Clinch Mountain Echo

Jeanie Stanley - Baby Girl

(A Tribute To My Father Carter Stanley)

(CMH CD 8969) 2005.


Baby Girl - A Tribute To My Father Carter Stanley
Rear Cover CD Tray Inner CD Tray
Booklet Picture Booklet Picture Booklet Picture Booklet Picture
Booklet Picture Booklet Picture Booklet Picture
Booklet Picture Bluegrass Unlimited Aug. 2005 Bluegrass Unlimited Aug. 2005 Bluegrass Unlimited Dec. 1991 Bluegrass Unlimited Mar. 1992

Average Album Rating: 3
(Total votes 2)

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Carter's youngest daughter, Jeanie[1] was undoubtedly the driving force behind this album, but it is more of a family affair with the Clinch Mountain Boys providing backing, and lead vocal duties being shared between Jeanie, Ralph and Ralph II.

From the liner notes, it looks like the album was recorded in the first half of 2004, and released the following year. The majority of tracks are classic Carter songs, with two 'unfinished' pieces consisting of his lyrics set to music by Joe Isaacs: Two Sides To A Story with Jeanie on lead; and Jesus Is Precious, which Ralph performs solo a cappella. On the final track, Jeanie also does a duet her father singing along to a 1961 live Stanley Brothers recording.[2]

Ralph II sings lead on four tracks: Baby Girl, White Dove, The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight and Lonesome River... which is nice, as on Ralph's studio albums in this period (1996 - 2005), I think Ralph II only got to sing lead on about eight tracks.

Todd Meade, only had a relatively short tenure in the band... so this album is nice to have on that score too.

The CD comes with a 16-page booklet, with many rare photo's of Carter[3], and notes by Jeanie and Gary B. Reid.

Jeannie Stanley also had a band in the early '90s, but I don't think they recorded anything?

Track:
Title:
CD:
(43:45)
1
Baby Girl

C. Stanley
2
Who Will Sing For Me

John Thomas Ely
3
The Fields Have Turned Brown

C. Stanley
4
The Memory Of Your Smile

Ruby Rakes
5
She's More To Be Pitied

Ruby Rakes
6
How Mountain Girls Can Love

Ruby Rakes
7
Harbor Of Love

C. Stanley
8
White Dove

C. Stanley
9
Train 45

G.B. Grayson
10
The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight

C. Stanley
11
Two Sides To A Story

C. Stanley / Joe Isaacs
12
Jesus Is Precious

C. Stanley / Joe Isaacs
13
The Lonesome River

C. Stanley
14
Dream Of A Miner's Child

Robert Donnelly / Will Geddes

 


Go To Top Of Page [1] Jeanie was born Norma Jean Carter, after her mother's sister Norma Jean Kiser, who was married to Roy Sykes (leader of Roy Sykes and The Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, the outfit which Carter and Ralph played in at the end of 1946). See David W. Johnson's book 'Lonesome Melodies' (p. 73 & 102).
[2] Dream Of A Miner's Child from the University Of Chicago Folk Festival 1961. The original version appears on the 2xCD Folk Festival set.
[3] The CD Tray, and the booklet picture with Bill Monroe were taken by Ann Streeter, 4th July 1961, Luray Va. The Monroe line-up L-R: Bessie Lee Mauldin, Bill Monroe, Billy Baker (hidden), Carter Stanley, Bobby Smith and Tony Ellis. This was of course from the Bill Clifton one-day bluegrass festival, where Carter and Bill Monroe spoke on stage about Flatt & Scruggs. You can hear Bill Monroe's set (with Carter) here: http://frobbi.org/audio/ivor/Bill_Monroe_1961/index.html