The Stanley Brothers - The Cry From The Cross / Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side

(Mercury-Starday 71135) Jun 1957

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This gospel release seems to have taken about 11 months from being recorded, to being released on the 4th June 1957 - although there's some evidence in Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, which suggests that session date for Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side may be incorrect.

'Billboard' magazine reviewed the single in their 24th June 1957 edition, giving The Cry From The Cross a score of 83 and describing it as: "Strong back-country sacred coupling, sung with rare competence and flavor and supported by equally savory orking(?). Story of The Crucifixion is basis here." The flip, Let Me Walk, Lord By Your Side also scored 82 and was described as: "This slower side, like flip, could see lively action among the country sacred buyers. Excellent twangy harmony group."^[1]

The Cry From The Cross is one of the Stanley's perennial favourites, which Ralph continued to perform regularly, recording it on his first Rebel album, Cry From The Cross and with 14 year old Nathan Stanley on their He Suffered For My Reward release.

Let Me Walk, Lord By Your Side was later rerecorded by the Stanley's for their Good Old Camp Meeting Songs LP; and by Ralph on his Gospel Echoes Of The Stanley Brothers release. He also cut the song as a duet with Vince Gill on the Saturday Night / Sunday Morning and Sunday Morning CDs, and with Raymond Fairchild on their Ralph Stanley & Raymond Fairchild cassette. Another version with Jimmy Martin was also cut for the First Time Together album, but didn't see light of day until the Poor Rambler anthology was released in 1990.

Both sides of the single can now be found on The Complete Mercury Recordings 2xCD set.

PS: Followers of Ralph's banjo style, can find his break from The Cry From The Cross tabbed out on Gary Bates's (aka Stanleytone) page on the banjohangout.

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 60-61 and 78.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] See: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yR0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq=mercury+71135+billboard+stanley&source=bl&ots=YEpOH3tzSa&sig=sQWKGomGFnGWbyG9xRelyPK2GtI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip2aW7vaLVAhVHI8AKHTyAAOYQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=mercury%2071135%20billboard%20stanley&f=false