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Ralph Stanley - Something Old, Something New

& Some Of Katy's Mountain Dew

(Rebel SLP 1503) 1971

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This album was partly recorded at the sessions for Cry From The Cross 22-23rd February 1971, and then completed at another session on 30th June 1971, after the band had returned from their tour of Japan.

Included are the a cappella Gloryland, and catchy Katy Daly, both of which would become classic Stanley material; Going To Georgia, Will You Miss Me and Cluck Old Hen were old-timers featured by The Stanley Brothers, rendered here in fine form; and Hank Williams' Six More Miles is about as lonesome as lonesome gets.

Brand New Tennessee Waltz was written by folk singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and featured on his eponymous 1970 debut LP. He had emigrated to Canada in 1967 to avoid the Vietnam draft. ^[1] The song was also recorded by Joan Baez in 1971.

Old Time Pickin' a clawhammer instrumental was written by Ralph to show off the tone of an old wooden banjo he'd been given by Fay McGinnis the Stanley Brothers fan club president.^[2]

A Little Boy Called Joe was presumably recorded as a result of the Clinch Mountain Boys session for Lee Allen's 1970 Songs Of Love And Tragedy LP. On the Rebel release, the song was initially credited to "R. Stanley & L. Allen", with later pressings giving the full credit to "Lee Allen". The song was however composed by Nashville songwriters Marijohn Wilkin & Wayne P. Walker, and as A Little Guy Called Joe it had been a hit for Stonewall Jackson, peaking at #13 in the Billboard Country charts on 12 Dec 1960.

Shot-Gun Slade a rail-road murder ballad, was by Wandell 'Wendy' Smith, who also wrote several songs for Ralph, including Hills Of Home. ^[3]

That Lonesome Old Song by Gene Duty, who had several songs recorded by Ralph (and Carter), is another classic, with superb vocals from Roy Lee Centers. ^[4]

Two singles were released from the album: Brand New Tennessee Waltz / Old Time Pickin' (Rebel F-310) which was recorded at the Feb. 1971 sessions, and released to coincide with the Japanese tour; and Katy Daley / Will You Miss Me? (Rebel F-315) which was released after the LP.

All the tracks from the album are featured on the Rebel 1971-1973 4xCD box set, although as they are presented in the sequence they were recorded in, you'll need to copy/burn the relevant tracks, to hear the album as originally released.

Thanks to Todd Gracyk for the additional info!

• Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
• Roy Lee Centers: guitar, vocals
• Curly Ray Cline: fiddle
• Jack Cooke: bass
• Ricky Skaggs: mandolin, fiddle
• Keith Whitley: lead guitar

^{[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Winchester
[2] John Wright's book "Traveling The High Way Home" (p.18)
[3] For more detail see the Brand New Country Songs; Hills Of Home; and Sing Michigan Bluegrass entries.
[4] For more detail see the Sing Michigan Bluegrass and Brand New Country Songs entries.}