Yesterday, Today & the Osborne Brothers was released on Decca (DL 74993) in 1968. The Osborne Brothers had signed with Decca in 1963, and the album collects recordings made at Bradley’s Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on three dates: 2 May 1967, 16 November 1967 and 8 February 1968. Teddy Wilburn wrote the liner notes.
Side two opens with “Rocky Top,” written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant and recorded on 16 November 1967 with Sonny Osborne on banjo, Bobby Osborne on mandolin, Dale Sledd, Ray Edenton and Grady Martin on guitars, Hal Rugg on steel guitar, Ronnie Blackwell on bass, Jerry Carrigan on drums and Hargus “Pig” Robbins on piano. It was released on 25 December 1967 and became a No. 33 country hit. Of the other tracks, the six that open the first side, including “Will You Be Loving Another Man,” Bill Monroe’s “Molly and Tenbrooks,” “I’ll Never Shed Another Tear” and “My Little Girl in Tennessee,” were all recorded on 8 February 1968 with Sonny on banjo, Bobby on mandolin, Edenton and Sledd on guitars, Jimmy Buchanan on fiddle and Blackwell on bass. “Drivin’ Nails in My Coffin” and “If I Could Count On You,” cut the same day, add Martin, Rugg, Robbins and drummer Willie Ackerman. Wikipedia notes that the brothers drew some controversy among bluegrass purists in the 1960s for using electronic and percussion instruments in their studio work.
Tracklist
- 1 Will You Be Loving Another Man alt version 2:10
- 2 Molly and Tenbrooks alt version 2:34
- 3 I’ll Never Shed Another Tear alt version 2:19
- 4 My Little Girl in Tennessee alt version 2:22
- 5 I'll never love another 3:00
- 6 I’ll Go Stepping Too alt version 2:53
- 7 Rocky Top alt version 2:40
- 8 Gal, you got a job to do 2:46
- 9 My favorite memory 2:42
- 10 Driving Nails in My Coffin alt version 2:50
- 11 If I could count on you 2:44
