Cowboys and Indians

Cowboys and Indians (1964) presents a turning point in the New Christy Minstrels saga. After less than three years, the extended aggregate had already undergone six respective personnel shifts, with another on the way. By early 1964, co-founder Randy Sparks was out amid controversy that he essentially sold the New Christy Minstrels' name to his two business partners, splitting without even consulting his bandmates. While the new "owners" of the Minstrels sustained the combo in the same way as Sparks had done, the influence and infusion of electric folk or folk-rock was obvious. However, the dozen entries on Cowboys and Indians (1964) didn't close the gap between traditional folk and the new breed of pop acts such as the Byrds, or at least as much as they would on their subsequent long-players. Rather, the two surviving New Christy Minstrels, Nick Woods and Art Podell, chose to focus on melodies and arrangements harking back to the sound of America's deep-rooted pioneering spirit. Woods also enlisted the team of Vivian Holtzman and Scott Holtzman, who quickly supplied the Christys with an update of the standard "Ida Red" and the amusing novelty "They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around." The latter especially played well in personal appearances thanks to the keen comedic timing of Clarence Treat. More conventional are the lilting Paul Potash-sung "Red River Shore" from the songbook of Alan Lomax and the Sydney Robin-penned old west musical fable "Ambush at Teton Pass." Perhaps the most interesting non-band tune is the lighthearted Burt Bacharach co-composition "Three Wheels on My Wagon" providing a bit of frivolity against the hauntingly and moody "Lily Langtry" or the Native American ode "Navajo."