Larry Sparks - John Deere Tractor

(Rebel REB-1588) 1980.

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Although this album was recorded 16-18 Mar 1978 at Lemco Sound Studios in Lexington, Ky, it's release was initially held up by Rebel's purchase of the King Bluegrass label, and then by the subequent change of ownership of Rebel when Dave Freeman bought the label from Dick Freeland.

At the end of 1979, towards the two-year hold-up, Larry went back into the studio to record Kinda Lonesome on his own Lesco Record label. Five tracks were duplicated on both LPs: Nobody's Business, Girl At The Crossroads Bar, Carter's Blues, Love Of The Mountains, and Guide Me Lord (as Great High Mountain).

Nobody's Business is an uptempo version of the song which had been a live favourite of both The Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs, with the Stanley's recording it on their Meet Me Tonight / Nobody's Business (Blue Ridge 514) 1962. Larry's interpretation however, was derived from the Flatt & Scruggs version, as he later recalled: "Dave Freeman sent me a reissue album of Flatt & Scruggs years ago and I pretty much followed their arrangement. It had to be done the way they recorded it. I couldn't really improve on that". Also from the Flatt & Scruggs catalogue is a version of Earl Scruggs' classic, Somehow Tonight which they originally cut in 1951.

Girl At The Crossroads Bar was written by Bill Bryson who recorded it on the Bluegrass Cardinals eponymous debut album in 1976. The backing on this version is somewhat more restrained than on Kinda Lonesome, but both are great.

Carter's Blues is a different version to that later included on Early & Essential Vol. 2. Originally recorded as a vocal piece by the Carter Family, Larry's instrumental version owes as much to Earl Scruggs as it does Maybelle Carter.

Love Of The Mountains, by Allen Mills was similiarly recorded on Lost & Found's 1975 debut LP 'First Time Around'. Another catchy song, Larry altered the opening lyrics to "Two trees on the hill side of the mountain, always looking up toward the sky...", rather than the original "The trees...". On this version the instrumentation is again more restrained that on Kinda Lonesome, with both featuring a split guitar/mandolin break by Larry.

The soulful Guide Me Lord aka Great High Mountain was written by Keith Whitley. In an interview with Jon Weisburger for 'No Depression' magazine Larry recalled: "I was lacking one song for the (John Deere) album and Keith Whitley was down there at the studio, and he said 'I've got a song I think you'll like, it'll really suit you and your style of singing. I'm going home tonight, and I'll bring it tomorrow." The song was listed as Guide Me Lord on this album, and Great High Mountain on John Deere Tractor. (NB: It's not the same number as Great High Mountain on Ralph's 1973 I Want To Preach The Gospel LP). This version has more mandolin towards the end of the song, and features the fiddle less prominently than on Kinda Lonesome.

The album's title cut, John Deere Tractor is another magnum opus, with Larry's soulful vocal and signature guitar work. The song which was written by Lawrence Hammond, was re-worked by Larry slowing the tempo and adding the guitar introduction. Lemco's owner Cecil Jones had played a demo of the song two or three of years earlier. JD Crowe also recalled "I heard the song from Cecil Jones back in either 1969 or the very early 1970s. He really didn't pitch it to me (to record) but wanted me to listen to it because the structure of the song was so different for it's time. I thought it was a really interesting song, a good song, but it didn't really fit with what I was doing at the time. It fit Larry's style very well, though." Larry latter commented: "It was so exceptional at the time I heard it. It caught people's attention then and still catches their attention today because it is such a different sounding song."

Other tracks on the album include a version of Flatt & Scruggs' I'd Rather Be Alone, the hymn When I Lay My Burdens Down, the jazzy instrumental Hot Sauce, and Making Believe which had been a hit for Kitty Wells in 1955.

The album is regarded by many as one of Larry's classic releases, and the sleeve design by Fred Huffman is also quite notable.

It was released early in 1980, with an advert in the Mar 1980 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited. In Feb 1980, Larry was reported to have discontinued his music shop and relocated to Nashville, Tennesee. The move was turned out to be temporary however, as four months later, he'd moved back to Richmond, Indiana. 'John Deere Tractor' garnered a glowing review in September's 'Bluegrass Unlimited', about a month before the release of Larry's next album, It's Never Too Late.

Kirk Brandenberger was later behind the 'Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass' radio sampler series of CDs.

Larry later re-cut Great High Mountain on It's Just Me (2023)

• Larry Sparks: guitar, mandolin, vocals
• Tommy Boyd: banjo, dobro, tenor vocal
• Kirk Brandenberger: fiddle
• Mike Carter: bass
• Bob Goff: bass (*)

NB: bass on (1) only.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] 'General Notes' section of the Jan 1979 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'.
[2] 'General Notes' section of the Nov 1979 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'.