Early Blue Grass Music
| Early Blue Grass Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Compilation album by The Monroe Brothers | ||||
| Released | June 1963 | |||
| Recorded | 1936–1949 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:30 | |||
| Label | RCA Camden | |||
| Charlie Monroe chronology | ||||
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| Bill Monroe chronology | ||||
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Early Blue Grass Music is a compilation album by American country duo The Monroe Brothers, consisting of Charlie and Bill Monroe. Released by RCA Camden in late-June 1963, it features 12 songs by the brothers, six of which were recorded during their initial tenure between 1936 and 1938. The other six were recorded after the duo's disbandment in 1938 by two Charlie-fronted projects — Charlie Monroe's Boys and Charlie Monroe and his Kentucky Pardners — four of which feature Bill.
Background
[edit]RCA Camden released Early Blue Grass Music in late-1963.[1] The album features six tracks recorded by Charlie and Bill Monroe during their time as The Monroe Brothers and six recorded as part of Charlie-led projects after their disbandment. In his book Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man, Tom Ewing called the album "deceptively titled", noting that the recordings are "Not bluegrass, early or otherwise", as they pre-date the genre's development and creation.[1]
Reception
[edit]Early Blue Grass Music received positive reviews from critics. Billboard claimed that "For collectors, this should have considerable interest", suggesting that "The early dueting of the brothers, as reproduced here, is historically of interest".[2] Similarly, Cash Box magazines noted that "Devout followers of this school of folk music will appreciate [The Monroe Brothers'] handling of 'Weeping Willow Tree,' 'Don’t Forget Me,' 'Bringin' In The Georgia Mail' and 'Rosa Lee McFall'."[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "New River Train" | Traditional | "Little Red Shoes" B-side (1936) | 3:35 |
| 2. | "No Home, No Place to Pillow My Head" | Traditional | single A-side (1938) | 2:05 |
| 3. | "The Great Speckled Bird" |
| single A-side (1938) | 2:10 |
| 4. | "Once I Had a Darling Mother" | Traditional | previously unreleased | 3:17 |
| 5. | "On the Banks of the Ohio" | Traditional | single A-side (1936) | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Rosa Lee McFall" | Charlie Monroe | "They Didn't Believe It Was True" B-side (1949) | 2:30 |
| 7. | "Bringin' in the Georgia Mail" | Fred Rose | single A-side (1947) | 2:50 |
| 8. | "Weeping Willow Tree" | Traditional | single A-side (1937) | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Just a Song of Old Kentucky" | Bill Monroe | single A-side (1936) | 2:20 |
| 10. | "Don't Forget Me" |
| "Just a Song of Old Kentucky" B-side (1936) | 2:37 |
| 11. | "I Am Thinking Tonight of the Old Folks" | C. Monroe | single A-side (1937) | 2:30 |
| 12. | "Mother's Not Dead, She's Only Sleeping" | B. Monroe | single A-side (1946) | 2:50 |
| Total length: | 33:30 | |||
Notes
- Tracks 1, 5 and 8–11 were recorded by The Monroe Brothers
- Tracks 2–4 were recorded by Charlie Monroe's Boys
- Tracks 6, 7 and 12 were recorded by Charlie Monroe and his Kentucky Pardners
Personnel
[edit]- Charlie Monroe — guitar, lead vocals
- Bill Monroe — mandolin and tenor vocals (all except tracks 2 and 3)
- Bill Calhoun — guitar and backing vocals (tracks 2 and 3)
- Claude "Zeke" Morris — mandolin and backing vocals (tracks 2 and 3)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ewing, Tom (September 7, 2018). Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man (Music in American Life). Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. pp. 249–250. ISBN 978-0252041891.
- ^ "Album Reviews: Special Merit Picks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 26. New York City, New York: Billboard Publishing. June 29, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 24, no. 44. New York City, New York: Cash Box Publishing. July 13, 1963. p. 24. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Early Blue Grass Music at Discogs (list of releases)