The Stanley Brothers - Shadows Of The Past

(Copper Creek CCLP-0101) 1981

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This was the first of many superb archive releases on Gary B. Reid's Copper Creek label. For anyone who's soaked up the Stanley's studio work, and is still wanting more, this collection and the other 'Stanley Series' live recordings, give a precious glimpse of the band at work.

All of the songs featured on the album hadn't been recorded commercially by The Stanley Brothers,^[1] and the inclusion of one of their typical comedy routines, and on-stage banter, gives the listener an idea of what a 'typical' show might be like.

Two of the songs included were written by Carter, but not recorded by the Brothers. Going To The Races, which was written for The Country Gentlemen was adapted to form Gonna Paint This Town; and the splendid Thinking Of The Old Days, which was given to Bill Clifton who recorded it as Are You Alone.^[2]

In the CD liner notes, many of the songs are described variously by Ralph as: "an old song", "another old-timer", "another old one we learned somewhere", "just another old standard we learned somewhere", "a solo that Carter sung. I don't know where he learned it"... Thankfully, Gary B. Reid's research is more forthcoming, for instance identifying Just Another Broken Heart as a Carter Family song, but with only one verse/chorus in common with The Stanleys rendition. Similarly, the Louvin's Here Today And Gone Tomorrow, which Gary identifies as being patterned after country music trio The Browns, later confirmed by Ralph:- "they (the Browns) used to do it and they're the only ones I ever did hear do it."

Other songs include I Hope You Have Learned, which Bill Monroe cut with Jimmy Martin and had released on a single in 1954.^[3]; and The Callahan Brothers' They Sleep Together, Now At Rest which according to Ralph: "we used to do that a lot. That used to be very popular". (An earlier 1949 version, as They're At Rest Together, can also now be found on 'The Stanley Brothers On WCYB Bristol' (Rebel REB-855) 1988.)

As with most of the other live Stanley Brothers material, the sound quality is a little variable, but for me the opportunity to hear Carter and Ralph 'in the flesh' far outweighs the occasional fair-ground bell, or odd distortion/sound level fluctuation.

The tape sources for the album were taken from the recordings made by Bill Offenbacher, except for the Oberlin College material which was provided by the Oberlin College Folk Music Club. Two of the shows have resurfaced in more complete form:- 7th Sept 1958, New River Ranch, Rising Sun, Md. on Stanley Series Vol. 3 No. 4; and 5th Aug 1956, Silver Creek Ranch, Paris, Va. on Stanley Series Vol. 3 No. 1. There is also one additional track that has resurfaced from the 17 Mar 1962 Oberlin show.^[4] If anyone has any more complete versions of Oberlin or other non 'Stanley-Series' shows please get in touch!

Thanks to Chris Wing for the LP scans.

For a detailed breakdown and background to these appearances, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 52-55, 61, 64-65, 80-82, 89-90, 130, 137-139 and 160.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] To be pedantic, Long Journey Home was cut for the John's Country Quartet LP.
[2] Gary B. Reid's liner notes. Also Bill Clifton recorded Are You Alone in Mar 1958. You can find his version on the 'Across The World To Poor Valley' 8xCD set (Bear Family BCD 16425) 2001.
[3] I Hope You Have Learned was recorded 28th Nov 1958 and released 8th Mar 1954. 'The Music Of Bill Monroe' by Neil V. Rosenberg and Charles K. WOlfe (p.108 & 301)
[4] There's a version of How Mountain Girls Can Love from the Oberlin College show on the V/A 'The Audience Pleased' LP: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/theaudiencepleased.html