The Stanley Brothers - Beneath The Maple (On The Hill) / Trust Each Other

(Starday 438) Jun 1959

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This 7" was recorded as part of the sessions for Mountain Song Favorites album, which was released later in November 1959, and also featured on a Picture Sleeve 7" EP, released in the same month as the single (Beneath The Maple / Choo Choo Comin' // Carolina Mountain Home / Trust Each Other (Starday SEP-107) Jun 1959).

'Billboard' magazine reviewed the release in their 15th June 1959 edition, two weeks before they reviewed the SEP-107 EP. Both sides garnered three stars with Beneath The Maple being described as:- "Fine mountain approach by the brothers on a tune that reminisces of better days. For traditional devotees."; and Trust Each Other as:- "Weeper is done to the support of country string backing that includes fiddles, guitars and banjos. Good harmonizing by the brothers."^[1]

Ralph re-cut Trust Each Other with James King on the Wango Stanley Brothers Classics: Introducing James King album, and later with Iris DeMent on his Clinch Mountain Sweethearts CD.

Beneath The Maple (On The Hill) (aka Maple On The Hill) is to my mind another of the most cherished Stanley songs, although it was written by Gussie L. Davis and dates back to 1880.^[2] Ralph also re-recorded it on his Play Requests album, and later with Jim Lauderdale on their I Feel Like Singing Today CD.

Both sides of the 7" can now be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set.

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 96-98 and 141.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WiAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=starday+438+stanley+beneath+the+maple&source=bl&ots=9dYM3kwVgM&sig=wYE1P07rggHUaKdVL4X39jm_Ukk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRnojc3qPVAhXJCMAKHfbbAMgQ6AEIRDAG#v=onepage&q=starday%20438%20stanley%20beneath%20the%20maple&f=false
[2] See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gussie_Davis. Several early country artists recorded Beneath The Maple including Vernon Dalhart - The Old Fiddler's Song / We Sat Beneath The Maple On The Hill (Victor 20109) 1926; J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers - Maple On The Hill / Take Me In The Lifeboat (Bluebird B-6065) 1935; The Callahan Brothers - Take The News To Mother / Maple On The Hill (Several labels inc. Banner 6-05-57) 1936; and The Carter Family recorded it in 1938 for their Radio Broadcasts. All of these can be found on 'youtube' - click on the links to hear them.