(MSS1996CD) 1996. Reissued as 'Clinch Mountain Echoes - Songs In The Stanley Tradition' (Copper Creek CCCD-0151) 1996
The bulk of this album was recorded at Maggard Sound Studio in Big Stone Gap, Va. on 28th March 1996, with Let Me Be Your Friend and How Mountain Girls Can Love cut a few weeks later on 26th April.
Featuring the full Clinch Mountain Boys line-up, the songs are almost all drawn from the Stanley Brothers repertoire, with Medicine Springs picked from Ralph's early solo days, and Bill Monroe's Poor White Folks being the only non-Stanley related track.
Ralph II was only 17 when this album was recorded, but he'd already been singing lead vocal with the CMB's for about a year. During this phase of Ralph's career Ralph either handled the majority of lead vocals himself, or released albums featuring guests, so it is quite nice then to have a whole set with Ralph II singing lead.[1]
John Rigsby, who turned 21 the day after the first session, plays some fine mandolin throughout. He also gets to sing lead on Ralph's largely ignored classic, Medicine Springs, and takes the fiddle lead on the instrumental Poor White Folks. According to Gary B. Reid's liner notes on the Copper Creek reissue CD John learnt the latter from John Sloas of The Sloas Brothers,[2] who seem to have been a big influence on his playing.
Again according to the liner notes, Ralph Stanley plays banjo on 'several tracks', but is only credited as singing tenor on two. Chester Robinette, who plays rhythm guitar was Ralph II's teacher - once Ralph II had become a full-time CMB, Ralph had arranged for him to have his leasons with a 'home-bound' teacher.[3]
The Copper Creek reissue is much easier to find than the original CD, and the cuts appear in a different track order.
(a) Ralph Stanley sings tenor on (5) and (9)
Track: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
Original Release: |
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A-1 |
(Say) Won't You Be Mine |
02:41 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
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A-2 |
Medicine Springs |
02:37 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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Bill Grant / R.Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
John Rigsby |
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A-3 |
The Lonesome River |
02:59 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | HiBt Vcl | Tn Vcl | |||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Ralph Stanley | |||||||||||||||||||
A-4 |
We'll Be Sweethearts In Heaven |
02:15 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
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A-5 |
The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight |
03:46 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | HiBt Vcl | Tn Vcl | |||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Ralph Stanley | |||||||||||||||||||
A-6 |
How Mountain Girls Can Love |
02:44 |
26 Apr 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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Ruby Rakes |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
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A-7 |
Mother No Longer Awaits Me At Home |
02:57 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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R. Stanley / C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
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A-8 |
Memories Of Mother |
03:46 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | Bt Vcl | |||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Jack Cooke | |||||||||||||||||||
A-9 |
Little Glass Of Wine |
02:31 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
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A-10 |
Daybreak In Dixie |
01:44 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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Bill Napier |
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A-11 |
Poor White Folks |
02:32 |
28 Mar 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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Bill Monroe |
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A-12 |
Let Me Be Your Friend |
02:26 |
26 Apr 1996 |
A Tribute To Ralph Stanley |
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C. Stanley |
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Ld Vcl | Tn Vcl | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
[1] Penny Parsons interview with Ralph 'Bluegrass Unlimited' May 1995 (p.21). "Ever since Carter passed away I've been advised by a lot of people wo do more (lead) singing... I held back some, I guess, and stayed pretty close to the tenor singing. I've been asked lots of times and lots of places, why don't you sing, so I've tried to do that. I did a lot of the lead singing on 'Saturday Night/Sunday Morning'." On Ralph's studio albums between 1996 and 2005, Ralph II is only featured on lead on about eight tracks, although he also is featured on Jeanie Stanley's - Baby Girl.
[2] The Sloas Brothers can be heard performing Poor White Folks on Live At Lost Acres. See that entry for more details of the background behind the song.
[3] Penny Parsons interview with Ralph 'Bluegrass Unlimited' May 1995 (p.22). "I've got a boy I hope he'll keep the tradition. He's doing extra well for his age - 16 - playing and singing. He wants to make it a living. He's going regular with me now. I've got him a home-bound teacher that comes to the house and teaches him. He's a full time Clinch Mountain Boy. He loves it. I think he's doing wonderful."