This two-CD set from Bear Family Records of Germany (BCD 15681, 1993) gathers the Stanley Brothers’ recordings for Mercury, from their first session in Nashville on 9 August 1953 to 1958, and adds two tracks cut in July 1959 that were issued on a Blue Ridge 45. Gary B. Reid wrote the notes. Its 49 tracks include an alternate take of “Our Last Goodbye” and the first release of the Mercury version of “A Lonesome Night,” and some tracks had previously come out only on Japanese reissues, among them “Close By.”
Carter Stanley sings lead and plays guitar and Ralph Stanley plays banjo and sings tenor throughout, and the band behind them changes from session to session. The first sessions in August and November 1953, at Universal Studio and Bradley Studio in Nashville, feature Jim Williams on mandolin, with Art Stamper and then Ralph Mayo on fiddle. By 1954 Joe Meadows was the fiddler and Lightnin’ Chance the bass player, and for the August 1954 session that produced “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Close By,” Bill Lowe played mandolin and Charlie Cline added a second guitar. “Orange Blossom Special” was recorded in April 1955 at the RCA Victor studio. Curley Lambert played mandolin on the December 1955 session, and in July 1956 the fiddles were Ralph Mayo and Chubby Anthony, with Chubby Wise joining for the last three tracks. For the November 1957 session Benny Martin and Howdy Forrester played fiddle, Bill Napier mandolin and Roy Wiggins steel guitar. The 1958 and 1959 tracks were recorded at radio stations, WCYB in Bristol, Virginia, and WNER in Live Oak, Florida.
Tracklist
- 1 How Mountain Girls Can Love Source Recording 2:04
- 2 Heaven Seemed So Near 2:11
- 3 Mastertone March 2:24
- 4 She’s More to be Pitied alt version 2:15
- 5 Keep a Memory 2:42
- 6 Reuben alt version 2:53
- 7 Think of What You’ve Done Source Recording 2:08
- 8 Your Selfish Heart 2:18
- 9 Clinch Mountain Backstep alt version 3:27
- 10 Memory of Your Smile 2:17
- 11 Love Me Darling Just Tonight Source Recording 2:13
- 12 Midnight Ramble 2:03
- 13 Blue Moon of Kentucky alt version
- 14 Close By alt version
- 15 Molly and Tenbrooks alt version
