Ralph Stanley & Joe Isaacs - A Gospel Gathering

(Freeland Recording Co. FRC-CD642) 1995

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This 1995 Gospel collaboration between Ralph and The Isaacs was recorded at Big Mo studios in Kensington, Md. and Horizon Studio, Asheville, Nc.

Joe Isaacs had briefly been a CMB in 1969, inbetween Larry Sparks and Roy Lee Centers.^[1]

The album features different aggregations of musicians on each track, ostensibly starting with the CMB's and ending with The Isaacs. Ralph's lead vocalist at the time, Kenneth Davis, only gets to sing on the first track - Step Off On That Beautiful Shore which was written by DJ/Songwriter and Lester Flatt biographer Jake Lambert.

I think this is probably the first time Ralph has sung with a band featuring a dobro...

The CD comes with a fold-out booklet with lyrics to the songs and liner notes by Mike Kelley.

There was also a promotional CD single from the album featuring the album version of Satan's Chains and an alternate version, which is almost indistinguisable (Freeland Recording Co. FRC-S325) 1995

• Ralph Stanley
• Joe Isaacs
• Mike Auldridge
• John Bowman
• Dudley Connell
• Jack Cooke
• Kenneth Davis
• Al Domingue
• Shelton Feazell
• Becky Isaacs
• Sonya Isaacs
• Ben Isaacs
• Lily Isaacs
• David Johnson
• Tony Rice
• James Alan Shelton
• Rickie Simpkins
• Steve Sparkman
• Art Stamper
• Ralph II Stanley
• Tim Surrett
• Jeff Tolbert

NB: Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks, so the above is guesswork & no doubt wrong in places!

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Quote from Ralph in the liner notes to Clinch Mountain Country.