Three On The Trail (album)

*This is about the album. You might be looking for the song of the same name.*

**Three On The Trail** was the debut album of Western band Riders In The Sky, released by Rounder Records in 1980.

## Track List

1. *Three On The Trail*
2. *Ghost Riders In The Sky*
3. *That's How The Yodel Was Born*
4. *Don't Fence Me In*
5. *Blue Montana Skies*
6. *When Payday Rolls Around*
7. *Cowboy Song*
8. *Skyball Paint*
9. *Blue Bonnet Lady*
10. *Cielito Lindo*
11. *Here Comes The Santa Fe*
12. *So Long, Saddle Pals*

## Credits

### Riders In The Sky

* Ranger Doug (Douglas B. Green) - Vocals, guitar
* Too Slim (Fred LaBour) - Vocals, bunkhouse bass
* Woody Paul (Paul Chrisman) - Vocals, fiddle, banjo

### Additional Musicians

* Eddie Bayers - Percussion
* Paul Worley - Guitar
* Weldon Myrick - Steel guitar
* John Probst - Accordion
* Dennis Burnside - Vibes

### Studio

* Russ Miller - Producer
* Paul Worley - Associate Producer
* Marshall Morgan - Engineer

## Liner Notes

*I will try to say this in as few words as I possibly can, or I could be here into next week. Think that most of you already know that I retired from music performing over thirty years ago, but I have kept my ear to ground ever since, listening for that spark that could ignite sound into sound, life into life, music into music, and the love and the joy of giving into the giving, for these are the components of greatness.*

*They are handed out here in generous portions by Riders In The Sky, who do it with such verve and vigor and daring that it just reaches out and grabs the listener in no uncertain terms, and there is a talent shared by only a very few in the world today.*

*I was going to take each man separately and explore their individual virtues and talents - and they are all loaded with it - but when you take that talent and combine it you do not have three individuals, you have a team of formidable potential.*

*And what a joy to listen to! As I was listening to this album I was keenly aware that they were tracking down special harmonies for special passages in the songs just to get that special sound for the listener. And the determination it takes to master the complexities of three part yodeling - I wonder how many of you could guess the amount of work and constant practicing it takes to perfect that! For Riders In The Sky to have put that much effort and devotion into what they are doing, there is but one conclusion: they're going to keep getting better and better.*

*And so I salute them and wish them all the success in the world, for they deserve it.*

*And for the first time in thirty years, I am feeling enthusiasm all over again just standing on the sidelines- watching it happen.*

- Bob Nolan

## 1991 Reissue Description

*The American West has always captured our imagination, harking back to a purer, simpler time where cowboys rode the prairie frontier, with its wide open spaces and campfire starry skies. Riders In The Sky recalls and reprises those long-gone days here with* Three On The Trail*, their first album cowboy standards and originals in the style of great Western classics. Acoustic guitar, string bass, fiddle, haunting three-part harmony, and impeccable yodeling will send you back in time.*

## Recording Dates

*Titles marked with an asterisk did not make it to the final release*

* November 26th, 1979 (Audio-Media Studios; Nashville, TN)
	+ *Skyball Paint*
	+ *Three On The Trail*
	+ *Ghost Riders In The Sky*
* December 3rd, 1979 (Audio-Media Studios; Nashville, TN)
	+ *Blue Montana Skies*
	+ *Riding Alone*\*
* December 5th, 1979 (Audio-Media Studios; Nashville, TN)
	+ *Cielito Lindo*
	+ *Don't Fence Me In*
	+ *When Payday Rolls Around*
	+ *So Long, Saddle Pals*
	+ *That's How The Yodel Was Born*
	+ *Cowboy Song*
	+ *Blue Bonnet Lady*
	+ *Here Comes The Santa Fe*