"Bonanza" is the musical theme for the NBC western television series ''
Bonanza'' starring
Lorne Greene
Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...
.
It was written for the series by
Jay Livingston and Raymond Evans.
In 1961, it became a hit for
Al Caiola and His Orchestra, whose instrumental recording (
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...
302, backed with "Bounty Hunter") reached number 19 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Johnny Cash version
Johnny Cash recorded an own version, with lyrics rewritten by him and his friend
Johnny Western
Johnny Western (born October 28, 1934) is an American country singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and radio show host. He is a member of the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.
Early life
Jo ...
,
and released it as a
single on
Columbia Records (Columbia 4-42512, "Bonanza!" with "
Pick a Bale o' Cotton" on the opposite side)
in July
or August 1962.
The ''
Billboard'' magazine evaluated the single upon its release as having a "moderate sales potential",
but "Bonanza" only grazed the
Hot 100 and entirely missed the ''Billboard'' country chart,
while "Pick a Bale o' Cotton" didn't make either.
Background
Track listing
Charts
Al Caiola and His Orchestra version
Johnny Cash version
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonanza
Johnny Cash songs
1961 singles
1962 singles
Songs with music by Jay Livingston
Columbia Records singles
1961 songs
Songs with lyrics by Ray Evans
Song recordings produced by Don Law
Bonanza