Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 May 1922 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Born 'Harold Oplis Stanley' in Fentress, Tennessee.

18 May 1938 - Henry Dockery. Walnut Marsh, North Carolina.

28 May 1956 - Ralph 'Hank' Smith. Born 'Ralph Dewayne Smith' in Elliott County, Kentucky.


In Memoriam:

02 May 1974 - Roy Lee Centers. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

03 May 2000 - Bill Napier. Johnson City, Tennessee.

09 May 1989 - Keith Whitley. Goodlettsville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

23 May 2022 - James Price. Parkersburg, Wood, West Virginia.


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

Ralph II ralph2.com

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Songs Of The Carter Family
(Gusto/King KSCD 540)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Bill Wicker with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - It's Never Too Late

(No label C-3080) 1988?


It's Never Too Late

Average Album Rating: 4.43
(Total votes 7)

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This is one of two cassettes Ralph recorded with Bill Wicker, who was born in Mallie, Ky in 1948 but later moved to Edgerton, Ohio. I'm not exactly sure of the date, but John Arms who knew Bill at the time thinks it's a pretty close guess. There was also a second all Gospel cassette, Sacred Songs From The Past released a couple of years later.

This cassette was recorded at Maggard Studios in Big Stone Gap, Va. and contains some pretty good renditions of ten Stanley Brothers/Ralph Stanley numbers, with Bill Wicker on lead vocals (and presumably guitar).

Some of the track titles are a bit garbled on the artwork... I'll Have A New Love is You Know I'll Be Lonesome; Blotter, Eraser And Strings is String, Eraser And Blotter and Best Girl This Poor Boy Ever Had should be Highway Of Regret.

Bill was apparently offered a job as a CMB by Ralph at a festival in Tecumseh, Mi. but declined, as he had a steady job at an Indiana foundry. He later became a minister.

The cassette line up below is now more or less confirmed... but I'm not sure whether Ernie Thacker is on mandolin - or if Bill Wicker played mandolin? If anyone can help fill in the gaps please get in touch via the Contact page.

It's pretty amazing that recordings like this exist... Thanks to John Arms and Steve Wisener for the updates.

  • Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
  • Bill Wicker: guitar, vocals
  • Sammy Adkins: guitar, vocals
  • Junior Blankenship: lead guitar
  • Curly Ray Cline: fiddle
  • Jack Cooke: bass
  • Ernie Thacker: mandolin

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
It's Never Too Late (To Start Over)
03:02
c1988
It's Never Too Late

C. Stanley
A-2
You Know I'll Be Lonesome
02:46
c1988
It's Never Too Late

R. Stanley
A-3
String, Eraser And Blotter
02:42
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Shorty Long / John A. Speca
A-4
All I Ever Loved Is You
03:15
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Dorothy Mae Skaggs
A-5
Rock Bottom
03:11
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Gene Duty / R. Stanley
B-1
If That's The Way You Feel
02:37
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Peggy Stanley / R. Stanley
B-2
Highway Of Regret
02:43
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Donald 'Chubby' Anthony
B-3
You're Going Away
02:31
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Lee Allen
B-4
I'm Only Human
02:19
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Jimmy Wells
B-5
That Lonesome Old Song
04:24
c1988
It's Never Too Late

Gene Duty / R. Stanley
Other artwork / related images:
Full Sleeve

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Clinch Mountain Guitar
(Freeland Recording Co. FRC-CD-650)


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