Hymns And Sacred Songs LP.">
Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Jan 1930 - Ralph Mayo. Born 'Ralph Eugene Mayo' in Surgeonsville, Tennessee.

06 Jan 1934 - Al Elliott.

10 Jan 1923 - Curly Ray Cline. Born in Baisden, Mingo, West Virginia.

16 Jan 1931 - John Shuffler. Valdese, North Carolina.

24 Jan 1947 - Joe Isaacs. Born in Big Hill, Kentucky.


In Memoriam:

04 Jan 2008 - Vernon Derrick. Marshall, Alabama.

23 Jan 2005 - Art Stamper. Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.


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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Christmas Time With
(Freeland Recording Co. FRC-CD639)


CME Recommends...

A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

CME Recommends...

Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

CME Recommends...

Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

CME Recommends...

Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

CME Recommends...

Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited
Clinch Mountain Echo

The Stanley Brothers - That Home Far Away / How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done

(King 5197) Apr 1959


That Home Far Away

This 45 was recorded as part of the 10-11th Feb 1959 sessions for their Hymns And Sacred Songs LP, which was released later in Oct 1959.

The single got a lacklustre review in the 13 Apr 1959 edition of 'Billboard' magazine. That Home Far Away got three stars saying: "The Stanley Brothers, accompanied by the Clinch Mountain Boys, turn in a hoe-down styled reading of a sacred gospel item that can interest hill folk". The flipside, How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done just got two stars: "On this side the brothers sing about the wonderful things the Lord has done for us. There is a sermon in the middle of the vocal."[1]

How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done was written the day before it was recorded on the 10th Feb. Al Elliot: "(That) night we got into Cincinnati, Carter... well, he sat down and he said 'I want us to write this song. It's on my mind (and) me, you, and Ralph can sit here and write it'. So, we got together and wrote that there that night and had it ready to record the next day. We switched instruments on that. Carter did the recitation and I played the guitar and then we got three part harmony on it." [1]

Ralph later re-recorded That Home Far Away on his 2010 CD A Mother's Prayer; and How Can We Thank Him... as a duet with Diamond Rio on the 1998 2xCD set Clinch Mountain Country.

Both sides of the single can be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set.

Thanks to Bill Sanguinetti for the 45 label photographs!

 

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 94-95 and 140.

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
That Home Far Away
02:08
11 Feb 1959
King 5197

Ruby Rakes
  Ld Vcl - Gtr Tn Vcl - Bjo Fid Bt Vcl - Mnd Bs Vcl - Bs    
  Carter Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Chubby Anthony
Al Elliot
George Shuffler
 
 
B-1
How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done
02:30
10 Feb 1959
King 5197

Ruby Rakes
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl - Bjo Fid Bt Vcl - Gtr Bs    
  Carter Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Chubby Anthony
Al Elliot
George Shuffler
 
 
Other artwork / related images:
How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done

[1] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UiAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&dq=king+5197+stanley&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiC2Z74xp6DAxXAX0EAHfQWAO8Q6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=king%205197%20stanley&f=false
[2] An interview with Doug Gordon and Roy Burke III quoted in the liner notes to the 4xCD box set The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961.

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Columbia Sessions Vol. 1
(Rounder ROU-55-09)


CME Recommends...

A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

CME Recommends...

Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

CME Recommends...

Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

CME Recommends...

Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

CME Recommends...

Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited