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Clinch Mountain Echo

Various Artists - Freight Trains Ride Again, Vol. 1

(Wango CD-117) 2000


Freight Trains Ride Again, Vol. 1
Rear Cover CD Tray Inner Booklet Inner Booklet

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This is another of Ray Davis' compilations which is largely drawn from his basement recordings. This one is noteworthy as it features a different version of The Stanley Brothers Nine Pound Hammer which doesn't appear to have been released elsewhere. In addition there's a version of In The Pines which sounds like it is the same as the Stanley's Dec. 1963 recording which was originally released on the 7" Wango EP-110 and subsequently on the On The Air LP. The odd thing about it though, is that the song introduction is by Carter, whereas the On The Air LP features Ralph handling the emcee work.

Nine Pound Hammer is similar to the version the Stanley's recorded for the John's Country Quartet (reissued as Stanley Brothers Of Virginia, Vol. 2: Long Journey Home), with the same styled guitar intro and banjo / guitar / banjo - break order. This suggests to me that it is an out-take from John's Country Quartet LP, rather than being from one of the other Wango sessions.

Comparing to other live versions, it sounds like Carter often used to mix & match verses in this song, but I've included the lyrics to the two studio cuts here just to highlight the difference between the Freight Trains Ride Again and Long Journey Home recordings:

Nine Pound Hammer (Wango 117)Nine Pound Hammer (Wango 104)

Well a nine pound hammer
Is a little too heavy
For my size
For my size

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

banjo break

Somebody stole
A nine pound hammer
They took it and gone
They took it and gone

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

guitar break

Well a nine pound hammer
Killed John Henry
Ain't a gonna kill me
Ain't a gonna kill me

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

banjo break

Well there ain't one hammer
In this tunnel
Rings like mine
That rings like mine

Rings like silver
Shines like gold
Rings like silver
Shines like gold

Roll on buddy
Make your time
Honey, I'm broke down
And I can't make mine

Well a nine pound hammer
Is a little too heavy
For my size
For my size

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

banjo break

Somebody stole
A nine pound hammer
They took it and gone
They took it and gone

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

guitar break

Goin' up on a mountain
Gonna see my baby
I ain't a comin' back
I ain't a comin' back

Roll on buddy
Make your time
Honey, I'm broke down
And I can't make mine (Carter Holler's "Now play it"

banjo break

Well a nine pound hammer
Killed John Henry
Ain't a gonna kill me
Ain't a gonna kill me

Oh Roll on buddy
Don't you roll so slow
Honey how can I roll
When the wheels won't go

Other material on the CD includes a couple of live recordings by Mac Wiseman (& Chubby Wise) and The Bluegrass Cardinals. The remainder is taken from Ray Davis' basement studio recordings and as ever is a decent mix of traditional 'grass.

Huge thanks to Todd Gracyk for sending me a copy of this one!

 

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's session, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 173-174, 180-183, 204-209, 211-212.

Track:
Title:
CD:
(56:54)
1
Fireball Mail - Warrior River Boys

Roy C. Acuff
2
Bringing In The Georgia Mail - Lost & Found

Fred Rose
3
Freight Train Boogie - David Davis & Scott Brannon

Rabon Delmore / Jim Scott
4
Wreck Of The Old '97 - Mac Wiseman

??
5
Wreck Of The 1262 - Scott Brannon

Carson Robison ?
6
Wreck Of The #9 - David Davis & Scott Brannon

Carson Robison ?
7
I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome - James King & David Davis

Hank Williams / Bill Monroe
8
In The Pines - Stanley Brothers

P.D.
9
Lonesome Whistle Blues - Warrior River Boys

Alan Moore / Elson M. Teat / Rudolph Toombs
10
Train 45 (On The Lee Highway) - Gillis Brothers

G.B. Grayson
11
Ridin' On That Midnight Train - Don Reno & Charlie Moorre

R. Stanley
12
Midnight Train - Warrior River Boys

??
13
Freight Train Blues - Warrior River Boys

John Lair
14
Nine Pound Hammer - Stanley Brothers

P.D.
15
John Henry - Charlie Moore

P.D.
16
Cannonball Blues - Warrior River Boys

A.P. Carter
17
Wabash Cannonball - Mac Wiseman & Chubby Wise

A.P. Carter
18
Ridin' On The L&M - Bluegrass Cardinals

Lionel Hampton / Dan Burley
19
The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore - Bill Harrell

Jean Ritchie
20
Engineer's Child - David Davis & Scott Brannon

Brook Benton ?
21
Train Medley - Bass Mountain Boys & Chubby Wise



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