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 - Clinch Mountain Boys Reunion

(Stanleytone ST-CD-5000) 1996


Clinch Mountain Boys Reunion

Average Album Rating: 4.5
(Total votes 4)

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This is a live recording made on Saturday 25th May 1996 at Ralph's 'Hills Of Home' festival in McClure, Va.

Ralph began performing professionally, after being discharged from the army in October 1946, so 1996 marked his 50th year in 'old time mountain what they called bluegrass music'. As part of the celebrations, the 'Clinch Mountain Boys Reunion' portion of his festival was filmed and recorded for release on Video and this 2xCD set.

The DVD reissue features slightly different material, with Ralph joining Dwight Yoakam and Ricky Skaggs for a couple of numbers, and segments of fans / musicians wishing Ralph all the best... The 2xCD set includes a few songs which aren't on the DVD. No line-ups are given on the disc, so I've used the DVD to identify the musicians & 'a best guess' for those songs not on the DVD.

Not surprisingly the performance is a bit rough around the edges at times, but given the nature of live unrehearsed recordings and considering Ralph was 69 at the time, it's still pretty good stuff.

I don't think Joey McCormick was a regular CMB, but he had earlier written three songs on Ralph's Hymn Time LP.

The 'core' Clinch Mountain Boy line-up at the time, was also pretty strong with John Rigsby and Steve Sparkman reinvigorating the band.

  • Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
  • Jack Cooke: bass
  • James Price: fiddle
  • John Rigsby: mandolin
  • James Alan Shelton: lead guitar
  • Steve Sparkman: banjo
  • Ralph II Stanley: guitar, vocals

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Source:
A-1
Theme Song
01:12
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

C. Stanley / R. Stanley
  Bjo Bs Mnd Gtr Bjo Gtr Fid  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Steve Sparkman
Ralph II Stanley
Lester Woodie
 
A-2
Black Mountain Blues
03:41
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Leslie Keith
  Bjo Bs Mnd Gtr Gtr Fid  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Ralph II Stanley
Lester Woodie
 
A-3
Man Of Constant Sorrow
04:03
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

R.D. Burnett
  Bjo Bs Mnd Gtr Gtr Fid  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Ralph II Stanley
Lester Woodie
 
A-4
Kansas City Railroad Blues
03:25
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

George Walburn
  Bjo Bs Mnd Gtr Fid Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Art Stamper
Ralph II Stanley
 
A-5
Hey, Hey, Hey
02:43
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

C. Stanley
  Bjo Bs Mnd Gtr Fid Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Art Stamper
Ralph II Stanley
 
A-6
Orange Blossom Special
03:10
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Ervin T. Rouse
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
Joe Meadows
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Ralph II Stanley
 
A-7
Will You Miss Me?
05:48
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

A.P. Carter
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
George Shuffler
Larry Sparks
 
A-8
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
01:42
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

A.P. Carter
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
George Shuffler
 
A-9
Comedy Routine
03:54
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

n/a
  Comedy routine with Ralph Stanley and Melvin Goins
A-10
The Hills Of Roane County
04:57
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

William Maberry
  Bjo Bs Gtr Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
Joe Isaacs
James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
 
A-11
We Shall Meet
03:57
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

P.D. (?)
  Bjo Bs Gtr Vcl Vcl Fid Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Ben Isaacs
Joe Isaacs
Sonya Isaacs
Rebecca Isaacs
James Price
James Alan Shelton
 
A-12
Long Black Veil
04:16
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Danny Dill / Marijohn Wilkin
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
Ralph II Stanley
 


B-1
Bill Cheatum
03:12
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

P.D.
  Bjo Bs Ld Gtr Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
Ricky Lee
James Price
John Rigsby
Ralph II Stanley
 
B-2
Lonesome Old Home
06:11
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Curnie Wilson / Russell Wilson / Ed Hamilton
  Bjo Ld Gtr Bs Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
Charlie Sizemore
 
B-3
The Letter I Never Mailed
02:34
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Candace K. Randolph / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Gtr Bs Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
Charlie Sizemore
 
B-4
Cannonball Blues
02:31
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

A.P. Carter
  Bjo Ld Gtr Bs Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
Charlie Sizemore
 
B-5
Way Down Deep
02:58
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Charles W. Vaughn
  Bjo Gtr Bs Fid Mnd  
  Ralph Stanley
Sammy Adkins
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
 
B-6
I Need Jesus (The Marshall Family)
02:50
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

P.D. arr Judy Marshall
  Vcl Vcl Vcl Vcl  
  Chester 'Pop' Marshall
Danny Marshall
David Marshall
Judy Marshall
 
B-7
Meet Me By The Moonlight
04:18
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Joseph Augustine Wade
  Bjo Bs Gtr Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James King
James Price
John Rigsby
Ralph II Stanley
 
B-8
Long Gone
03:07
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Don Reno / Red Smiley
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
Ralph 'Hank' Smith
Ernie Thacker
 
B-9
Another Night
04:49
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Jack Adkins
  Bjo Bs Gtr Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke/George Shuffler
Kenneth Davis
James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
 
B-10
Let Me Love You One More Time
02:43
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

R. Stanley
  Bjo Fid Mnd Gtr Bs Bjo Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
George Shuffler
Steve Sparkman
Ralph II Stanley
 
B-11
White Dove
04:07
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

C. Stanley
  Bjo Vcl Fid Mnd Gtr Bs Bjo Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Joey McCormick
James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
George Shuffler
Steve Sparkman
Ralph II Stanley  
B-12
Fling Ding
02:32
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

R. Stanley
  Fid Mnd Gtr Bs Bjo Gtr  
  James Price
John Rigsby
James Alan Shelton
George Shuffler
Steve Sparkman
Ralph II Stanley  
B-13
Ninety-Nine Years
05:25
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

??
  Bjo Fid Bs Gtr  
  Dave Evans
James Price
George Shuffler
Larry Sparks
 
B-14
I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters
03:20
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Nathaniel Nathan / Gene C. Red / Ray Starr
  Bjo Fid Bs Gtr  
  Dave Evans
James Price
George Shuffler/Jack Cooke
Larry Sparks
 
B-15
The Lonesome River
03:36
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

C. Stanley
  Bjo Bs Fid Mnd Gtr  
  Ralph Stanley
Jack Cooke
James Price
John Rigsby
Ralph II Stanley
 
B-16
The Hills Of Home
02:48
25 May 1996
McClure, Va.

Wendy Smith / R. Stanley
  Ralph Stanley - banjo; Junior Blankenship - guitar; Jack Cooke - bass; Dave Evans - guitar; James Price - fiddle; John Rigsby - mandolin; James Alan Shelton - guitar; Charlie Sizemore - guitar; Ralph 'Hank' Smith - guitar; Steve Sparkman - banjo; Larry Sparks - guitar; Art Stamper - fiddle; Ralph II Stanley - guitar
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover CD Tray

Reunion DVD 50th Anniversary Memory Book Festival Line Up (from Memory Book) Festival Line Up (from Memory Book)

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

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