here in the Amtrak era where no Class 1 freight railroad handles passenger traffic, Warren Buffett could bring back the song in an updated version for a BNSF commercial, as his company is about to buy that railroad:

We can take your freight all the way

On the Burlington Northern Santa Fe!

I didn't know you could take the AT&SF from Philadelphia - I thought you had to take the Pennsylvania Railroad to Chicago and then change to the Santa Fe.

[frankbinggene]

I love Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers.  I also like Judy Garland's version.

[laughoutloudtocomedy]

choo choo

[ricardo248]

yay :P