On Border Radio, Vol. 1

In 1938 and 1939, the first family of American country music, the Carter Family, recorded transcriptions for radio broadcast on Mexican border radio stations. The recordings featured A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, sister-in-law Maybelle, A.P. and Sara’s daughter Janette (listed as Jeanette in the liner notes), and Maybelle’s three children, Helen, June, and Anita. In 1963, 17 transcription discs were discovered at station XET in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1995, Arhoolie Records released three CDs containing material from the 17 discs.

In Volume 1, the Carters perform their signature theme, “Keep on the Sunny Side,” to open their broadcasts and sing a mix of country, western, and gospel songs including “Single Girl, Married Girl,” a song they first recorded in 1927.

Track Listing

101	XET Station Break, Introduction, Theme Song / The Wandering Boy The Carter Family	02:40
102	I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home / In the Highways The Carter Family	03:14
103	Room for You and Me The Carter Family	01:32
104	Cumberland Gap / Lonesome Valley The Carter Family	02:29
105	Just Another Broken Heart The Carter Family	01:00
106	Darling We Are Growing Older / The Old Texas Trail The Carter Family	03:31
107	Cowboy's Wild Song to His Herd / Maple on the Hill The Carter Family	03:10
108	New River Train / Lover's Lane The Carter Family	02:47
109	My Sweetheart Is a Poor Working Girl / Waves of the Sea The Carter Family	02:54
110	On the Sea of Galilee The Carter Family	01:29
111	The Curtains of Night The Carter Family	01:35
112	Just a Few More Days The Carter Family	02:23
113	Theme Out and XET Station Break 1 The Carter Family	01:18
114	Intro and Theme / When Our Lord Shall Come Again The Carter Family	02:33
115	The Happiest Days of All The Carter Family	01:23
116	Bye and Bye / We Shall Rise The Carter Family	03:18
117	Engine 143 / Jealous Hearted Me The Carter Family	03:18
118	Untitled / What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul The Carter Family	02:50
119	Beautiful Brown Eyes / Sweet Fern The Carter Family	02:36
120	I Have No Loving Mother Now The Carter Family	02:02
121	Western Hobo The Carter Family	01:47
122	Single Girl, Married Girl The Carter Family	02:00
123	I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes The Carter Family	01:30
124	The Sun's Gonna Shine in My Back Door Someday / Give Me the Roses While I Live The Carter Family	02:49
125	You Denied Your Love The Carter Family	02:12
126	No Telephone in Heaven The Carter Family	02:25
127	Theme Out and XET Station Break 2 The Carter Family	01:10