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

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Gather At The River: A Bluegrass Celebration
(BMG Special Products 72333-80068-9)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Don Reno and Red Smiley - Bluegrass 1963

(Man-do-lin MP-0108) 2008


Don Reno and Red Smiley - Bluegrass 1963

Average Album Rating: 4.5
(Total votes 2)

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This is a collection of old TV footage by Don Reno & Red Smiley circa 1963, which was re-broadcast on Ronnie Reno's Reno's Old Time Music Festival TV show. Although not mentioned anywhere on the artwork, The Stanley Brothers are featured as Reno & Smiley's guests on five tracks, which may date from 1962.[1]

Of the songs featuring the Stanley Brothers, In The Pines is performed by Ralph and Carter in front of a back projection screen, which shows slides of a railway track, trees and clouds. There then follows a duet with Ralph and Don Reno performing Home Sweet Home with the pair having swapped banjo's. Carter and Red then join them for a version of Over In The Gloryland with a back projection of stained glass windows. All three of the songs feature some off camera backing, presumably by members of the Tennessee Cut-ups.

Later on the DVD includes two songs with Ralph and Carter sitting in with Don Reno & Red Smiley with the Tennessee Cut-ups also in the frame. Here Carter and Ralph sing on the chorus to Nine Pound Hammer, with a young Ronnie Reno handling lead vocal on the verses; and there's an instrumental version of John Henry. Reno's banjo on these last two tracks is a different one to the earlier three cuts.

Picture quality on the DVD is variable, with the earlier tracks being better quality. One song, I'm The Talk Of The Town is originally from a film rather than video source and dates from 1957, it being the earliest footage of Reno & Smiley. In particular the latter half of the DVD suffers from quite severe video tape deterioration, but then it does give a wonderful opportunity to see one of the pioneering acts of bluegrass, so it's a case of being grateful anything has survived.

All of the songs featuring The Stanley's can be found on youtube, i.e. In The Pines; Home Sweet Home; Over In The Gloryland; Nine Pound Hammer; and John Henry.

Two of the tracks, The Stanley's In The Pines and Reno's Love Please Come Home were later included on the Families Of Bluegrass: An American Tradition DVD, although the quality is not as good as on this 'Bluegrass 1963' set.

 

Track:
Artist:
Title:
Date:
DVD
(48:18)
A-1
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Love Please Come Home
c1963

Leon Jackson
A-2
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Down Yonder
c1963

L. Wolfe Gilbert
A-3
Stanley Brothers
In The Pines
c1963

P.D.
A-4
Don Reno & Ralph Stanley
Home Sweet Home
c1963

Bishop / Payne
A-5
Reno & Smiley and the Stanley Brothers
Over In The Gloryland
c1963

J.E. Reynolds / W.P. Snyder
A-6
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Where Is That Chord (comedy)
c1963

N/A
A-7
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Bare Foot Nellie
c1963

Reno - Davis
A-8
Reno & Smiley and the Stanley Brothers
Nine Pound Hammer
c1963

P.D.
A-9
Reno & Smiley and the Stanley Brothers
John Henry
c1963

P.D.
A-10
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Wouldn't Change You If I Could
c1963

Jim Eanes
A-11
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Panhandle Country
c1963

Bill Monroe
A-12
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Whispering Hope
c1963

??
A-13
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Bill Bailey 'Irving Sharp'
c1963

??
A-14
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Arkansas Traveler
c1963

P.D.
A-15
Don Reno & Red Smiley
I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map
c1963

Reno / Schroeder
A-16
Don Reno & Red Smiley
I'm The Talk Of The Town
c1963

Don Reno
A-17
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Fisher's Hornpipe
c1963

P.D.
A-18
Don Reno & Red Smiley
I Know You're Married
c1963

Don Reno / Mac Magaha
A-19
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Ballad Of Jed Clampett
c1963

Paul Henning
A-20
Don Reno & Red Smiley
Patty On The Turnpike
c1963

P.D.
Other artwork / related images:
DVD Jacket Ralph and Carter
Ralph and Carter Ralph and Don Reno
Ralph and Don Reno Don Reno, Red Smiley, Ralph and Carter
Don Reno, Red Smiley, Ralph and Carter The Tennessee Cut-Ups and The Stanley Brothers
Ralph and Carter Don Reno and Ralph

[1] A later DVD 'Families Of Bluegrass - An American Tradition' from 2010 identifies the In The Pines clip as from 1962.

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

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