The Stanley Brothers - Jacob's Vision / Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine
(King 5582) Dec 1961
This 7" combines Jacob's Vision from the Stanley's For The Good People LP, with Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine, which the Stanley's had recorded in the sessions for the Award Winners At The Folk Song Festival album.
'Billboard' magazine reviewed the disc in their 11th Dec 1961 edition giving both sides four-stars. Jacob's Vision was described saying:- "The Brothers apply their fine mountain sound to a good three-beat sacred song. Vocal and guitar picking are fine here." whilst Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine was described as:- "The boys bring much meaning to this song based on a parable. Real down home hill sound here and it's right for the market."[1]
Ralph:- I learned 'Jacob's Vision' and 'Turn Back' from Enoch Rose, a Free Will Baptist preacher at Rugby Church on Caney Ridge. Enoch and his wife, Mattie Rose, sang a lot together and recorded some albums, and they also taught children at school on the ridge. Enoch never tried to soften the message in his songs, he wrote it like he felt it from the Bible.[2]
Jacob's Vision was featured on the The Stanley's Feb. 1966 appearance on Pete Seeger's 'Rainbow Quest' TV show, which can be found on the 'Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest: The Stanley Bros. & Doc Watson' (Shanachie 605) DVD and inevitably youtube. Much later, Ralph made a guest appearance on Pete Seeger's 2013 spoken word The Storm King project, singing a few lines from Jacob's Vision in between Pete's narrative and cello accompaniment.
Ralph also later re-recorded They Burdens Are Greater... on his Clinch Mountain Country 2xCD, with Ralph II on vocal.
For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 102-104, 128-129, 143-144 and 158.
| Track: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
Original Release: |
Guitar: |
Banjo: |
Fiddle: |
Mandolin: |
Bass: |
Lead Guitar: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 |
Jacob's Vision |
02:17 |
15 Sep 1959 |
For The Good People | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
George Shuffler |
Bill Napier |
||
| P.D. |
||||||||||
| B-1 |
Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine |
02:53 |
20 Jul 1961 |
King 5582 | Carter Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Chubby Anthony |
Al Elliot |
George Shuffler |
George Shuffler |
| Darrell 'Pee Wee' King / Redd Stewart |
[1] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jiAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=king+5582+stanley+billboard&source=bl&ots=NM758feHtr&sig=gwPbgAdJjx0rG7qgoelbA9AsuK8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4xLOK-LzVAhXCLsAKHT39BdIQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=king%205582%20stanley%20billboard&f=false[2] Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean's book 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' (p. 381-382)