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The Stanley Brothers/Reno & Smiley - Blue Grass Special

(Stateside SR-8019) Jun. 1967

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This Japanese compilation contains six tracks each by The Stanley Brothers and Don Reno & Red Smiley. There's no date mentioned on the artwork as far as I can tell, but I've been told it was released in June 1967. The style of the sleeve construction and rear text layout is very similiar to the Japanese Odeon The Best Of The Stanley Brothers album, which came out in 1964.

The material featured by the Stanley's is all from their King debut recorded in late Sept / early Oct 1958, and the Don Reno & Red Smiley material similiarly dates from 1958. The front cover also makes use of the front sleeve photos from the Stanley's The Stanley Brothers And The Clinch Mountain Boys album, and the Don Reno & Red Smiley's 'Someone Will Love Me In Heaven' (King 617) LP, which were both released in 1959.

The LP is pressed in translucent red vinyl and it comes with a one-sided 12" x 12" lyric sheet with the lyrics to seven of the twelve featured songs.

All six of the Stanley's numbers can be found on The Early Starday/King Years, 1958-1961 4xCD set, and similiarly the Don Reno & Red Smiley tracks are all on the Reno & Smiley - 'Early Years 1951-1959 Collector's Box Set' (Gusto GT7-0959-2) 4xCD set.

Thanks to Gary B. Reid for the updated info.

For detailed information on the Stanley's songs / sessions, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 91-93, and 139-140.