Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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Clinch Mountain Echo

Ralph Stanley - Sings His Favorites Now and Then

(Stanleytone No #) 2004


Sings His Favorites Now and Then

Average Album Rating: 3.33
(Total votes 3)

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This CD was recorded at 'several sessions in 2004' at Maggard Sound Studio in Big Stone Gap, Va, and was only sold at gigs.

Most of the songs are re-workings of earlier material recorded by Ralph or The Stanley Brothers. Ralph's voice is quite craggy, and strained occasionally, but there's still plenty to enjoy and he's on good form on several of the tracks.

Ralph II also sings lead on Rank Stranger and White Dove.

There are also some new songs: The Third Man, The Ringing Of The Hammer are vocal Gospel solo's by Ralph and The Vision is mostly solo vocal by Ralph, with John Rigsby providing a little tenor. Another track, Old Rail Fence features the full CMB's, but is fairly lacklustre.

I'd Be Willing To Run All The Way was recorded by The Bailes Brothers as I'll Run All the Way for King in 1953, but their version wasn't issued until 2012.[1] Ralph had previously recorded it as I'd Be Willing To Go All The Way on his Child Of The King LP.

Listen To The Shepherd had previously been cut on the Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley - Lost In The Lonesome Pines CD in 2002.

Three of the tracks, The Lowest Valley, Why Should We Start And Fear To Die and Tribute To Dean Deel (as On A High, High Mountain) also appear on Ralph's 2005 release on Rebel, Shine On. As far as I can tell, they are the same versions.

Six of the recordings, Rocky Island, Old Rail Fence, Sweet Sally Brown, Purple Robe, How Could I Dream Such A Dream, Shout Little Luly and Room At The Top Of The Stairs later reappeared on the 2016 American Icon - The Definitive Collection CD.

The CD artwork makes use of an old B&W publicity of Ralph at a Radio Station in Dayton, Oh. in the mid '50s[2] and a shot taken on 19th Nov 1996 at a Nashville party held to celebrate Ralph's 50th anniversary as a professional musician.[3]

  • Ralph Stanley: clawhammer banjo, vocals
  • Jack Cooke: bass
  • John Rigsby: fiddle, mandolin
  • James Alan Shelton: lead guitar
  • Steve Sparkman: banjo
  • Nathan Stanley: mandolin (*)
  • Ralph II Stanley: guitar, vocals

NB: (*) Nathan plays on three tracks, The Old Rail Fence, Room At The Top Of The Stairs and Hemlocks And Primroses

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
How Could I Dream Such A Dream
02:17
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Candace K. Randolph / R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-2
Who Was That Beautiful Woman
02:54
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Gene Duty / R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Gtr Tn Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-3
Rank Stranger
03:37
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Albert E. Brumley
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-4
Rocky Island
02:01
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D.
  Ld Vcl - Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Bs      
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-5
The Third Man
03:39
2004
Sings His Favorites...

??
  Ld Vcl              
  Ralph Stanley
             
A-6
Sweet Sally Brown
02:23
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Wendy Smith / R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Hrmny Vcl - Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-7
Room At The Top Of The Stairs
02:37
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Randall Hylton
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Bjo Bs Mnd  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
Nathan Stanley  
A-8
White Dove
03:37
2004
Sings His Favorites...

C. Stanley
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Hrmny Vcl - Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-9
Ringing Of The Hammer
03:09
2004
Sings His Favorites...

??
  Ld Vcl              
  Ralph Stanley
             
A-10
Shout Little Luly
01:27
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D.
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Bs      
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-11
I Am The Man Thomas
02:08
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Larry Sparks / R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Hrmny Vcl - Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-12
Listen To The Shepherd
02:02
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Jim Lauderdale
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl            
  Ralph Stanley
John Rigsby
           
A-13
Hemlock And Primroses
03:00
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Landon Messer
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Bjo Bs Mnd  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
Nathan Stanley  
A-14
Little Glass Of Wine
03:34
2004
Sings His Favorites...

C. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-15
In Heaven We'll Never Grown Old
02:32
2004
Sings His Favorites...

N.D. Johnson / L.D. Huffstutler
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Hrmny Vcl - Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-16
The Vision
02:20
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D.(?)
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl            
  Ralph Stanley
John Rigsby
           
A-17
River Underground
03:46
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Wendy Smith / R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bjo Hrmny Vcl - Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
   
A-18
I'd Be Willing To Run All The Way
02:29
2004
Sings His Favorites...

R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Bs      
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-19
Old Rail Fence
01:59
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Gary Greear
  Ld Vcl Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Bjo Bs Mnd  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Jack Cooke
Nathan Stanley  
A-20
Purple Robe
02:56
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D. arr R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl - Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Fid/Mnd Ld Gtr Hrmny Vcl - Bs      
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-21
Gloryland
03:27
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D.
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl Hrmny Vcl Hrmny Vcl        
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Jack Cooke
 
 
   
A-22
Two Coats
02:32
2004
Sings His Favorites...

R. Stanley
  Ld Vcl              
  Ralph Stanley
             
A-23
The Lowest Valley
03:05
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Pearlie Mullins
  Ld Vcl (c) Ld Vcl (v) & Tn (c) Ld Gtr/Bs          
  Ralph Stanley
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
 
 
 
   
A-24
Why Should We Start And Fear To Die
05:23
2004
Sings His Favorites...

P.D.
  Ld Vcl Hrmny Vcl Hrmny Vcl Hrmny Vcl Hrmny Vcl      
  Ralph Stanley
John Rigsby
Junior Davis
Marsha Davis
Amber Davis      
A-25
Tribute To Dean Deel
02:23
2004
Sings His Favorites...

Dean Deel
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl - Fid            
  Ralph Stanley
John Rigsby
           

NB: The above is guess work & almost certainly will be wrong - Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks.

Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover CD Tray

[1] The Bailes Brothers - 'Standing Somewhere In The Shadows' (Bear BCD-17133-AH) 2012.
[2] See p.16 of booklet with 'The Stanley Brothers - Legends Of American Music' 3xCD set (Time Life M19303DIGI) 2007.
[3] See 'The Ralph Stanley Story' (Appalshop) DVD - @ approx 1:07:30.

For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

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(King/Starday KBSCD-7000)


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