The Stanley Brothers - The Window Up Above / The Wild Side Of Life
(King 5460) Jan 1961
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: |
Guitar: |
Banjo: |
Fiddle: |
Mandolin: |
Bass: |
Lead guitar: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 |
The Window Up Above |
02:29 |
15 Jan 1961 |
King 5460 | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Art Stamper |
George Shuffler |
Curley Lambert |
|
| George Jones |
||||||||||
| B-1 |
The Wild Side Of Life |
02:14 |
15 Jan 1961 |
King 5460 | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Art Stamper |
Curley Lambert |
George Shuffler |
|
| W. Warren / A. Carter |
[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