Charlie Moore & Bill Napier - 12 Variety Bluegrass Songs

City Folks Back On The Farm

(King KLP-922) Nov 1964

---

This is another fine and somewhat neglected album which was largely recorded at King 27-28 July 1964. Either 12 or 13 tracks were cut at the session, including Ballad Of Christopher Columbus, John Henry, Kentucky Shuck, Mousy, Lucy And Bureau, Sand Mountain Blues and Talk Of The Town.^[1] The version of John Henry appears to either be unreleased however, or more probably held-over and then included on their final LP 1968: Brand New Vocal Country And Western Songs.

Lonesome Truck Driver is the only track which wasn't cut in July, having been recorded 6-7 April 1964, at the session for the Grand Ole Opry Hymnal LP.

The material on offer is an entertaining mix of Country and Bluegrass, with Bill Napier alternating between banjo and lead guitar.

Three tracks fall into the truck-driving fad, with the catchy Guitar Pickin' Truck Driver, kicking off the LP with Bill Napier's twangy lead guitar quite prominent throughout; Lonesome Truck Driver is another original mid-tempo bouncy piece with harmony vocal on the chorus, and fine rich lead vocal by Charlie Moore; and Great Big Casey is a ballad telling of the story of how a trucker gave his life to save a schoolbus from a wreck, the song was also released by Australian Country musician Kevin Shegog in 1964, though I've no idea which came first.

One of the album's stand-out cuts is One Broken Home For Sale, with it's clever lyrics and a lovely lead vocal by Charlie Moore dripping in pathos. The song was later issued on 45, coupled with Hot Rod Kids And Women Drivers (King 45-6014) 1965. (Hot Rod Kids... was later released on Songs by Moore & Napier for all Lonesome Truck Drivers.)

Kentucky Schuck and Ain't That Some Pickin' are uptempo banjo / fiddle instrumentals with driving rhythm and fab fiddle work by Paul 'Moon' Mullins.

Ballad Of Christopher Columbus is a bit of a novelty number with quite a commercial feel. It was also picked for 45 release, along with the corny / humorous Mousy, Lucy, Bureau, which features Charlie & Bill talking about Bill's girlfriends (King 45-5940) 1965.

Banjo Mountain, Sandy Mountain Blues and Talk Of The Town are fairly typical bluegrass fare. Alton Delmore wrote Sandy Mountain Blues, which the Delmore Brothers' had cut for King in 1950; and Talk Of The Town by Don Reno had likewise been issued by Don Reno & Red Smiley for King in 1953.

My Sweet Kentucky Mountain Home which closes the album, is a slow waltz with Charlie Moore sorrowful vocal expressing his yearning to return to home. The song was later issued on 45 with John Henry (King 45-6060) Oct 1966.

Former CMB's Henry Dockery and Paul 'Moon' Mullins appear on this LP, with Paul contributing some particularly fine fiddle-work on may tracks.

It's curious how Moore & Napier recruited several of the CMB's as backing musicians, with Chubby Anthony, Lindy Clear, Henry Dockery, Ralph Mayo, Paul 'Moon' Mullins, Audie Webster, Benny Williams, and Jim Williams all spending time in the Dixie Partners. Butch Robbins, who played banjo with Charlie in the early 70s noted that "Charlie was somewhat enthralled by The Stanley Brothers. It seemed he and Bill Napier had considered themselves competition for The Stanley Brothers at some point in their career. Both recorded (and sold well) for King Records and vied for corporate sponsorship (Jim Walter Homes). Some side musicians (Ralph Mayo, Jim Williams etc) gravitated back and forth from band to band and carried gossip from one to the other."^[2]

The Stanley Brothers, don't appear to have reciprocated Charlie's interest. Or at least Carter Stanley and George Shuffler seem to have had a less-than-generous view of Moore & Napier. In interviews George Shuffler was fairly dismissive of Bill Napier's lead guitar work, and on Mike Seeger's 1966 European tour recordings there's a bit where a drunken Carter and George can be heard ad libbing a rather x-rated version of Moore & Napier's Ballad Of Christopher Columbus.

Lonesome Truck Driver was also issued on a 45 coupled with Georgia Bound from Folk 'n Hill (King 45-5883) Jul 1964

Also of interest is a very rare 45 by Trigger Star - One Broken Home For Sale / If I Ever Smile Again (CB CB-301) 1967, which features backing by Moore & Napier. Both sides can he heard on youtube (Side A / Side B). In the comments Travers Chandler says that Trigger Star was the stage name for Madelyn who was then married to John Foraker, a car dealer from Newark, Delaware. Her husband was a fan of Moore & Napier and paid for the recording to promote her and the car lot.

A 1979 recording of Sand Mountain Blues was included on Charlie Moore's posthumous 1980 LP Cotton Farmer.

• Charlie Moore: guitar, lead vocals
• Bill Napier: banjo, lead guitar, baritone vocal
• Henry Dockery: bass
• Sid Campbell: mandolin, guitar
• Paul 'Moon' Mullins: fiddle
• Gene Redd: snare drum

NB: Personnel on Lonesome Truck Driver is: Charlie Moore (guitar, lead vocal); Bill Napier (banjo, baritone vocal); Henry Dockery (bass); Audie Webster (mandolin, tenor vocal); and Jimmy Lunsford (fiddle, bass vocal).

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Personnel and dates from 'Thirty Years Ago This Month' section of the July 1994 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited' (p6).
[2] p72-73 Butch Robins' book "What I Know 'Bout What I Know - The Musical Life Of An Itinerant Banjo Player" (1st Books) 2003.