Charlie Moore & Bill Napier - Folk 'n Hill

(King KLP-828) Jul 1963

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In December 1962 Moore & Napier signed a 5-year recording contract with King Records.^[1] Their debut LP was recorded the following month in January 1963, by which time Charlie & Bill were based in Panama City, Florida. They had been lured down to the 'Sunshine state' by a former sales manager at the TV station in Spartanburg and began performing six lucrative television shows weekly at WJHG-TV. TV shows were also videotaped for Pensacola and Orlando.^[2]

As the pair didn't take a banjo player with them in the move, Bill Napier then had to take-up the instrument, although on this album he plays lead guitar throughout and is only photographed holding a banjo on the rear sleeve. Former CMB, Henry Dockery who was with the band on their America 45, did however make the move to Florida. His tenure with the band in this period was intermittant however, with other CMB's Curley Lambert and Jim Williams also having spells in band.

By the time of the recording sessions, Henry Dockery was with the band and Jim Williams was in the mandolin spot. King employee Ray Pennington also played drums on the album.^[3]

The absence of banjo puts more emphasis on Bill's lead guitar, and combined with the drums, the LP has more of a Country feel than some of their later albums. Jim Williams' mandolin is also largely subdued, confined on many tracks to rhythmic chops. He does however feature on the uptempo ¾ time instrumental Twilight Swamp where the mandolin breaks mirror Bill Napier's lead guitar work.

Prior to the album's release a 45, shown as by "Charlie & Bill" was issued on the King Subsidiary label Bethlehem: (Metracal, Same Old Gal) Sing Along With Mitch / Country Twist (Bethlehem 45-3064) Feb 1963. When the album was released the song title credit was altered on the rear sleeve to Metracal - Same Old Gal and Sing Along With Mitch on the front, with the record label having the full title Metracal, Same Old Gal, Sing Along With Mitch. Later copies just have the shorter Metracal - Same Old Gal title on the labels. "Sing Along With Mitch" was a popular musical TV show than ran from 1961-64.^[4]

After the album's release a further 45 was issued, Truck Driver's Queen / In A World Of Broken Hearts (King 45-6782) Sep 1963. Truck Driver's Queen is often cited as their most popular number, and it was recorded by The Willis Brothers^[5] and Jimmy Martin.^[6] One of the earliest songs of the Country Music truck-driving craze, it was later included on their 1966 LP Songs by Moore & Napier for all Lonesome Truck Drivers.

Three of the tracks are drawn from pre-bluegrass era including the prison song Columbus Stockade Blues which was written (or at least copyrighted) by Darby & Tarlton in 1927; the Delmore Brothers' When The Roses Bloom Again and a version of Gathering Flowers From The Hillside by J.E. Mainer, which had been released on King in 1946.^[7]

Lonesome Wind Blues by Wayne Raney had also been cut by both Bill Monroe (Decca) and Don Reno (King) in 1959.^[8] Wayne Raney's version was also released by King in 1962.^[9]

No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine is a version of the Don Reno / Red Smiley track which they cut for King in 1956 and had released on 45 in 1957.^[10]

The album has a definite 'period' feel to it, with the references to the "Sing Along With Mitch" TV show, and with the tambourine/drum rhythm on Country Twist picking up on the "Twist" dance craze that existed in the early 60s. Bill Napier's lead guitar work is at times reminiscent of his picking on the Stanley Brothers Sing Everybody's Country Favorites, and Charlie's smooth vocal blends well with Napier's baritone & Jim Williams' tenor.

My Dear One was also issued on a 45, along with Chain Gang from The Best Of... (King 45-5926) 1964. Similarly Georgia Bound was also issued on a 45 coupled with Lonesome Truck Driver from 12 Variety Bluegrass Songs (King-45-5883) Jul 1964.

When The Roses Bloom Again was later recycled on their 1966 LP Country Music Goes To Vietnam. Charlie Moore also later re-recorded Georgia Bound on his 1976 Wheeling LP.

• Charlie Moore: guitar, lead vocals
• Bill Napier: lead guitar, baritone vocal
• Henry Dockery: bass
• Jim Williams: mandolin, tenor vocal
• Ray Pennington: drums

Other artwork / related images:

[1] "Twenty-Five Years Later: Honoring The Memory Of Charlie Moore" by Lance LeRoy, p35 Dec 2004 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'.
[2] "Bill Napier: Creative Instrumentalist" by Ivan <. Tribe & John W. Morris, p22 'Bluegrass Unlimited' Jan 1980. The 'Bluegrass Unlimited' article suggests their first recordings were made for King in late 1962 or early 1963.
[3] If the name seems familair - He also co-wrote Stone Walls And Steel Bars. See Gary Reid's book The Music Of The Stanley Bros for biography (p.165).
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Along_with_Mitch
[5] https://www.discogs.com/release/10224134-The-Willis-Brothers-Whos-Next-On-Your-List-Truck-Drivers-Queen (Given 4 stars in the 5 Oct 1963 edition of Billboard).
[6] Jimmy Martin's version was included first on his "Sing Widow Maker" LP in June 1964 http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/?v=fullrecord&albumid=3753.
[7] https://www.discogs.com/master/1092036-J-E-Mainers-Mountaineers-Gathering-Flowers-From-The-Hillside-Lonely-Tombs
[8] https://www.discogs.com/master/1233627-Bill-Monroe-Lonesome-Wind-Blues and
https://www.discogs.com/master/2027500-Don-Reno-Red-Smiley-And-The-Tennessee-Cut-Ups-Lonesome-Wind-Blues-She-Has-Forgotten.
[9] https://www.discogs.com/release/7575516-Wayne-Raney-Lonesome-Wind-Blues-Lost-John-Boogie
[10] https://www.discogs.com/master/1662351-Don-Reno-Red-Smiley-And-The-Tennessee-Cutups-No-Longer-A-Sweetheart-Of-Mine-Richmond-Ruckus