Red River Dave

Aliases: ''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra
Red River Dave with Orchestra
Real name: David Largus McEnery
Born: December 15, 1914
Died: January 15, 2002
Country: United States
IPI: 00018905087 3 works
Affiliation: ASCAP
Comments: Country music singer, prolific songwriter and guitarist from San Antonio, Texas.
As a songwriter Red River Dave was best known for "event" songs, written in response to the headlines of the day. He found inspiration in stories as diverse and unlikely as the murder of Sharon Tate ("The California Hippy Murders"), the kidnapping of Patty Hearst ("The Ballad of Patty Hearst") and America's most notorious nuclear accident ("The Ballad of Three-Mile Island").
Related: Alberta McEnery Spouse

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Originals

		Title	Performer	Release date	Covered by
		Amelia Earhart's Last Flight	Red River Dave with Orchestra	October 1944	(11 artists)

Covers by Red River Dave

Title	Performer	Release date	Originally by
Altoona Freight Wreck	Red River Dave - Frank Novak and The Sourwood Mountain Boys	May 1944	Vernon Dalhart
Cigarettes, Whuskey, and Wild, Wild Women	Red River Dave and The Texas Tophands	June 1948	Sons of the Pioneers
Cool Water	Red River Dave with Sula's Texas Rangers	December 1945	Bob Atcher
Daddy and Home	Red River Dave	August 1940	Jimmie Rodgers [US1]
Empty Saddles	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees
Fiesta in San Antonio	Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands	1946	Texas Top Hands
Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye	Red River Dave	June 25, 1940	Gene Autry
Her Name Was Rosita	Red River Dave	June 1940	Jan Savitt and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Allan De Witt
Home on the Range	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Vernon Dalhart
I'll Be All Sunshine Tonight	Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands	June 1946	Luther B. Clarke accomp. by Blue Ridge Highballers
My Old Pal	Red River Dave	August 1940	Jimmie Rodgers [US1]
Ole Faithful	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	The Hill Billies [GB]
Put Me in Your Pocket	Red River Dave	March 1945	W. Lee O'Daniel and His Light Crust Doughboys
Red River Valley	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Carl T. Sprague
San Antonio Rose	Red River Dave with Sula's Texas Rangers	December 1945	Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Vocal by Tommy Duncan with Orchestra
Shame on You	Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands	June 1946	Spade Cooley and His Orchestra
She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain	Red River Dave - Frank Novak and The Sourwood Mountain Boys	May 1944	(unknown), Henry Whitter
She'll Be There (What a Friend We Have in Mother)	Red River Dave with Sula's Texas Rangers	December 1945	J.J. Fisher, Dixie Reelers
Sierra Sue	Red River Dave	June 1940	(unknown)
Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Cliff Weston
Teardrops in My Heart	Red River Dave and The Texas Tophands	June 1948	Sons of the Pioneers
The Convict and the Rose	Red River Dave - Frank Novak and The Sourwood Mountain Boys	May 1944	Vernon Dalhart
The Death of Floyd Collins	Red River Dave - Frank Novak and The Sourwood Mountain Boys	May 1944	Fiddlin' John Carson
The Last Round-Up	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	George Olsen and His Music
There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving #2 - The Ballad of Francis Powers	Red River Dave	May 1960	Elton Britt Covered by Tommy Dee
Twenty-One Years	Red River Dave - Frank Novak and The Sourwood Mountain Boys	May 1944	Miller & Burnett
When It's Springtime in the Rockies	Red River Dave	June 1940	Bud and Joe Billings (Carson Robison, Frank Luther)
Would You Care	Red River Dave	June 25, 1940	Irving Gillette (Henry Burr)

Songs written by Red River Dave

Original songs

Title	Written by	Originally by	Original date	Covered by
Amelia Earhart's Last Flight	Red River Dave	Red River Dave with Orchestra	1944	Covered by (11 artists)
Fiesta in Old San Antone	Red River Dave	Texas Top Hands	April 19, 1946	Covered by Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands
Hitler Lives	Red River Dave, Bill Crouch	Rosalie Allen and The Black River Riders	1947	Covered by (3 artists)
I Won't Care (A Hundred Years from Now)	Red River Dave	Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes	June 18, 1940	Covered by (8 artists)

Adapted songs

Title	Written by	Originals	Originally by	Covered by
There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving #2 - The Ballad of Francis Powers	Red River Dave	There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere	Red River Dave	Covered by Tommy Dee

Releases

Singles

Title	Performer	Release date	Label
Cool Water	Red River Dave with Sula's Texas Rangers	December 1945	Continental [US-NY]
Daddy and Home	Red River Dave	August 1940	Decca
Empty Saddles	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Sonora [US]
Fiesta in San Antonio	Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands	1946	Continental [US-NY]
Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye	Red River Dave	June 25, 1940	Decca
Is the Range Still the Same Back Home	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Sonora [US]
Ole Faithful	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Sonora [US]
Put Me in Your Pocket	Red River Dave	March 1945	Continental [US-NY]
Shame on You	Red River Dave with The Texas Tophands	June 1946	Continental [US-NY]
She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain	Red River Dave	May 1944	Musicraft [US1]
Sierra Sue	Red River Dave	June 1940	Decca
Teardrops in My Heart	Red River Dave and The Texas Tophands	June 1948	Continental [US-NY]
The Last Round-Up	''Red River Dave'' and Orchestra	August 1944	Sonora [US]
There Ain't a Town in Texas	Red River Dave with Sula's Texas Rangers	December 1945	Continental [US-NY]
There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving #2 - The Ballad of Francis Powers	Red River Dave	May 1960	Savoy Records
Time Will Tell the Story	Red River Dave with Orchestra	October 1944	Continental [US-NY]
When It's Springtime in the Rockies	Red River Dave	June 1940	Decca