Song:Big Rock Candy Mountain
Album:Lavender Blue: Songs of Charm, Humor and Sincerity
Burl Ives had a long career as a folksinger and actor. But I guess he is mostly remembered today for children's music. And I guess that comes from those Rankin-Bass TV specials he did in the 60s. But he recorded children's music since the 40s. Big Rock Candy Mountain was recorded in 1945. He was born June 14, 1909 in Hunt City, IL. He sang as a child and played football in college. After dropping out of college, he traveled the US as an itinerant singer. After appearing on a Terre Haute radio station, Ives returned to school including Juilliard in New York. He made his Broadway debut in the 1938 show The Boys From Syracuse. Eddie Albert was also in that show and when it closed, they moved to Los Angeles. Ives started his radio show The Wayfaring Stranger in 1940. And it was through that show he would popularize his signature songs like Blue Tail Fly and Big Rock Candy Mountain. Big Rock Candy Mountain was written by real life hobo Harry McClintock. Ives cleaned up the lyrics so it would be appropriate for children. He first recorded that and Blue Tail Fly for Decca Records in 1945. Ives scored a hit when he later recorded Blue Tail Fly with The Andrews Sisters. Both songs would later appear on the 1949 album A Collection of Ballads, Folk and Country Songs Vol. 3. The producer and arranger was Elie Siegmeister who usually worked with symphony orchestras on the radio. Big Rock Candy Mountain never charted but it was popular in the children's music market. And today it is considered to be one of Ives' signature songs. This comp from Jasmine covers Ives' Decca recordings. After his HUAC testimony, Ives moved to Hollywood and won an Oscar for the 1958 film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He scored a country hit in 1961 with A Little Bitty Tear. Then he did those Rankin-Bass TV specials. And those are what most remember Ives for today. Ives continued to appear on TV until his 1989 retirement. He died of cancer on Apr. 14, 1995 at age 85. Ives was a heavy smoker. Here's a video of Big Rock Candy Mountain by Burl Ives.
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