NORTH TO ALASKA
“North to Alaska” is a 1960 hit song recorded by Johnny Horton which featured in the movie of the same name. Though Horton had sung several popular movie tie-in songs, this was the first one that was sung over the opening titles. Written by Mike Phillips, “North to Alaska” topped Billboard magazine’s Country Singles chart, reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and eight on Norway Singles Chart. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. (More from Wikipedia)
Country music and rockabilly artist Johnny Horton had a good streak of his own going with several “historical ballads”, beginning with “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1959; the song won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. Horton continuing the following year with two more hits, “Sink the Bismarck” and “North to Alaska” (the latter being the theme song for the John Wayne movie called North to Alaska). There is no telling how much further Horton might have been able to take this craze had it not been for his tragic death in November 1960.
(March 2013)
