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The Stanley Brothers - On The Air

(Wango LP-115) 1976

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This collection is drawn from the recordings The Stanley Brothers made for Ray Davis' radio show in December 1963. Davis had hired the Brothers for a week and during that time recorded about 25 shows, each lasting about 15 minutes. At the end of the week they then also recorded the first John's Gospel Quartet album.

Carter had laryngitis at the time, so his contribution is quite limited, with Ralph and George Shuffler doing most of the heavy lifting.

Each show started and ended with a quick burst of Cripple Creek, and featured a similiar pattern with solo vocals by Ralph, short instrumentals, a gospel tune, comedy from Henry Dockery and a couple of group numbers with George and Ralph handling most of the vocals. Carter, sounds a bit hoarse does a little of the introduction/comedy and sings occasionally.

On this album, it looks like two shows have mostly been included with exception of two of the Cripple Creek themes that presumably would have been at the end of Side One / beginning of Side Two.

Other portions from these sessions have appeared on Vol's 1-7 of the various artists' 'Radio Series' and other Wango compilations and 7" releases... I've yet to work out where duplications (if any) occur. In Gary B. Reid's book The Music Of The Stanley Brothers, it also appears that some of the radio material was also featured on some of the 'John's Gospel Quartet' albums.

The cover to the album is a bit weird - the photo is of an old Western Electric microphone used by Carter on the Wango recordings.

For a detailed breakdown and background to these sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 173-174 and 204-209.