Tragic Songs of Life was released by Capitol Records in 1956 as T 769. Eleven of its twelve songs were recorded in Nashville at Music City Recordings, 804 16th Avenue South, on 2, 3 and 4 May 1956, with Ken Nelson producing; “Alabama” had been cut earlier, on 25 May 1955, at Castle Studio in the Tulane Hotel. Charlie Louvin plays guitar and Ira Louvin mandolin, with Paul Yandell and George McCormick on guitars, Lightnin’ Chance on bass and Buddy Harman on drums. “Knoxville Girl,” taped on 3 May, was released as a single three years later and reached No. 19 on the Billboard country chart.
The songs are heartbreak, misfortune and murder ballads, and the album draws heavily on the repertoire of duos the Louvins admired, among them the Monroe Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys and the Callahan Brothers. Writer credits include Bolick for “Katie Dear,” W. R. Caloway and Walter and Homer Callahan for “Take the News to Mother,” A. P. Carter for “I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight” and Karl Davis for “Kentucky.” “Alabama” and “A Tiny Broken Heart” are credited to the Louvins and Eddie Hill. Rounder Records reissued the album in 1981 as Rounder Special Series SS 12.
Tracklist
- 1 Kentucky - The Original Album 2:40
- 2 Knoxville Girl Source Recording 3:48
- 3 I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - The Original Album 3:14
- 4 Let Her Go, God Bless Her - The Original Album 2:55
- 5 What is Home Without Love - The Original Album 3:01
- 6 A Tiny Broken Heart - The Original Album 2:33
- 7 In The Pines - The Original Album 3:15
- 8 Alabama - The Original Album 2:44
- 9 Katie Dear - The Original Album 2:34
- 10 My Brother's Will - The Original Album 3:16
- 11 Knoxville Girl - The Original Album 3:49
- 12 Take the News to Mother - The Original Album 2:48
- 13 Mary of the Wild Moor - The Original Album 3:13
- 14 Satan Lied to Me - Religous Overtones 2:21
- 15 Pray for Me - Religous Overtones 2:53
- 16 Lord, I'm Coming Home - Religous Overtones 3:15
- 17 Thankful - Religous Overtones 2:56
