Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

20 Bluegrass Originals
(Gusto Gusto GD-5026)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

David Marshall - Song Of Poverty

(King Bluegrass Records KB-562) 1977


David Marshall - Song Of Poverty

Average Album Rating: 3
(Total votes 2)

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David Marshall was one of The Marshall Family, a talented Gospel act, which Ralph discovered in 1974 and subsequently championed.

Ralph recorded five of David's songs on his 1975 LP Let Me Rest On A Peaceful Mountain. He also contributed one song to Clinch Mountain Gospel; one (or two?) on Down Where The River Bends; and one for the Snow Covered Mound album.

On this album, the songwriting is generally quite strong, with heartfelt and sometimes quite emotional lyrics. Open Heart Surgery and Don't Poke Fun At Poverty pack quite a punch, while Nashvill's Bright Lights is a sad waltz, full of broken dreams.

David's vocals are nice and smooth, mellifluous even. At times you can hear similarities to Hank Williams, Keith Whitley and Charlie Waller.

Wreck On The Highway has a vocal blend which reminds me of the early Country Gentlemen and Heavenly Dream is perfomed as an a cappella group vocal, with the Marshall's splendid harmonies.

The album also features two instrumentals Revelation Banjo and Spiritual Mandolin, which are in the melodic banjo style.

Many tracks have a countryish feel derived to some extent from David's use of vamped banjo back-up to replicate the slick nashville rhythm. One of these is a slightly corny tribute to Ralph, entitled Ralph Stanley, which also features Ricky Skaggs on fiddle:-

"I don't believe in giving people praise
No one is better than me
But I know a man, who'll lend a helping hand
His name is Ralph Stanley..."

On the final track, Me And My Buddy, Ralph plays clawhammer banjo. It's not the best track on the album by any means, but it was later reissued as part of Ralph's Songs My Mother Taught Me & More CD.

You can also find a rare poor-quality video clip on youtube of David & Ralph singing Sing A Song For Carter at Ralph's 'Hills Of Home' festival (c1977).

  • David Marshall: banjo, vocals
  • Danny Marshall: bass vocal
  • Ricky Mullins: low baritone vocal
  • John Thompson: bass
  • Ricky Skaggs: fiddle (*)
  • Ralph Stanley: banjo (**)

NB: (*) Ricky Skaggs plays fiddle on Ralph Stanley. (**) Ralph plays (clawhammer) banjo on one track Me And My Buddy. The album's liner notes don't mention who plays guitar or mandolin, which could be Danny Marshall and Chester 'Pop' Marshall... or as David is a multi-instrumentalist, perhaps he played these instruments too?

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Open Heart Surgery
03:48
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
A-2
Wreck On The Highway
02:55
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
A-3
Revelation Banjo
02:20
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
A-4
Nashvill's Bright Lights
03:14
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
A-5
Ralph Stanley
03:01
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
A-6
Don't Poke Fun At Poverty
03:33
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
B-1
Mothers Love
03:07
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
B-2
Heavenly Dream
02:30
c1977
Song Of Poverty

P.D. arr. Charles Love
B-3
Spiritual Mandolin
02:26
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
B-4
Keep Praying On
02:33
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
B-5
Gospel Band
02:44
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
B-6
Me And My Buddy
02:11
c1977
Song Of Poverty

David Marshall
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover Side One Side Two

For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

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Rebel Records
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