Ralph Stanley - The Memory Of Your Smile

(Rebel REB 1606) 1981

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Recorded at Maggard Studios in Big Stone Gap, Va on the 17th December 1981, this is another decent album that regretably hasn't been issued on CD.

Five of the tracks are drawn from the Stanley Brothers back-catalogue, including Chubby Anthony's Highway Of Regret, Who Will Call You Sweetheart, Little Glass Of Wine, The Drunken Driver and The Memory Of Your Smile.

Donnie Joe Mullins, who wrote I've Got A Mule To Ride played banjo in The Rocky Mountain Boys. The original appears on their third LP 'I've Got A Mule To Ride' (Mountain And Grass RSR 1002) 1979. Junior Blankenship and his Dad, Hillard Blankenship Snr, also played in the band, and Hillard was also Ralph's bus driver. The Rocky Mountain Boys were regulars at Ralph's 'Hills Of Home' festival between 1976-84.^[1]

Charlie Sizemore contributes The Melody Of Love, which I guess is his first composition to be recorded? He later included a version of the song on his first solo LP, Congratulations in 1985.

Walden Dahl, who wrote City Lights and What I Wanted Most also later co-wrote So Long So Wrong for Alison Krauss.

Another good 'un!

• Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocals
• Junior Blankenship: lead guitar
• Curly Ray Cline: fiddle
• Jack Cooke: bass
• Charlie Sizemore: guitar, vocals

NB: Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Junior played on The Rocky Mountain Boys first two albums, Burning Bluegrass and Homestead Bluegrass albums.