The Johnson Mountain Boys cover

The Johnson Mountain Boys

The Johnson Mountain Boys

Album · 1981 · Rounder 0135

The Johnson Mountain Boys (Rounder 0135) was the band’s first Rounder album, released in April 1981. Eleven of its twelve tracks were recorded at Bias Recording Company in Springfield, Virginia, on 19 and 21 August 1980; the instrumental “Montgomery County Breakdown,” credited to Ernie Stubbs, was recorded that October at the Mixing Lab in Newton, Massachusetts.

Dudley Connell plays guitar, Richard Underwood banjo, Ed D’Zmura mandolin, Eddie Stubbs fiddle and Larry Robbins bass. Underwood sings lead on the vocal tracks, with Connell on tenor, D’Zmura on baritone and Stubbs on bass. Connell wrote five of the songs, among them “Lonesome Day, Lonesome Night” and “Lord Show Me the Way.” The rest include the traditional “John Henry,” Harlan Howard’s “Iron Curtain,” Art Bishop’s “Sad Prisoner’s Song” and “Carolina Mountain Home,” credited to Estel Scarborough and Len Wright.

The Johnson Mountain Boys were a band from the Washington, D.C., area; they were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2020.

Tracklist

  1. 1 Darling do you know who loves you 2:30
  2. 2 Lonesome day, lonesome night 2:58
  3. 3 John Henry, the steel drivin' man 1:49
  4. 4 Iron curtain 2:39
  5. 5 Dreaming of mother and dad 2:25
  6. 6 I can tell you the time 2:23
  7. 7 Carolina Mountain Home alt version 2:23
  8. 8 Now just suppose 3:25
  9. 9 Sad prisoner's song 2:19
  10. 10 When I can forget 3:21
  11. 11 Montgomery County breakdown 1:53
  12. 12 Lord show me the way 4:13

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