Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Saturday Night
(Freeland Recording Co. FRC-CD643)


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

Junior Blankenship & Ernie Thacker - Old Virginia

(Lundy LTD-162) c1992


Old Virginia (Photo by Mitchell Van Dyke)

Average Album Rating: 4
(Total votes 4)

  • 5 star
  • 4 star
  • 3 star
  • 2 star
  • 1 star

Please rate this album:

This is a hard to find cassette, comprised of solid traditional bluegrass, with Junior and Ernie in fine form. Lead vocal duties are split between the pair, with Junior taking lead on (Bury Me Beneath The) Weeping Willow and Old Home Town and Ernie singing lead on the remaining nine vocal cuts. Fiddle / banjo backing is also superbly handled by future Boxcars' musical polymath Ron Stewart, and bass duties by Heath Van Winkle.

I'm not sure when it was recorded, but 1992 - 1993 seems the most likely time-frame, as the pair left the CMB's in March 1994.[1] Also the tape credits put Junior's name first, whereas the other two releases from 1994/1995 are credited as 'Ernie Thacker and Junior Blankenship'.

There's a couple of songs from the Stanley catalogue:- Carter's Baby Girl and I'm Only Human which The Stanley Brothers cut in 1961 (and Ralph re-recorded with Bill Wicker - It's Never Too Late c1988).

Old Virginia was also re-recorded for the duo's Tears Of Gold CD, where it's credited to Clinch Fields.

Jesus Is Calling was the first song written by Ernie (when he was just 15) and had previously been recorded whilst he was with Ohio Gospel group, Bluegrass Revelators. The lyrics, turned out to be sadly prophetic:

"Some people don't know, how lucky they are"
Having a house and driving a car
Let me tell you a story, a story that's true
He can take it away, like he gave it to you."

Daddy How I Miss You (aka Oh! Dad How I Miss You) was written by Larry Fuller and recorded on Larry Fuller & The Born Again LP 'A Tribute To Mom & Dad' (Old Homestead) 1986. Junior and Ernie's version is the only cut on the album to feature a drum kit.

The cover photo was taken by future CMB banjo player Mitchell Van Dyke.

Heath Van Winkle also played on many of Charlie Sizemore's recordings in the late '80s / early '90s.

  • Junior Blankenship: lead & rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Ernie Thacker: mandolin, vocals
  • Ronnie Stewart: banjo, fiddle, drums, backing vocal
  • Heath Van Winkle: bass gtr, backing vocal

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Old Virginia
02:38
c1993
Old Virginia

Clinch Fields
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
A-2
I Hope You've Learned
02:41
c1993
Old Virginia

Carrigan/Butler
  Ld Vcl / Gtr Hr Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
A-3
Weeping Willow
02:23
c1993
Old Virginia

P.D.
  Ld Vcl / Gtr Hr Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
A-4
Jesus Is Calling
02:46
c1993
Old Virginia

Ernie Thacker
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid, Drms Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
A-5
Dark Hollow
01:50
c1993
Old Virginia

P.D.
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
A-6
On And On
02:32
c1993
Old Virginia

Bill Monroe
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-1
Baby Girl
02:49
c1993
Old Virginia

C. Stanley
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid, Drms Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-2
I'm Only Human
02:03
c1993
Old Virginia

Jimmy Wells
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-3
Wheel Hoss
01:24
c1993
Old Virginia

Bill Monroe
  Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Bjo, Fid Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-4
Old Home Town
02:42
c1993
Old Virginia

Lester Flatt
  Ld Vcl / Gtr Mnd Bjo, Fid Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-5
Sittin' Alone In The Moonlight
02:37
c1993
Old Virginia

Bill Monroe
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
B-6
Daddy How I Miss You
02:50
c1993
Old Virginia

Larry D Fuller
  Hr Vcl / Gtr Ld Vcl / Mnd Hr Vcl / Bjo, Fid, Drms Hr Vcl / Bs Gtr      
  Junior Blankenship
Ernie Thacker
Ronnie Stewart
Heath Van Winkle
 
   
Other artwork / related images:
Cassette Inlay

[1] Chris Skinker's liner notes to The Ernie Thacker, Junior Blankenship Band - Tennessee Blues (Copper Creek) 1995.

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Family Reunion Album
(Unknown Unknown)


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