Yes, in trying to straighten out my music collection, I've got a little trouble related to this song.

Apparently the original hit song was released by The Original Caste in 1969. It became a big hit in Canada that year (Bell Records?), and a minor hit in the US in 1970, peaking at #34 on Billboard. I've got this recording, no problem so far.

Then, the song was used in the movie, "Legend Of Billy Jack" on 1971. The lead singer did not want her name on the label, so it was billed to the supporting band Coven. The Title was "One Tin Soldier (The Legend Of Billy Jack)" on I believe Warner Brothers label.

For whatever strange reason, the movie folks pulled the record, but Coven later re-recorded the song and released it in 1973. Don't know the label. It was simply titled "One Tin Soldier" by Coven.

I have two songs in my library, labeled one of each. Listening to them, I think they are the same recording, a mediocre audio copy and a crappy audio copy. I don't know if these are the 1971 or 1973 versions.

I know there were covers by other artists, but I don't know if any were charted.

I don't have any version on vinyl or CD.

If anyone can give me insight on this, I would appreciate it.

I believe this is the original...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh-JoW_8qw0

And this is rerecorded version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTBx-hHf4BE

Tom

I have the 45 of The Original Caste. It's on TA records #186, distributed by Bell records NYC. It appears to be a US release that Goldmine puts as released in 1969. I've never seen any Bell releases out of Canada of any kind. I can't find any reference to its Canadian record release label. It's the same as the youtube video above with what seems to be a bit different instrumental production than the video.
Warner Brothers records did release the Coven version twice, 1971 & 1973, once for each time the movie was released with different flip sides. They distributed the movie itself, so I can't see them pulling the record. I have the 1973 release on 45, labeled "Original Sound Track Music". I would expect both releases to be the same song & mix from the movie. It's the same mix as the youtube video of the movie above.
Goldmine shows Coven released a version, noting the movie title, on ABC records #11377 in 1973. I've never encountered this one.

Maybe they mean the John Kurtz version that started off on the Beautiful Music stations and then got a little airplay on the pop stations.

As reported - the first one was just Jinx Dawson of Coven laying down her vocal over The Sunshine Snake (studio film) Orchestra and released on Warner Bros.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D98lvMHkl0

At least in the Great Lakes - this is the one that was a big hit on the radio two years later on MGM in the Spring of `73. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJkSFBwd_nc with the entire Coven band and some of The New Wrecking Crew (early 70's version).

I definitely remember the Coven version on the radio in 1973. When I heard the "Original Cast" version at some point later, it sounded "different" to me, but still similar.

The Canadian release was on a Bell Label

Are Canadian Bell 45s vinyl, or styrene like they were in the U.S.?

The movie release from '71 and re-release in '73 for various reasons caused the same for the actual single from the movie. Indeed, it was discovered for the movie from the Csnadian recoding and was then released twice by RCA following the actual fortunes of the movie.

What I finally did, went to eBay and bought what appears to be the original Warner Brothers 45 and the original MGM 45. I can digitize them.

The Warner Brothers 45 arrived. Played it, crappy audio. Cleaned it up, did the Windex trick, sounded a little better. Did the Pledge trick, sounded a LOT better, but there's muddy distortion especially toward the end. Played too many times with a bad needle. Out of desperation, tried playing it with a 78 needle -- no improvement. Thought that maybe a larger needle would ride higher in the groove, above the wear -- but no.

Actually this record was sent with several other 45's. I guess to protect it. Mostly non-hits, but there's one -- "Trouble" by Lindsay Buckingham, remember that one? Cool -- and better audio.

See what happens when the MGM version shows up.

Original Caste - I know every word, ever syllable, have been hearing it on local Canadian radio for 47 years.
They must have done very well with royalties for that one.


But, we just lost our only oldies AM station when DJ Red Robinson retired at the age of 80 in August. The station Senile (CISL) 650 has switched to sports talk.

Both versions are all over YouTube and easy to download via ITunes, etc.

My absolute favorite song and movies.

- Leigh

I can't say I've been hearing it for 47 years, but at one time I did know every word of it. We used to sing it as a campfire song in church camp (I grew up in a pacifist denomination).

Hadn't heard it in years, though, till I followed some of the links in this thread. I never knew it was a folk/pop song... I always assumed it was more like a hymn, oddly.

Sadly, this seems to be happening to a LOT of "oldies" and "adult standards" stations, especially on AM radio. Happened to my favorite AM station a few years ago - the last music they played (other than "fight music" for games) was at Christmas time about 3 years ago. Then, the day after Christmas, they went silent. THe day after New Years, they were back on the air as yet ANOTHER news/talk/sports station, as if we needed yet ANOTHER one. Now, the only station I can listen to that plays that kind of music is WDBC, 680KHz, out of Escanaba, and since that is is a couple hundred miles away reception can be iffy and is ALWAYS noisy to a greater or lesser extent...