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

Spotlight on:-

Stanley Series Vol. 2 No. 2
(Copper Creek CCSS-V2N2)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Ralph Stanley - Clinch Mountain Gospel

(Rebel SLP 1571) 1977


Clinch Mountain Gospel

Average Album Rating: 4.69
(Total votes 16)

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This Gospel album was recorded on 12th May 1977 at Lemco Sound Studios in Lexington, Ky. It's regarded by many as one of Ralph's best Gospel releases along with Cry From The Cross.

What A Price, by Gene Duty, had previously been recorded by The Stanley Brothers for King in 1965. Gene was friends with Carter and Ralph and several of his tracks were recorded by Ralph. [1] The version here is at a slower tempo with soulful vocals from Keith Whitley.

Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem was another song recorded by The Stanley Brothers for King, and the version here is pretty close to the original.

I Just Saw The Rock of Ages was written by John B. Preston, who'd spent ten years in prison for armed robbery. He too wrote several songs recorded by Ralph. [2] Incidentally, the 'Rock Of Ages' is a real place in England, where the Rev. Augustus Toplady took shelter in a storm in 1763 and was inspired to write the hymn 'Rock Of Ages'. [3] (My wife and I accidentally stumbled across it, having taken a spur of the moment detour through the Mendip hills on the way to a bluegrass festival in Cornwall...)

Traveling The High Way Home was written and recorded by The Bailes Brothers.

I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) by Pete Kuykendall had been recorded by The Country Gentlemen, and would also be featured in the 'Oh Brother' film/soundtrack by The Cox Family.

Talking of which... Following on from the success of the 'Oh Brother' film/soundtrack, it's not surprising that the album featuring Ralph's version of Oh Death was reissued on CD the same year - (Rebel REB-CD-1571) 2001. The CD comes with an eight-page booklet, with liner notes by Chris Skinker, and a recommendation from Alison Krauss - "I can't think of anything better than this record." For real anoraks, there are slight variations in the print colour tone on the cover and disk (from different manufacturers).

The CD artwork makes use of a B&W photo from the KET 'Bluegrass Bluegrass' TV show that was aired on the 13th June 1977 and can be found on youtube.

The original LP artwork design was by Fred Huffman, who did many of the Rebel designs around this time, including Ralph & Curly Ray's. [4]

  • Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
  • Curly Ray Cline: fiddle
  • Jack Cooke: bass
  • Danny Marshall: mandolin
  • Troy 'Renfro' Profitt: lead guitar
  • Keith Whitley: guitar, vocals

NB: Chester 'Pop' Marshall sings bass vocal on Over In The Gloryland, Amazing Grace and What A Price.

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Over In The Gloryland
02:08
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

J.E. Reynolds / W.P. Snyder
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
A-2
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
03:54
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Robert F. Boyce
  High Bt Vcl - Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Tn Vcl - Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
A-3
Oh Death
03:00
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

P.D.
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
A-4
There'll Be None On The Other Side
02:29
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

David Marshall / R. Stanley
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
A-5
Mother's Not Dead
03:27
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Maynard Spencer / Lance Spencer
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
A-6
Jesus Saviour Pilot Me
03:08
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

J.R. Baxter / J.R. Gould / Edward Hooper
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-1
Traveling The High Way Home
02:07
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Frankie Bailes / Walter Bailes
  Tn Vcl - Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bt Vcl - Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-2
I Just Saw The Rock Of Ages
03:13
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

John B. Preston
  Tn Vcl - Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-3
Amazing Grace
03:34
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

John Newton
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-4
What A Price
03:27
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Gene Duty / R.Stanley
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-5
Are You Afraid To Die
02:49
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Charles Louvin / Ira Louvin / Eddie Hill
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 
B-6
I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)
02:40
12 May 1977
Clinch Mountain Gospel

Pete V. Kuykendall
  Bjo Gtr Fid Ld Gtr Mnd Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Keith Whitley
Curly Ray Cline
Troy 'Renfro' Profitt
Danny Marshall
Jack Cooke
 

NB: Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks.

Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover Side One Side Two

CD Cover CD Booklet (Rear) CD Booklet (Inner) CD Tray

The rock Of ages The rock Of ages plaque KET article Corbin June 1977

[1] See Brand New Country Songs; Something Old Something New; Sing Michigan Bluegrass
[2] See Lonesome And Blue
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Ages_%28Christian_hymn%29
[4] Fred Huffman did the artwork for Curly's It's Bread And Water For...; Who's Gonna Mow My Grass; Ralph's Live At McClure; Down Where The River Bends and I'll Wear A White Robe LPs.

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Little Benny / Old Love Letters
(King 5415)


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