I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby · In the Middle of Nowhere

The Louvin Brothers’ records span sixteen years and four labels, but nearly all their hits came on Capitol. Ira and Charlie Loudermilk grew up on a farm in northeastern Alabama and became the Louvin Brothers in 1947, while working at WROL in Knoxville. On 18 December that year, at Castle Studio in Nashville’s Tulane Hotel, they cut “Alabama” for the small Apollo label, with Charlie singing and playing guitar and Ira singing and playing mandolin. Decca had them remake the song in August 1949, coupled with “Seven Year Blues.” MGM followed, with Fred Rose producing sessions in 1951 and 1952 at which Eddie Hill played guitar, Lightnin’ Chance bass and Tommy Jackson fiddle. The six MGM singles were mostly sacred, among them “The Weapon of Prayer” and “The Great Atomic Power.” Charlie’s military service in Korea kept these early dates sporadic.

Capitol signed them in September 1952. Rose produced the first session, which yielded “The Family Who Prays,” and Ken Nelson took over the following March. Most of the singles of the next two years were sacred, such as “Born Again,” “Satan Lied to Me” and “Make Him a Soldier,” with Chet Atkins often on guitar. A session at Castle on 25 May 1955 produced “When I Stop Dreaming,” and one on 29 October produced “I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby,” which Capitol issued in January 1956 and which reached number one. “Hoping That You’re Hoping” followed, recorded in March 1956 at Music City Recordings on 16th Avenue South. None of these first three Top Ten singles had drums, and the brothers made their Grand Ole Opry debut in 1955. Buddy Harman first played drums for them in May 1956, on the sessions for Tragic Songs of Life and “Cash on the Barrel Head.” Paul Yandell, George McCormick and Ray Edenton were the usual guitarists in these years.

By 1958 the hits were slowing, and Nelson tried updating the sound. At sessions in April and August of that year Ira sang without his mandolin. “My Baby’s Gone,” cut on 1 April with Hank Garland and Junior Huskey, became their last Top Ten hit. The same August week in Nashville produced the Satan Is Real album, with Grandpa Jones singing harmony on “The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea.” Later sessions brought in Floyd Cramer and the Jordanaires, a Delmore Brothers tribute on which Ira played guitar, and, in June 1962 at the Sun Custom studio, an album of Roy Acuff songs with Shot Jackson on dobro and Howdy Forrester on fiddle. Their last sessions together, on 11 and 12 September 1963, were for the gospel album Thank God for My Christian Home. Increasing personal tensions split the duo that year, and Capitol’s final Louvin single, “Every Time You Leave,” came out in November. Ira died in a car crash in Missouri on 20 June 1965. Charlie began his solo career with two Top Ten hits.

Session details drawn in part from the Bluegrass Discography.