Folk Song Festival, issued with the longer title Award Winners at the Folk Song Festival, was released by King Records as number 791 in March 1962, with a stereo pressing (KS 791) following in August. Its twelve tracks were recorded at King’s studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, on four dates between July 1960 and September 1961, so the supporting players change from session to session. Carter Stanley on guitar and Ralph Stanley on banjo anchor every track, with George Shuffler on bass or guitar. The January 1961 session, which produced “Little Joe,” “My Handsome Molly,” “The Drunken Driver” and “Just Dreamin’,” added Curley Lambert on mandolin and Art Stamper on fiddle; the July 1961 session brought in Al Elliott on mandolin and Chubby Anthony on fiddle, and Anthony returned in September.
The two traditional pieces, “Little Joe” and “My Handsome Molly,” are Carter’s solo leads. Ralph sings lead on “The Drunken Driver,” credited to Paul Westmoreland, and is credited with “Still Trying to Get to Little Rock” and the instrumental “Daybreak in Dixie.” Carter wrote “Just Dreamin’,” and the remaining songs include Pee Wee King’s “Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine” and John Lair’s “Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off of Me.”
Tracklist
- 1 Still Trying to Get to Little Rock 2:40
- 2 Drunken Driver alt version 3:09
- 3 String, Eraser, and Blotter 2:16
- 4 Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine 2:53
- 5 There Is a Trap 2:55
- 6 Just Dreamin' 2:18
- 7 Fast Express 2:53
- 8 Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off of Me 2:17
- 9 Little Joe Source Recording 2:27
- 10 I'm Only Human 2:30
- 11 My Handsome Molly alt version 2:12
- 12 Daybreak in Dixie alt version 2:07
- 13 Drunken Driver alt version 2:46
