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Ralph Stanley - Brand New Tennessee Waltz / Old-time Pickin'

(Rebel F-310) cMar 1971

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This 7" was recorded at the Feb. 1971 sessions that were partly used for Ralph's Something Old, Something New LP. It was released before the album, with Old Time Pickin' being featured on the Aril/May 1971 Japan tour. I'd guess this single was partly done so that Rebel would have something to sell on the tour, along with the Cry From The Cross album. Ralph introduces Old-Time Pickin' on the Live In Japan set, saying "Here's a tune we've just had released on Rebel records called 'Old-Time Pickin'".

Brand New Tennessee Waltz was written by folk singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and featured on his eponymous 1970 debut LP. He had emigrated to Canada in 1967 to avoid the Vietnam draft.^[1] The song was also recorded by Joan Baez in 1971. Ralph later re-recorded it with Del McCoury on the 2014 Cracker Barrel Man Of Constant Sorrow, and there's another version on The Definitive Collection - American Icon collection.

Old-Time Pickin' a clawhammer instrumental was written by Ralph to show off the tone of an old wooden banjo he'd been given by Fay McGinnis the Stanley Brothers fan club president.^[2]

'Bluegrass Unlimited' reviewed the 7" in their June 1971 edition, with Richard K. Spottswood reporting:- "More fine Ralph Stanley this month. Pete K. (Kuykendall) tells me that the first side was recorded on one of those old wooden banjos with a round hole, the possesion of Ralph's fan-club president, the redoubtable Fay McGinnis. It's a fine and fancy claw-hammer instrumental, covered with good green moss. Pete also tells me that the reverse is a composition of one Jesse Winchester, a top-40 type of whom I'm supposed to have heard. I haven't, but this song is pure country and Ralph's trio gives it a nice reading. The 45 of the month, I'd say."

^{[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Winchester
[2] John Wright's book "Traveling The High Way Home" (p.18)}