The Stanley Brothers - Meet Me Tonight / Nobody's Business
(Blue Ridge 514) 1962
This 7" was recorded sometime in 1959, but wasn't released until 1962. It contains two cracking Stanley Brothers tracks, but is one of their rarest recordings.
The 'Blue Ridge' label was originally run by Drusilla Adams and her father Noah, who released some excellent early bluegrass by The Church Brothers and Jim Eanes. Bill Clifton also recorded two sessions for them (with Curley Lambert and George Shuffler) and later took over co-ownership of the label with DJ/Promoter Don Owens.[1]
In 1958, around the time when The Stanley's were in the throws of being dropped from Mercury and signing to King, they announced at a show promoted by Don Owens, that they would be releasing an album on Blue Ridge. That didn't come to pass, but it's believed that four tracks were cut, including Meet Me Tonight, Nobody's Business and two which are now presumed lost.[2]
Meet Me Tonight (aka Meet Me By The Moonlight) is a song popularised by The Carter Family which was originally written by the Irish composer/conductor Joseph Augustine Wade and first published in 1830.[3] Nobody's Business is likewise an old song which seems to have had it's roots in similiar themed/named songs in the blues tradition.[4] It was also recorded by Emry Arthur and others.
Fortunately, both sides of the single can be found on the Bear Family The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys 1953 - 1958 & 1959 2xCD and 3xCD The Definitive Collection (1947 - 1966) set.
For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's session, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 98-99 and 141.
| Track: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
Original Release: |
Guitar: |
Banjo: |
Fiddle: |
Mandolin: |
Bass: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 |
Meet Me Tonight |
02:35 |
?? ??? 1959 |
Blue Ridge 514 | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Chubby Anthony |
Bill Napier |
??? |
| Joseph Augustine Wade |
|||||||||
| B-1 |
Nobody's Business |
01:58 |
?? ??? 1959 |
Blue Ridge 514 | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Chubby Anthony |
Bill Napier |
??? |
| Porter Grainger / Everett Robbins |
[1] Bill Clifton - 8xCD set 'Around The World To Poor Valley' (Bear Family BCD-16425-1/8) 2001 - booklet (p.28) and Bill C. Malone's "Bill Clifton - America's Bluegrass Ambassador To The World" book (p. 43-44)[2] Gary B. Reid liner notes to The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys 1953 - 1958 & 1959.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Augustine_Wade and https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/sheetmusic/905/
[4] eg. Frank Stokes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzdP5zbe-oQ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t_Nobody%27s_Business