John’s Country Quartet cover

John’s Country Quartet

The Stanley Brothers

Album · 1966 · Wango LP 104

John’s Country Quartet (Wango LP 104) was issued in September 1966, with the Stanley Brothers as the performers. Most of the sixteen tracks were made at Johnny’s Used Cars in Baltimore on 18 May 1964, with Carter Stanley on guitar, Ralph Stanley on banjo and George Shuffler on bass. They include “Long Journey Home,” “No Letter in the Mail Today,” “Pretty Polly,” “East Virginia Blues,” “Pig in a Pen,” “Nine Pound Hammer,” “Cluck Old Hen” and “Rabbit in a Log.” Carter sings lead on most songs, with Ralph on tenor; Ralph sings lead on “Pretty Polly.”

Two tracks come from earlier sessions at the same Baltimore location. “Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?” was recorded on 14 December 1963, with Shuffler and Jack Cooke on guitars and Henry Dockery on bass, and the instrumental “Wildwood Flower” on 9 December 1963, with Shuffler on lead guitar and Dockery on bass. County Records reissued the LP in 1973 as County 739.

Tracklist

  1. 1 Long Journey Home alt version 3:04
  2. 2 Will You Miss Me alt version 2:55
  3. 3 I'll be true to the one that I love 1:47
  4. 4 No letter in the mail today 2:23
  5. 5 Pretty Polly alt version 3:33
  6. 6 Wildwood Flower alt version 4:26
  7. 7 Two more years and I'll be free 2:35
  8. 8 Ramshackle shack in the hills 2:34
  9. 9 East Virginia Blues alt version 2:35
  10. 10 Pig in a Pen alt version 1:45
  11. 11 Your saddle is empty ol' pal 2:28
  12. 12 Nine Pound Hammer alt version 2:55
  13. 13 Cluck Old Hen alt version 2:34
  14. 14 The Wild and restless hobo 2:00
  15. 15 Rabbit in the Log alt version 2:40
  16. 16 Mountain pickin'

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