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The Stanley Brothers - Stanley Series, Vol. 3 No. 3

(Copper Creek CCCD-3-3) 1990

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This edition of the Stanley Series features over an hour of music from the 4th May 1958 show at the Sunset Park, West Grove, Pa. Band members included Bill Napier on mandolin and Ralph Mayo on fiddle, with Jack Cooke holding down the bass/comedy slot.

Two sets are featured, and the sound quality is excellent, although quite a bit of dialogue is cut, and some of the tracks start/end quite abruptly. This is a bit irksome at times, for instance, the conclusion to Jack Cooke's comedy routine is cut and it's not one that appears elsewhere (I think)... also the last track, Can You Forgive (which the Stanleys's hadn't yet recorded), is unfortunately incomplete.

Some of the dialogue that is on the tape, however, is quite illuminating. Carter, for example, credits Bill Napier as songwriter of Daybreak In Dixie (whereas it was later credited to Carter, Ralph or both Stanleys). Also Bill Monroe's Tennessee Blues is pretty much identical to Ralph's Midnight Ramble (aka Ambush On The Highway)... a track the Stanleys' would record later in 1958, credited to Ruby Rakes.

At the time of the show, the Stanley's were near the end of their time with Mercury, and the song selection includes eleven of their classic tunes they cut for that label, along with Little Birdie from their Rich-R-Tone era.

The other tracks include an early version of Hills Of Roane County; Bill Monroe's Rawhide and Country Waltz; the Louvin Brothers Cash On The Barrelhead; fiddle tunes - Cacklin Hen, Lee Highway; sacred songs - He Will Set Your Fields On Fire and Mother's Not Dead; Fraulein, and Carter's tune Going To The Races which he gave to The Country Gentlemen to record in 1957.

The show was recorded by Bill Offenbacher, who also provided much of the tapes for the Shadows Of The Past album, which also utilises one of the introductions from this Sunset Park set.

• Carter Stanley: guitar, vocal
• Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocal
• Jack Cooke: bass (a)
• Ralph Mayo: fiddle
• Bill Napier: mandolin (b)

^{NB: (a) Jack Cooke sings lead on Cash On The Barrelhead.
(b) Bill Napier sings lead on Country Waltz and Fraulein.}

For more detailed breakdown and background to the show, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 52-55, 69-70 and 83-85.