Mr. Bluegrass cover

Mr. Bluegrass

Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys

Album · 1987 · MCA MCA 82

Mr. Blue Grass is Bill Monroe’s third studio album, released by Decca on 29 May 1961 (DL 4080 mono, DL 74080 stereo) and produced by Owen Bradley. It was recorded at three sessions at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville on 30 November, 1 December and 3 December 1960. Bluegrass was at a low point in popularity, and Monroe’s band was in flux: Bobby Smith was his regular guitarist and lead singer that November but did not take part, and Carl Butler played guitar on the sessions. The rest of the group was Curtis McPeake on banjo, Dale Potter on fiddle and Bessie Lee Mauldin on bass. Tony Ellis, who had left town and returned, played bass at the last session after meeting Monroe and Mauldin in a restaurant by chance, because Mauldin’s fingers were blistered and sore. He is on “Blue Grass Part One,” “Big River,” “Flowers of Love” and “It’s Mighty Dark to Travel.”

The songs came from several places. “Linda Lou” was Butler’s own song, which he had first recorded in 1951, and “Little Joe” was one Monroe had recorded with his brother Charlie in 1938. “Big River” was a Johnny Cash song from 1958, with McPeake writing down the words from a Cash album for Monroe to sing. “Time Changes Everything” is a Tommy Duncan song from the Bob Wills repertoire. “Seven Year Blues” came from the Louvin Brothers, and “Put My Rubber Doll Away” from Roy Acuff and George Edgins. “Blue Grass Part One” was an instrumental the band put together quickly at the end of the final session; Decca later issued it as “Blue Grass Twist.”

Decca released “Linda Lou” with “Put My Rubber Doll Away” as a single on 27 February 1961, ahead of the album, and “Flowers of Love” with “Blue Grass Part One” on 1 January 1962. It was the first Monroe album to carry a photograph of him on the sleeve. MCA reissued it in 1973 as MCA 82.

Tracklist

  1. 1 The Long Bow 2:46
  2. 2 Mighty Dark to Travel alt version 2:38
  3. 3 Music Valley Waltz 2:58
  4. 4 Jekyll Island 2:33
  5. 5 The Old Cross Roads 4:08
  6. 6 The Old Brown County Barn alt version 2:45
  7. 7 Stay Away From Me 2:16
  8. 8 Bluest Man In Town 4:06
  9. 9 Angels Rock Me to Sleep alt version 2:28
  10. 10 Dancin' In Brancin' 2:33
  11. 11 Lonesome Road Blues Source Recording Traditional · key C · 153 bpm 2:28
  12. 12 Time Changes Everything Source Recording Tommy Duncan · key C · 111 bpm 2:13
  13. 13 Big River alt version
  14. 14 Little Joe alt version

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