The Warrior River Boys - Blue Grass Session

(River Track Studios RTS-1245) 1987

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This is a hard-to-find decent trad-bluegrass cassette, with ten tracks.

It's likely that it was recorded in early May 1987 at Baker Sound Studio in Culman, Alabama, as three tracks were credited as such, when they were later included as bonus material on the CD reissue of Passin' Thru. The CD also mentions that Charlie Cline overdubbed the bass on the recording.

Six of the songs were either written by Bill Monroe, or are otherwise associated with him. For example: Mary Jane, Won't You Be Mine originated from the time when Carter Stanley worked for Bill as a Blue Grass Boy, and a version with altered lyrics was recorded by the Stanley Brothers as (Say) Won't You Be Mine (Mercury 70270) 1953; the classic Walls Of Time which was co-written with Pete Rowan; I Haven't Seen Mary In Years, which was recorded by Bill Monroe and released on the 'Father & Son' 1973 LP; Blue Grass Twist (aka Blue Grass Part 1) which appeared on 'Mr Blue Grass' 1961 LP; I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome on 'The High Lonesome Sound' 1966 LP; and He'll Set Your Fields On Fire which the Monroe Brothers first cut in 1937.

Jack And May (aka Let Us Be Lovers Again / Lovers Quarrel) was also cut by the Monroe Brothers, along with several other artists.

Of the remaining tracks: The Big Country is a version of the Jimmy Martin instrumental, and My Blue Eyed Darling harks back to the 1951 King session with Jimmy Martin, Bob Osborne, Curly Ray & Charlie Cline.

Wagon Wheel is a fast-paced instrumental tune by Charlie Cline which he originally recorded on his 1979 'Why Ray Ralph' LP.

The sound quality of this cassette (based on an MP3 rip) is not great comparing the three tracks (My Blue Eyed Darling, Wagon Wheel and Walls Of Time) with the Passin' Thru CD.

I'm told that the other tracks on the cassette, were reissued as part of the 'Home To Alabama' and 'Sacred Songs Through The Years' compilations on Old Homestead. (Thanks Todd!)

• Charlie Cline: fiddle, bass
• David Davis: mandolin, tenor vocal
• Mitch Scott: guitar, lead vocal
• Gary Waldrep: banjo, baritone vocal

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