Threaded Thursday: Pee Wee’s Pile of Hits

Picking up the thread from yesterday’s You Belong to Me, let’s spin a few more gems from the songwriting partnership of Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart — a duo who, almost accidentally, helped shape the sound of postwar American pop.

Waltz Whirls, Wanders & Wallops the World

We start in December 1947, when Pee Wee and his Golden West Cowboys cut Tennessee Waltz for RCA Victor, with Redd Stewart handling the vocal:

Released in early 1948, it became a solid country hit.

But here’s the twist: although Pee Wee’s version was the first released, it wasn’t the first recorded. That honor goes to Cowboy Copas, who laid down his King-label version earlier in 1947:

Both versions found an audience — but the song’s real explosion came a few years later.

Things take a fascinating turn in October 1950, when bandleader Erskine Hawkins recorded a version for Coral with vocalist Ace Harris:

It's surprisingly faithful to the waltz feel of the original. Quite lovely!

That was the record that apparently caught the ear of Jack Rael, manager of Patti Page, who recorded her version for Mercury in November 1950:

And then — boom!

Patti’s Tennessee Waltz, released as the B‑side to Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, became one of the biggest hits of all time. Once it took off, the covers came pouring in, and the song instantly entered the Great American Songbook.

My favorite remake? Sam Cooke’s 1964 RCA version:

A masterpiece — tender, soulful, and unmistakably Sam. This track, coupled with Good Times, was the last single release by Sam before his untimely death.

And here’s a fun brain‑itch: The song is called Tennessee Waltz, but it’s about a song called Tennessee Waltz. So… is the song they’re playing in the song the same song the singer is singing?

A little meta moment in Music City!

Retreat Rumbles, Rambles & Reigns Supreme

Next up is Bonaparte’s Retreat, credited solely to Pee Wee King. Pee Wee and Redd recorded it in October 1949, though oddly Redd didn’t get label credit:

Released in 1950, it became another country hit.

But once again, the definitive pop breakthrough came from a powerhouse female vocalist — this time Kay Starr on Capitol:

Kay’s version crossed over in a big way!

A particularly intriguing take came from drummer/bandleader Gene Krupa, with vocalist Bobby Soots, on RCA Victor:

It’s got that unmistakable "Chicago Jazz" snap, but Bobby’s vocal leans country. And I love that he sings the jazz band played “Bonaparte’s Retreat” — not fiddles!

This one is meta too, but in a different way: there is an old fiddle tune called “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” so inside the song, the fiddles are playing the "real" melody!

Poke Pops, Percolates & Powers Up the Pop Parade

Now we arrive at the big one — the song Pee Wee didn’t have to surrender to a female pop star: 1951’s Slow Poke.

Let’s spin Pee Wee and Redd’s RCA Victor original:

I adore everything about this record — the tick‑tock beat, the sly vocal, the whole Western Swing vibe. I love it so much that I’m not especially fond of the many cover versions that followed.

But I do have a soft spot for the parody by my boys Homer & Jethro, also on RCA Victor:

That Shep Fields‑style bubbling intro… there has to be a reason for it beyond “funny sound effect,” but I haven’t cracked the code yet.

Pee Wee and Redd weren’t done with Slow Poke themselves, though. They recorded a slightly revised version for the U.K. as Slow Coach on HMV:

“Slow coach” is a real British expression, and the title change avoided a possible double entendre.

And then there’s Slow Bloke, ostensibly recorded for Australia, but not released at the time:

Very intriguing! Both alternate versions have a subtly different feel, and Redd even tweaks the lyric — singing “Why can’t you hasten when you know that time’s a‑wastin’?” instead of “when you see that time’s a‑wastin’?” Hmmm...

Let’s slip in one more variation: Slow Poke Cha Cha, released by Pee Wee on the Todd label in 1959:

Sam Cooke was right — everybody likes to cha‑cha‑cha!

Convention Capers, Cut‑Ups & Cornball Comedy

To bring it all full circle, here’s Homer & Jethro again, with a quick take‑off on “Tennessee Waltz” from their 1962 album Homer and Jethro at the Convention:

A perfect little button.

Warehouse Whispers

Just like “You Belong to Me,” “Slow Poke” began with songwriter Chilton Price, whose original compositions were adapted by Pee Wee and Redd in exchange for co‑writer credit and publication. Chilton did the heavy lifting, but by all accounts she was satisfied with the arrangement — and with hits this big, the royalty checks must have been very friendly!

And as a bonus, here’s a video clip of Pee Wee and Redd performing Tennessee Waltz and You Belong to Me:

Not sure of the date, but hearing Redd sing You Belong to Me — a song they didn’t record during the original hit period — is a real treat.

OK, now I’m done!