Clinch Mountain Echo

Bill Gatton Chevy Show - 1972


Indian Springs June 1972 (Fred Robbins)

Awhile ago I found four clips on James Stiltner's youtube channel, with some rare audio recorded from the 1972 "Bill Gatton Chevy Show" on WCYB in Bristol, Tn.

The audio was recorded by Ed May from the TV, so the quality is quite rough in places, but the performances are great and the recordings are definitely worth a listen.

From the dialog on the 11th June set[1], it sounds like it was a short-lived venture - as Ralph says: "We'll be here in Bristol, Saturday July the 1st from 11 o'clock until around 5 right at the Bill Gatton Chevrolet company on 11th and State Street. We'll be there all day picking and singing for you and we'd like to invite anybody that picks or sings or dances or anything else to come by and join in the fun with us..... We'd like to see a large turnout because if enough of you come's out and does enough business with Bill, well he's liable to sign us up for about year and we'd like nothing better than that, so be sure and come out be with us, that's July 1st - we'll be there form 11 o'clock in the morning until 5 in the afternoon..."

Presumably not enough business was generated for Bill Gatton to extend the show?

The dates which are given for these shows must refer to broadcast rather than recording date. On the earliest date, Sunday 28th May 1972, Ralph was holding his "Second Annual Memorial Festival" at the Old homeplace in McClure, Va... and similarly, On June 11th 1972 Ralph appeared at Bill Monroe's 6th Annual Bluegrass Festival in Bean Blossom, In.[2]

Ralph also plugs the 1st July appearance on the 'Unknown date' show, along with their next festival appearance at the James Monroe "2nd Annual Bluegrass Festival" at 'Kineauvista' Cosby/Newport, Tn the same weekend.

The recordings are presumably some of the last to feature Ricky Skaggs/Keith Whitley line up; and a couple of the tapes feature Dr. Bruce Mongle, who was Carter & Ralph's physician. He also played at the Hills Of Home Memorial festival in the 1970's (at least 1973, 1975 & 1977).

The undated show features Stanford Stanley & His Clinch Valley Boys. Stanford was billed at Ralph's Hills Of Home Memorial festival in McClure between 1976-84... In the introduction Ralph describes Stanford as "Distant kin I guess". From a quick scan of a geneology site and David W Johnson's 'Lonesome Melodies' book it looks like Stanford and Ralph had the same great grandparents (James Stanley and Rebecca Beverly), but I could be wrong. His full name was Donald Stanford Stanley (1924-2005).

Bill Gatton, aka Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton was born on 25th May 1932 near Bremen, Kentucky. He's described on Wikipedia as an American entreprenuer and philantropist[3] and his business is still firing on all cylinders...[4]

I wonder if the video tape for these shows still exist somewhere...

Track:
Youtube: 28th May 1972
1
The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight

C. Stanley
2
Cry From The Cross

Johnnie Masters
3
Little Maggie

P.D.
4
Will You Miss Me

A.P. Carter
5
Katy Daley

P.D. arr Paul Mullins

Track:
Youtube: 5th June 1972
1
Theme

R. Stanley
2
Riding On That Midnight Train

R. Stanley
3
When I Get Home

Roscoe S. Reed
4
Arkansas Traveller
- Dr. Bruce Mongle

P.D.
5
Brand New Tennessee Waltz

Jesse Winchester
6
Take Your Shoes Off Moses

J.D. Jarvis
7
Don't Cheat In Our Home Town

Ray Pennington / Roy Marcum

Track:
Youtube: 11th June 1972
1
Theme

R. Stanley
2
Orange Blossom Special

Ervin Rouse
3
Rank Stranger

Albert E. Brumley
4
Pretty Little Bird
- Dr. Bruce Mongle

??
5
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine

C. Stanley
6
Going Up Home (To Live In Green Pastures)

Avril Gearheart / R. Stanley
7
Lonesome River

C. Stanley
8
Theme

R. Stanley

Track:
Youtube: Unknown Date
1
Theme

R. Stanley
2
Lonesome Road Blues

Bill Monroe
3
Stone Walls And Steel Bars

Roy Marcum / Ray Pennington
4
Blue Yodel #3
- Stanford Stanley & His Clinch Valley Boys

Jimmie Rodgers
4
Lonesome Valley
- The Coeburns

P.D. ??
4
He Will Set Your Fields On Fire
- The Coeburns

P.D.
5
White Dove

C. Stanley
6
Pig In A Pen

C. Stanley
7
Sally Goodin

P.D.
8
Theme

R. Stanley

(Article by Ivor Trueman - Many thanks to Fred Robbins for use of the photo.)



Go To Top Of Page [1] The 11th June set is on James' channel twice - listed as '11th June' and as 'Set 1'. Both feature the same music, except that on the one listed as 11th June Lonesome River and the final Theme are omitted.
[2] See the Live At Bean Blossom 1972 CD.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gatton
[4] http://www.billgatton.com/