The Stanley Brothers - Goes To Europe

Also Featuring Jackie & Larry Dickson

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This is a split album with one side by The Stanley Brothers and the other by Jackie & Larry Dickson. Another version of the album, with the same tracks and catalogue number (RLP-200) was titled "A Beautiful Life" and featured two different landscape pictures on the front.

Given the title, I'd guess it was released in 1966, as The Stanleys toured Europe in the spring of 1966, and perhaps issued later as "A Beautiful Life", with the landscape painting artwork. At least one of the landscape painting covers was also used on a second version of A Beautiful Life, with the reference to Jackie & Larry Dickson blanked out with black ink.

A letter to DJ's sent out on the 27th Feb 1967,^[1] says:- "Starday is supplying and distributing SLP-384 (Jacob's Vision), the new gospel release by The Stanleys but they are slightly behind in their pressing. RIMROCK 200, one side exclusive material recorded by The Stanleys between contracts, is also available."

The second version of A Beautiful Life, omits the Jackie & Larry Dickson cuts, but includes the same eight Stanley Brothers tracks, plus three from the same sessions which had appeared on a V/A - 16 Gospel Hall Of Fame (Rimrock 1003) LP c1967... This second version was also released as 'The World Famous Stanley Brothers - Singing Pure As A Mountain Stream', with another landscape photo. I haven't found a copy of this variant yet, but it was advertised on the rear sleeve of the "Goes To Europe" cover.

The Stanley Brothers sessions for the album took place in December 1965 at Wayne Raney's studio in Concord, Arkansas, at the same time as the An Empty Mansion was recorded.^[2]

In a later 'Bluegrass Unlimited' Jackie Dickson recalled: "When we cut our albums... we went to Wayne Rayney's studio and the Stanley Brothers were there."

"Wayne handed me a song list and said 'Here Jackie, pick out what you're going to sing'... I looked it over, but the Stanley Brothers and Don Reno had already took just about all the picking and I picked a few and said 'I believe we'll do these'. I said 'Boys, are you ready?' And they said, 'Yes'. So we started recording and we went to record 'Who At My Door Is Standing'."

"We were going to try it out, but Wayne cut it while we were practicing and yelled out, 'I believe that will do'. We cut a whole side in one night and turned around and went back home and went to work the next morning."^[3]

This was the last studio session to feature Carter.

There are at least three versions of the 'Goes To Europe' album, with the same front cover. I think the earliest two had images of other albums, including a picture of 'The World Famous Stanley Brothers - Singing Pure As A Mountain Stream'. The second variation with the box/arrows design is similiar to the later copies of A Beautiful Life, so probably dates from around the same time.

The alternate covers of (RLP-200) (as "A Beautiful Life" with landscape artwork) and the regular "Goes To Europe" are from the same masters - ie. the writing in the dead wax is the same. Also on both the front colour picture is printed on a separate piece of paper and pasted to the front jacket.

Thanks to Gary Reid for the re-dacted A Beautiful Life cover photos.

• Carter Stanley: guitar, vocals
• Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
• Ralph Mayo: fiddle
• George Shuffler: lead guitar, bass

For detailed information on these sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 194-196 and 219-220.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Letter to DJ's by Norman Carlson, Indiana Representative of The Stanley Brothers & Bill Monroe Fan Club, reprinted in the 'Stanley Standard' Memorial Issue (p.58).
[2] Gary B. Reid's book "The Music Of The Stanley Brothers" (p194-196)
[3] 'Larry & Jackie Dickson - They Love The Little Ones' by Arlie Metheny, 'Bluegrass Unlimited', p.59 June 1984.