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The Stanley Brothers - White Dove / Mother's Footsteps Guide Me On

(King 5233) Aug 1959

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This 7" contains a re-recording of the Stanley's classic White Dove, which they had previously cut ten years earlier and had released on the White Dove / Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet 78 (Columbia 20577) 1949.

Both songs were recorded on the sessions for the Hymns And Sacred Songs LP, which was released three months later in Nov 1959.

'Billboard' magazine reviewed the single in their 10th Aug 1959 edition, giving both songs 4-stars and describing Mother's Footsteps... as:- "Terrific sacred picking, singing and fiddling by one of the standard acts in the field. Lovers of the true hill sound have it here". Similiarly White Dove was described as:- "Another powerfull one. Lyric tells a sad story with telling effect: mother and daddy leave the living, and only sorrow is left behind."^[1]

I'm not sure which song was the 'A'-side... I've just assumed it's White Dove, although the 'Billboard' review lists Mother's Footsteps... first.

Both sides of the 7" can now be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD box set.

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, 94-95 and 140.

^{[1] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=king+5233+white+dove&source=bl&ots=NBs8zku9Xl&sig=j0aGy8HniXfZ2xjwTqCaqUsvZW0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX8s3Sj-_UAhUkDsAKHSIyAF0Q6AEIWTAJ#v=onepage&q=king%205233%20white%20dove&f=false}