Ralph Stanley - Volume 1 (Recorded Live In 1971)

(Stanley Tone C-4538) c1991

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This is a cassette Ralph released circa 1991 ^[1] featuring a live performance from 2nd - 5th September 1971 at Carlton Haney's Labor Day Weekend festival at Camp Springs, Reidsville, NC.

Five of the tracks were later reissued on CD as part of the Classic Stanley live compilation.

The Camps Spring festival was filmed by Albert Ihde and released as Bluegrass Country Soul. This is an absolutely fantastic film for bluegrass fans, with stellar performances and a knock-out line-up. In the film the CMB's are shown performing Man Of constant Sorrow from the same afternoon set as this tape, and there are a couple of other clips with Curly Ray taking part in a mass fiddle rendition of Sally Goodin and clips of the band in the festival grounds.

Sadly, Roy Lee Centers is not present, as one of his children had had an accident the previous Tuesday and was critically ill in hospital. ^[2]

Presumably the festival was recorded for the soundtrack to the film, by the festivals soundman Ken Alexander. Many of these tapes have subsequently resurfaced, including a collaborative set with Jimmy Martin and Ralph and another where Mac Wiseman / Chubby Wise play on a couple of numbers. ^[3]

On the cassette, the version of The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight is faded out to make a cut in the recording less obtrusive.

Thanks to Barry Lane for the loan of the cassette.

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

NB: the Cassette doesn't specify instruments/vocal parts.

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