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


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Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

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Clinch Mountain Echo

The Stanley Brothers - The Window Up Above / The Wild Side Of Life

(King 5460) Jan 1961


The Window Up Above

This 7" was recorded in the session for the Sing The Songs They Like Best LP and was released within a fortnight of being cut!

Billboard magazine reviewed the single in their 30th Jan 1961 edition, saying:- "The Stanley Brothers come through with a first-rate performance of the old country hit on 'The Wild Side Of Life'. The flip is a tender weeper sold with spirit by the pair."[1] The review incorrectly listed the catalogue number as 'King 5640', and the 6th Feb edition carried a correction, which also listed The Window Up Above ahead of The Wild Side Of Life.[2]

George Jones' original version of The Window Up Above was released in Sept 1960 and spent 34 weeks in the country chart, peaking at No. 2.[3]

Ralph later recut Window Up Above as a duet with George Jones on his Clinch Mountain Country 2xCD. In the liner notes he says:- "Carter and me played with George Jones and he had just wtitten or wrote part of 'The Window Up Above' one night in Orlando, Florida. I remember that he sung it backstage and I sung it with him. We told him we'd like to record it and he gave us the words that night. I always wanted to record that with with George and it finally happened. There'll never be another George Jones. To me, he's the greatest country singer that ever sung. I can't hardly compare Jones with anybody. He's it."

Both sides of the single can be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set.

 

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 116-118 and 151.

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
The Window Up Above
02:29
15 Jan 1961
King 5460

George Jones
  Ld Vcl - Gtr Tn Vcl - Bjo Fid Bs Ld Gtr    
  Carter Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Art Stamper
George Shuffler
Curley Lambert
 
 
B-1
The Wild Side Of Life
02:14
15 Jan 1961
King 5460

W. Warren / A. Carter
  Ld Vcl - Gtr Tn Vcl - Bjo Fid Bt Vcl - Mnd Bs    
  Carter Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Art Stamper
Curley Lambert
George Shuffler
 
 
Other artwork / related images:
The Wild Side Of Life 45 Generic bag

[1] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=king+window+up+above+billboard+stanley&source=bl&ots=qrF7QDO_WA&sig=HYcndy6CF1lP-1Hpj0MSCbS-2OE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi07dDiqsTUAhWLJ8AKHXlKCEMQ6AEINzAF#v=onepage&q=king%20window%20up%20above%20billboard%20stanley&f=false
[2] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=king+5460+billboard+stanley&source=bl&ots=fZksCJkqXM&sig=XDsGWVH25Hp6t4RtGe722JTiYMU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj33ZnJqsTUAhVIIMAKHZ3-DfAQ6AEINjAC#v=onepage&q=king%205460%20billboard%20stanley&f=false
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_Up_Above

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Tribute To The Stanley Brothers
(King Bluegrass KB-535)


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Ralph Stanley Museum
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