Ramblin’ Bluegrass was recorded for Starday on 26 June 1972 at the Starday-King studios in Nashville and released that year (Starday 480-498). Larry Sparks had joined Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys as guitarist after Carter Stanley died in December 1966, left in late 1969 to form the Lonesome Ramblers, and recorded for Pine Tree and Old Homestead before Starday.
The band on the record is Sparks on guitar and lead vocals, Bernice Neely on rhythm guitar, Mike Lilly on banjo and baritone vocals, Wendy Miller on mandolin and tenor vocals and Art Wydner on bass. Hal Neely produced. Four songs are credited to Larry and Bernice Sparks (“Memories and Dreams,” “Goodbye Little Darlin’,” “Too Much Mountain Dew” and “Just Loving You”), and Sparks wrote “This Lonesome Old Feelin’” and, with H. Smith, “Brand New Broken Heart.” The program also has Bill Browning’s “Dark Hollow,” Bob and John Wills’s “Faded Love,” Ralph and Carter Stanley’s “A Life of Sorrow” and the traditional “Long Journey Home.” The two instrumentals are Wendy Miller’s “Kentucky Chimes” and Mike Lilly’s “Kentucky Banjo.”
Tracklist
- 1 Dark Hollow alt version 2:20
- 2 Faded Love alt version 2:57
- 3 A Life Of Sorrow 2:43
- 4 Too Much Mountain Dew 2:18
- 5 Kentucky Chimes (Instrumental) 2:21
- 6 Just Lovin’ You 2:48
- 7 Brand New Broken Heart 2:52
- 8 Memories And Dreams 2:26
- 9 Goodbye Little Darlin’ 2:19
- 10 Long Journey Home alt version 2:14
- 11 This Lonesome Old Feeling 3:34
- 12 Kentucky Banjo (Instrumental) 1:56
