(Rebel REB-CD-1760) 2000
Ralph II's second 'solo' CD is arguably one of his finest so far. Certainly his vocals had matured nicely in the couple of years since Listen To My Hammer Ring and like that earlier album it mostly features songs from the Stanley catalogue.
Russell Moore makes a guest appearance on the Sloas Brothers' Sea Of Regret singing high baritone, and a few of the songs are new to the Stanley repertoire:- It Sure Gets Cold This Time Of Year, written by CMB fiddler James Price; Ralph II's I'll Remember You In My Dreams; and Ronnie Bowman's Pathway Of Danger.
The CMB's regular banjo player, Steve Sparkman is abscent, so banjo duties are handled by Dr. Ralph who also sings tenor on half of the songs. I think Steve took about 18 months off from his time with the band, and as this album was recorded in April / May 1999 (at Maggard Studio in Big Stone Gap), and as Ralph handled banjo on the Australian gigs in 2000,[1] this could well have been the spell when he took time out.
The title cut Pretty Girls, City Lights is shown as credited to Ralph Stanley, but Dr. Ralph's version on The Memory Of Your Smile is shown as City Lights and credited to Walden Dahl. Walden's version can be found here and on an eponymous CD.
NB: (a) Junior plays lead guitar on tracks (2) and (6).
Track: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
Original Release: |
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A-1 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
02:28 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
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Walden Dahl |
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Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price |
John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton | ||||||||||||||||
A-2 |
Home In The Mountains |
03:10 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Rick Stanley |
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Ld Vcl / Gtr | Bjo | Bs | Fid | Ld Gtr | |||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price |
Junior Blankenship |
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A-3 |
All I Ever Loved Was You |
03:12 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Dorothy Skaggs |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Bjo | Bt Vcl / Bs | Tn Vcl / Fid | Ld Gtr | |||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton |
|||||||||||||||||
A-4 |
The Angels Are Singing (In Heaven Tonight) |
04:13 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
C. Stanley |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | HiBt Vcl / Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price |
John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton | ||||||||||||||||
A-5 |
It Sure Gets Cold This Time Of Year |
02:22 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
James Price |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price |
John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton | ||||||||||||||||
A-6 |
I'll Remember You In My Dreams |
02:09 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Mnd, Fid | Bs | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Jack Cooke |
Junior Blankenship |
|
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A-7 |
Think Of What You've Done |
02:19 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
C. Stanley |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Mnd | Bjo | Bs | Fid | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price | James Alan Shelton |
||||||||||||||||
A-8 |
Sea Of Regret |
03:06 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Kenneth Sloas / David Sloas |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr -- HiBt Vcl | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price | John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton -- Russell Moore |
||||||||||||||||
A-9 |
It's Raining Here This Morning |
02:21 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Louis M. Jones |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price | John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton |
||||||||||||||||
A-10 |
I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters |
03:15 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
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Nathaniel Nathan / Ray Starr / Gene C. Redd |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price | John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton |
||||||||||||||||
A-11 |
Pathway Of Danger |
03:24 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
Ronnie Bowman / Craig Market |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Fid, Mnd | Bt Vcl / Bs | Bjo | Ld Gtr | |||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
John Rigsby |
Jack Cooke |
Ralph Stanley |
James Alan Shelton |
|||||||||||||||||
A-12 |
I'll Just Catch A Train And Ride |
02:41 |
Apr/May 1999 |
Pretty Girls, City Lights |
|||||||||||||||||
R. Stanley |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ld Vcl / Gtr | Tn Vcl / Bjo | Bs | Fid | Mnd | Ld Gtr | ||||||||||||||||
Ralph II Stanley |
Ralph Stanley |
Jack Cooke |
James Price | John Rigsby |
James Alan Shelton |
[1] eg. https://youtu.be/_gO3Q2sCBeE