Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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50 Year Reunion
(Neon 8001-3)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Roy Lee Centers - The Early Years Vol. 1

(Vetco LP 3030 1978


The Early Years Vol. 1

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This is a retrospective compilation of material Roy Lee recorded with Jack Lynch between 1963/4 - 1969/70. Six of the tracks had previously been released in 1968 on Jack Lynch's Bluegrass Music LP[1] and at least some were also released on 45s as Jack Lynch and The Lee Brothers. eg. Little Birdie/You Left Me This Morning (Jalyn 45-201) 1963; (or Little Birdie/All The Love I Had Is Gone (Jalyn 45-208) 1964); I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind/How I Long To Change Your Name (Jalyn 45-301) 196?; and I'll Always Remember/It's Not Right (Jalyn 45-300) 196?.

Musically, unlike The Easterners - Echoes Of The Bonnie & Clyde Era and I've Lived A Lot In My Time albums, Roy Lee's vocals are more akin to his later work with Ralph.

Roy Lee also wrote two of the tracks: How I Long To Change Your Name, a slow love song; and It's Not Right, about unrequited love at first sight with some good lead guitar and banjo breaks.

Jack Lynch's You're Always Welcome (In My Dog House) is also quite unusual - as it's written from the perspective of a dog, who's master is in trouble in the 'big house'.

Personnel are a bit difficult to nail down - compared to Bluegrass Music, the liner notes to this album are more specific, but omit Lonnie Bolin and add Willie Hatton Jr and Bob Dooley.

In the liner notes, Jack Lynch recalls:- "I first met Roy Lee Centers in 1963, while I was doing. 'The Jack Lynch Show', on WPFB radio station in Middletown, Ohio. I played about 50% bluegrass on my show and 50% country. I would have bluegrass (artists) on my show from time to time, such as The Stanley Brothers, The Osborne Brothers, Charlie Moore and Bill Napier, and some of the better local bluegrass bands, including the band that I had at the time. It was with one of the local bands that played on my show that I met Roy Lee. I had the Burns Brothers and Harley Gabbard, playing in my band, at that time. I left that and Roy Lee and his brother in law Fred Spencer, to play to replace the Burns Brothers. Fred played lead guitar on most of our shows and recordings. Sometimes Fred played bass, banjo and mandolin on our shows for versatility. Roy Lee sometimes played bass, lead and rhythm guitar, or the mandolin. I would switch from bass to guitar, banjo or fiddle. Roy Lee could sing lead, baritone or tenor. He was the most talented person that I ever played with. He had asked me to start with him when he went on his own as business manager and bass player. I had reluctantly agreed to start with him. However, before he could go on his own, he was killed in Eastern Kentucky."

Daniel Boone Centers, was Roy Lee's brother.

Jack Lynch had worked with The Stanley Brothers - promoting gigs, and filling in on occasion on bass. He was also a pallbearer at Carter Stanley's funeral. Lynch, of course also ran Jalyn which released Ralph's Old Time Music and The Bluegrass Sound albums; Curly Ray Cline's The Working Man; Lee Allen's Songs Of Love And Tragedy; and Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs - Tribute To The Stanley Brothers. After moving to Nashville in 1978 he formed the Nashvile Country label, which was responsible for Curly Ray Cline's 1988 The Deputy LP.

The album was reissued on CD (Crosscut CR-1024) 200?, with a slightly different tracks order.

  • Jack Lynch: bass, banjo, bass vocal
  • Lonnie Bolin: guitar?
  • Daniel Boone Centers: tenor vocal
  • Roy Lee Centers: banjo, guitar, lead vocals
  • Bob Dooley: fiddle
  • Bernard Gumm: rhythm guitar, tenor/lead vocal
  • Wilburn Hall: banjo
  • Willie Hatton Jr: rhythmn guitar, baritone vocal
  • Fred Spencer: lead guitar, bass guitar, baritone vocal
  • Frank Wakefield: mandolin, baritone vocal

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Worried Man
02:35
196?
???

A.P. Carter
A-2
Shady Grove
01:41
196?
Bluegrass Music

P.D.
A-3
Tears On My Pillow
02:42
196?
Bluegrass Music

Jack Lynch
A-4
You're Always Welcome
02:02
196?
???

Jack Lynch
A-5
Home Sweet Home
02:39
196?
Bluegrass Music

Stephen Foster
A-6
God Gave You To Me
01:55
196?
???

R. Stanley
A-7
I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
03:01
196?
???

Archie Jones / Jack Lynch
B-1
Little Birdie
02:47
1963/4
Jalyn 45-201 or 45-208

P.D.
B-2
Wildwood Flower
02:43
196?
Bluegrass Music

A.P. Carter
B-3
(Man Of) Constant Sorrow
02:51
196?
Bluegrass Music

R.D. Burnett
B-4
Cumberland Gap
02:31
196?
???

P.D.
B-5
It's Not Right
02:06
1967
Jalyn 45-300

Roy Lee Centers
B-6
How I Long To Change Your Name
02:46
1967
Jalyn 45-301

Roy Lee Centers
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover Rear Cover Picture Rear Cover Picture
CD Cover CD Rear Cover CD Tray

[1] Jack Lynch - Bluegrass Music features Wildwood Flower, Little Birdie, (Man Of) Constant Sorrow, Shady Grove, Tears On My Pillow, and Home Sweet Home.

For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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