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Ralph Stanley - I Want To Preach The Gospel

(Rebel SLP 1522) 1973

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This Gospel album, along with Ralph's A Man And His Music album, was recorded on the 22-23th March 1973 at Roy Homer's basement studio in Clinton, Md.

I Want To Preach The Gospel is part recitation, part song.

Going Up Home To Live In Green Pastures had previosuly been cut by Ralph on his Over The Sunset Hill LP and is pretty similar to the version on King. Ralph later re-cut it again on Saturday Night / Sunday Morning in 1992.

Originally cut by The Stanley Brothers for Columbia in 1949, The Fields Have Turned Brown features John Duffey emulating Darrell 'Pee Wee' Lambert on mandolin and singing high baritone. Also recycled from the Stanley Brothers back-catalogue are Rank Stranger and Angel Band. Although decent, they don't quite create the same excitement as the originals.

The Stanley's version of Angel Band was of course later featured in the multi-million 'Oh Brother' film soundtrack. Carter and Ralph discovered the song from The Webster Brothers whilst listening to the radio on the way to a show.^[1]

I'm Going That Way had been cut by several acts, including Bill and Charlie Monroe in 1937.^[2]

As was becoming standard for Ralphs' Gospel albums, there are two a cappella numbers: Dark And Stormy Is The Desert and Great High Mountain.

Brighter Mansion (Over There) by Don Reno/Red Smiley was recorded by them for King in 1958. ^[3]

Overall, this probably isn't Ralph's best Gospel release, but is does have some fairly decent material, and it was the last of Ralph's studio LPs to feature Roy Lee Centers.

All the tracks from the album are featured on the excellent Rebel 4xCD set 1971-1973, but presented in the order in which they were recorded, rather than the original LP running order.

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

^{[1] Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean's 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' book (p.182-183).
[2] Liner notes to Bill Monroe - 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky 1936-1949' (Bear BCD 16399 FL) 2002.
[3] Liner notes to Reno & Smiley - 'Early Years 1951-59' (Gusto GT7-0959-2) 2009.}