The Stanley Brothers - I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow / How Mountain Girls Can Love

(King 5269) Oct 1959

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This 7" couples How Mountain Girls Can Love from the Stanley's first King LP (The Stanley Brothers And The Clinch Mountain Boys), with a version of I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow which they recorded in Sept 1959, during the sessions for Sing Everybody's Country Favorites.

Needless to say, this is one fine single, with two of the Stanley Brothers most popular songs. Man Of Constant Sorrow had previously been cut for their 1951 Columbia 20816 single, although the King version is a new arrangement, where the 3rd verse and fiddle break is omitted and new refrains added to the end of each verse & at the start of the song. The Stanley's arrangement, was later duplicated on the mega-successful 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' film/soundtrack, which also reinstated the missing 3rd verse.

How Mountain Girls Can Love is likewise another classic, one of the many of Carter's songs which have stood the test of time, and still a bluegrass jam/festival favourite today.

Promotional copies of this 7" have silver text on a black label, rather than the usual black text on a white label.

Both sides of the 7" can now be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set.

PS: For students of the 'Stanley Style' of banjo pickin', Ralph's two breaks on How Mountain Girls Can Love can be found on Gary Bates's (aka Stanleytone) page on the banjohangout. There's also a version on Ralph's The Banjo Of Ralph Stanley: From Old-Time To Bluegrass Homespun DVD, but that's played slightly differently and lacks the 'up the neck' 2nd break.

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 91-92, 103, 139 and 143-144.

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