Curly Ray Cline - Boar Hog

(Old Homestead OHS 90138) 1980

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Recorded on 10th Mar 1979, the day after they had recorded Ralph's I'll Wear A White Robe album, at Messa Studios in Wise, Va.

Like most of Curly's albums, the LP contains a mix of light-hearted vocal tracks and instrumental / fiddle tunes.

Boar Hog was often featured in Ralph's live shows^[1], although the studio performance is a tad more restrained. Curly later re-cut it as Sow Hog on the Together Again At Their Best cassette. It is basically a re-hash of Groundhog...

Curly also sings on The Carter Family's Today Has Been A Lonesome Day (aka Sad And Lonesome Day) and Rubber Dolly.

Turkey Call is a pretty weird instrumental. It's basically Pop Goes The Weasel with Ralph making 'turkey calls'.

Faded Love had been a hit for Patsy Cline, and has some neat guitar from Junior.

I Saw The Light, Hank Williams' gospel classic, is another highlight, with breaks by Ralph, Junior and Curly.

The 'Boar Hog' pictured on the cover belonged to Curt and Hope Randolph of The Lost Kentuckians who played at Ralph's 'Hills Of Home' festival in McClure between 1979 and 1985. Ralph also recorded a few of Candace Randolph's songs on The Stanley Sound Today, Lonesome And Blue and the Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley - Lost In The Lonesome Pines CD.

On a live tape from the 'Land Of Lincoln' Blue Grass Festival in Viola, IL. 10th July 1981, (organised by Curt & Hope Randolph), Ralph gives a bit of background on 'Boar Hog' when introducing the song:- "I think it was my idea at first, of course I'm not too proud of it. I may have made a mistake, I don't know about it, but I decided for Curly to have a picture made on a boar hog... ridin' a boar hog, and titled the album the 'Boar Hog'. Well, Curt's got a lot of big nice hog here, big platinum's. So Curly got on one of the hogs & Curt took his picture... and he's got the album up here, titled the 'Boar Hog'. I know the idea was a good 'un. The idea about making the picture of the boar hog, but thinking about the song, I don't know. Some says yes & some no, I don't know - we'll let you decide... Curly Ray and the big 'Boar Hog'!"

• Curly Ray Cline: fiddle, vocals
• Junior Blankenship: lead guitar
• Jack Cooke: bass
• Charlie Sizemore: guitar
• Ralph Stanley: banjo, guitar, turkey call

Other artwork / related images:

[1] eg: https://youtu.be/DmQ3BbV_IIQ?t=34m10s