The Stanley Brothers - I'll Just Go Away / Highway Ambush

(King 6236) Dec 1969

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This 7" contains I'll Just Go Away which the Stanley's had recorded for their Sing The Songs They Like Best LP, but for some unfathomable reason it wasn't released until this retrospective 45. Another of Carter's excellent songs, it surprisingly didn't appear on any King/Gusto album or compilation, until the Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set. Ralph did however continue to perform it and live versions appear on the Live! At McClure and Classic Stanley albums. He also recorded several other versions with other artists including the V/A - Masters Of The Banjo tour in 1993.

The flipside, Highway Ambush is a misnomer, as it's actually Ralph's banjo instrumental, Midnight Ramble under a false name. This dates back to their King 1959 debut The Stanley Brothers And The Clinch Mountain Boys LP. It is another of Ralph's classic instrumentals, and real fun to pick... It's a shame it's not more frequently heard these days.

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

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 92-93, 118-119, 139 and 151-152.

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