''Into the Purple Valley'' is the second studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

musician

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, a ...

, released in 1972. The album's front cover is listed at number 12 on ''Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Album Covers. It shows Cooder and his then wife, Susan Titelman, in a

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

convertible at the Warner Bros. film lot in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...

Critical reception

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' wrote that the album "reached deep into tradition, unearthing neglected treasures from America’s past and reshaping them for the post-Woodstock generation."

Track listing

Side One #"How Can You Keep On Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)" ( Agnes "Sis" Cunningham) – 2:25 #"Billy the Kid" (Traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder) – 3:45 #" Money Honey" (

Jesse Stone Jesse Albert Stone (November 16, 1901 – April 1, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. His best-know ...

) – 3:28 #" FDR in Trinidad" (Fitz McLean) – 3:01 #"Teardrops Will Fall" (Gerry "Dickey Doo" Granahan, Marion Smith) – 3:03 #"

Denomination Blues "Denomination Blues" is a gospel blues song composed by Washington Phillips (18801954), and recorded by him (vocals and zither) in 1927. In 1938, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (191573) recorded a gospel version of the song under the title "That's All". ...

" ( George Washington Phillips) – 3:58 Side Two #" On a Monday" (

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk sta ...

) – 2:52 #" Hey Porter" (

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

) – 4:34 #"Great Dream from Heaven" (instrumental) ( Joseph Spence) – 1:53 #"Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" (Traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder) – 3:52 #"

Vigilante Man "Vigilante Man" is a song by Woody Guthrie, recorded and released in 1940 as one of his ''Dust Bowl Ballads''. The song is about the hired thugs ("vigilantes") who would violently chase away migrants to California trying to escape the Dust Bowl, a ...

" (

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...

) – 4:15 (Note: "Billy the Kid" was actually composed by Woody Guthrie, and "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" by

Fiddlin' John Carson "Fiddlin'" John Carson (March 23, 1868 – December 11, 1949) was an American old-time fiddler and singer who recorded what is widely considered to be the first country music song featuring vocals and lyrics. Early life Carson was born near M ...

Personnel

*Ry Cooder – guitars, mandolin, vocals *

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

– keyboards * Gloria Jones – vocals * Claudia Lennear – vocals * George Bohanon – horns *John Craviotto – drums *Joe Lane Davis – horns * Jim Dickinson – piano * Chris Ethridge – bass *

Milt Holland Milton Holland (born Milton Olshansky; February 7, 1917 – November 4, 2005) was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percus ...

– percussion *

Jerry Jumonville Jerome Noel Jumonville (December 5, 1941 – December 7, 2019), better known as Jerry Jumonville, was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He began playing the saxophone as teenager. Jumonv ...

– saxophone *

Fritz Richmond John B. "Fritz" Richmond (July 10, 1939 – November 20, 2005) was an American musician and recording engineer. Richmond was a washtub bassist and was also a professional jug player. Richmond, born in Newton, Massachusetts on July 10, 1939, was ...

– washtub bass *Donna Washburn – vocals *

Donna Weiss Donna Terry Weiss is an American singer and songwriter. She won a Grammy Award in 1982 for co-writing "Bette Davis Eyes" (1974) with Jackie DeShannon. Songwriter/composer credits * "Bette Davis Eyes" (1974) with Jackie DeShannon - In 1982, Weis ...

– vocals *Ike Williams – horns ;Technical *Mike Salisbury - cover design *Marty Evans - cover photography

Billboard charts

References

1972 albums Ry Cooder albums Albums produced by Lenny Waronker Albums produced by Jim Dickinson Reprise Records albums {{1970s-rock-album-stub