Remembering Merle is a Sugar Hill Records release of June 1992 that gathers live recordings by Doc Watson and his son Merle made between 1970 and 1976 in Bogalusa, Louisiana; Minneapolis; San Francisco; St. Louis; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Merle Watson, born in 1949, recorded with his father from the age of 15 until he died in a tractor accident on 23 October 1985, aged 36. The album, produced by T. Michael Coleman, appeared seven years later.
The seventeen tracks mix Doc Watson’s vocal songs — “Omie Wise,” “Frankie and Johnny,” “St. James Infirmary,” “Nine Pound Hammer,” “Summertime,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Wayfaring Stranger” among them — with instrumentals such as “Frosty Morn” and the “Nancy Rowland / Salt Creek” pair. Merle is heard on banjo and slide guitar, and plays guitar on “Thoughts of Never,” the closing track, with Charles Cochran on piano. Several tracks add T. Michael Coleman on bass, Joe Smothers on rhythm guitar or washboard and Bob Hill on piano or guitar. On “New River Train,” Doc Watson sings with Smothers and Coleman, Merle plays banjo, and Hill adds piano.
Tracklist
- 1 Frosty Morn 1:45
- 2 Omie Wise alt version 5:52
- 3 Frankie & Johnny 3:23
- 4 Honey Babe Blues 3:01
- 5 St. James Infirmary 3:53
- 6 Honey Please Don't Go 2:31
- 7 Nancy Rowland/Salt Creek 1:55
- 8 Miss The Mississippi & You 4:20
- 9 Nine Pound Hammer alt version 2:46
- 10 Summertime alt version 3:23
- 11 New River Train Source Recording 3:38
- 12 Black Mountain Rag alt version 2:40
- 13 Southern Lady 3:36
- 14 Mama Don't Allow 5:02
- 15 Blue Suede Shoes 2:37
- 16 Wayfaring Stranger alt version 3:32
- 17 Thoughts Of Never 2:36
