Friends of Old Time Music: The Folk Arrival 1961-1965

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40160

Format: 3 x CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 2006
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues, Gospel, & Old Time
[Tracklist]
1-01 I'm Troubled: Doc and Arnold Watson (03:10)
1-02 The Country Blues: Dock Boggs (04:24)
1-03 Going Down to the River: Fred McDowell (03:09)
1-04 East Virginia Blues: Roscoe Holcomb (04:51)
1-05 The Storms Are on the Ocean: Maybelle Carter (03:03)
1-06 The Dream of the Miner's Child: The Stanley Brothers (04:03)
1-07 Soldier's Joy: Hobart Smith (01:45)
1-08 Coffee Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (04:47)
1-09 Live and Let Live: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:46)
1-10 Lonely Tombs: The Watson Family (02:25)
1-11 Rockin' Boogie: Jesse Fuller (03:46)
1-12 Brown's Dream: Gaither Carlton and Doc Watson (01:43)
1-13 Down South Blues: Dock Boggs (03:17)
1-14 Knoxville Blues: Sam McGee (02:30)
1-15 Have a Feast Here Tonight: The Stanley Brothers (03:12)
1-16 Riley: John Davis and the Georgia Sea Island Singers (02:09)
1-17 Buck and Wing: Jesse Fuller (01:22)
2-01 Hell Among the Yearlings: Arthur Smith (01:47)
2-02 Amelia Earhart's Last Flight: The Greenbriar Boys (03:47)
2-03 The Brakeman's Blues: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:32)
2-04 Foggy Mountain Top: Maybelle Carter (02:07)
2-05 Hicks' Farewell: Doc Watson (05:00)
2-06 Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:42)
2-07 Write Me a Few of Your Lines: Fred McDowell (02:54)
2-08 Bimini Gal: Joseph Spence (02:44)
2-09 Shady Grove: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:37)
2-10 Grey Eagle: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:36)
2-11 Walkin' the Dog: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:03)
2-12 San Francisco Bay Blues: Jesse Fuller (03:24)
2-13 Short Life of Trouble: Doc and Arnold Watson (03:41)
2-14 John Henry: Roscoe Holcomb (01:59)
2-15 Kneelin' Down Inside the Gate: Stanley Thompson (03:45)
2-16 Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt: McKinley Peebles (04:29)
2-17 Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow: Maybelle Carter (02:34)
2-18 Mansions for Me: The Stanley Brothers (02:27)
2-19 Before This Time Another Year: Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers (05:02)
3-01 My Creole Belle: Mississippi John Hurt (02:54)
3-02 Guitar Lesson: Jesse Fuller (01:26)
3-03 Cincinnati Blues: Jesse Fuller (02:27)
3-04 Poor Boy in Jail: Dock Boggs (02:41)
3-05 He's Solid Gone: Maybelle Carter (02:44)
3-06 Maggie Walker Blues: The Clarence Ashley Group (03:43)
3-07 Chevrolet: Ed Young and Emma Ramsay (03:14)
3-08 Rising Sun Blues: Roscoe Holcomb (03:03)
3-09 Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Glory: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:37)
3-10 Frankie and Albert: Mississippi John Hurt (05:20)
3-11 Hard Times: The Stanley Brothers (02:23)
3-12 The Miller's Will: Horton Barker (03:17)
3-13 The Coo Coo Bird: Clarence Ashley (04:04)
3-14 Double File: Gaither Carlton and Doc Watson (01:30)
3-15 The Wandering Boy: Annie Bird (03:22)
3-16 Stranger Blues: Jesse Fuller (03:29)
3-17 I Saw the Light: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:24)
3-18 Sugar Hill: Maybelle Carter (01:06)
3-19 Amazing Grace: The Clarence Ashley Group (04:29)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder, Mastering Engineer and Liner Notes: Peter K Siegel, Photographer: David Gahr, John Cohen, Alan Lomax, Mike Seeger, Guy Droussart, and Anton Mikofsky
[Notes]
From 1961 to 1965, New York City's trailblazing Friends of Old Time Music presented 14 concerts that brought dozens of legendary traditional musicians before city audiences for the first time. This "folk arrival" changed the course of American folk music, expanding the vision of the Folk Song Revival and leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape. For Friends of Old Time Music, Peter K. Siegel, who personally recorded most of the concerts, handpicked 55 tracks from the original master tapes. They include the first concert appearances by Doc Watson, Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley, and Joseph Spence, and the triumphant return visits to New York by Dock Boggs and Mississippi John Hurt, who had made classic recordings in the city during the 1920s. Three CDs of live concert recordings. 55 tracks, including 53 never before released tracks. Accompanied by a richly illustrated 60-page book. Recorded, produced, and annotated by Peter K. Siegel A Henry Street Folklore production Produced in association with City Lore, Inc.

Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40093

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Fol, Old Timek
[Tracklist]
01 Sugar Hill: The Iron Mountain String Band (03:35)
02 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:57)
03 Country Blues: Dock Boggs (03:52)
04 Little Sadie: Clarence Ashley (02:20)
05 Susannah Gal: Frank Bode and Tommy Jarrell (02:59)
06 Wednesday Night Waltz: Clark Kessinger (03:07)
07 Cyclone of Rye Cove: The New Lost City Ramblers (03:05)
08 I'm Leaving You This Lonesome Song: Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter Bayes (02:37)
09 Carroll County Blues: Doc Watson and Fred Price (01:42)
10 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: Sam and Kirk McGee (03:03)
11 Trouble in Mind: Roscoe Holcomb (02:18)
12 Chilly Winds: Wade Ward (01:08)
13 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad: David, Bill and Billie Ray Johnson (02:25)
14 Pretty Polly: Lee Sexton (02:13)
15 Bonaparte's Retreat: Mike Seeger (01:29)
16 Concord Rag: J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers (02:15)
17 John Henry: George Pegram (02:18)
18 Bowling Green: Cousin Emmy with The New Lost City Ramblers (01:49)
19 Fine Times in Our House: John W. Summers (03:12)
20 Streets of Glory: Old Reliable String Band (02:10)
21 Policeman: The Spare Change Boys (02:53)
22 Soldier's Joy: Joe and Tommy Thompson (02:15)
23 House of David Blues: Red Clay Ramblers with Al McCanless (01:27)
24 Ship in the Clouds: Andy Cahan, Lisa Ornstein and Laura Fishleder (01:46)
25 Late Last Night: Sam and Kirk McGee (02:26)
26 Look Down That Lonesome Road: Gaither Carlton (02:07)
27 Down Yonder: Gordon Tanner, Joe Miller, and John Patterson (02:38)
28 Jaybird March: Etta Baker and Cora Phillips (01:51)
29 John Brown's Dream: The New Lost City Ramblers (01:35)
[Credits]
Compiler and Liner Notes: Jeff Place
[Notes]
This collection of old-time social and instrumental string-band music spotlights instrumental prowess. Old-time music features playing styles that pre-date bluegrass, emerging from the string band tradition stretching back to the early years of United States history. Both African-American and Anglo-American ingredients are at its core, the banjo having African origins, the fiddle European. Some of the most revered sources of old-time roots music—Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, and more—are heard playing in their original styles. The Grateful Dead's cover of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" and Bob Dylan's rendition of Clarence Ashley's "Little Sadie" clearly attest to the continuing influence of these songs. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place.

Close to Home: Old Time Music from Mike Seeger's Collection 1952-1967

Smithsonian Folkways – SF CD 40097

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 In the Sweet Bye and Bye: Elizabeth Cotten (1:24)
02 Tie Your Dog, Sally Gal: Will Adam (2:41)
03 Banjo Instrumental: J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin (2:01)
04 Lost Train Blues: V.L. Sutphin (1:16)
05 Shortening Bread: V.L. And Cleve Sutphin (1:45)
06 The Train That Carried My Girl from Town: V.L. And Cleve Sutphin (1:30)
07 Old Gambling Man: J.J. Neece (3:24)
08 John Henry: J.J. Neece, Cleve and V.L. Sutphin (2:16)
09 Shout Little Lulu: Louise Foreacre (0:51)
10 He Will Set Your Fields on Fire: Kilby Snow (2:19)
11 Gather in the Golden Grain: Ernest V. and Hattie Stoneman (0:53)
12 Going to Lay Down My Burdens: Elizabeth White and Gideon Craig (1:42)
13 John Henry: Lesley Riddle (2:26)
14 Pretty Fair Damsel: Clarence Ashley (2:29)
15 It's These Hard Times: Pearly "Grandma" Davis (1:23)
16 Old Time Reel: Pearly "Grandma" Davis and Oliver Davis (2:13)
17 Jackson Schottische: A.L. Hall (2:12)
18 Lone Prairie: Wade Ward (1:36)
19 Molly Put the Kettle On: Wade Ward (1:23)
20 Last Gold Dollar: Edsel Martin and Bill McElreath (1:43)
21 John Henry: Bill and Jean Davis (1:11)
22 Three Nights Drunk (Our Goodman): The Blue Ridge Buddies with E.C. and Orna Ball (2:36)
23 Jimmie Sutton: The Blue Ridge Buddies with E.C. and Orna Ball (1:44)
24 Going to Lay Down My Old Guitar: Snuffy Jenkins and Ira Dimmery (0:59)
25 Black Mountain Rag: The McGee Brothers and Arthur Smith (2:21)
26 A Talk on the World: Clyde Lewis (4:52)
27 Red Wing: Lost John Ray and Walt Koken (0:53)
28 Leather Britches: Eck Robertson and the New Lost City Ramblers (3:02)
29 Blackberry Blossom: Sherman Lawson (2:01)
30 Alabama Gals: Emmett Cole (0:59)
31 Old Joe Clark: George Landers (0:50)
32 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (2:41)
33 Queen Sally: Archie Sturgill (1:47)
34 Poor Orphan: Kate Peters Sturgill (3:09)
35 My Virginia Rose: Scott Boatright (2:19)
36 I'm Leaving You: Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter (2:38)
37 He Said If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep: The Stancer Quartet (2:56)
38 I Would Not Live Always: Clarence Ferrill (1:32)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder, Liner Notes & Photographer: Mike Seeger, Photographer (Cover): Alice Gerrard, Mastering Engineer: Dave Glasser
[Notes]
In the 1950's and sixties musician-collector Mike Seeger, inspired by the great folksong collectors of the 1930's, visited traditional musicians of the rural South. This is his handpicked selection of the recordings made during those visits. Included in the 38 selections are previously unreleased recordings by the well-known Sara & Maybelle Carter, Arthur Smith, Elizabeth Cotten, and Dock Boggs, as well as treasures by lesser-known artists. The enclosed booklet contains photographs and notes on the performance, which include virtuoso fiddle, banjo, and guitar music, unaccompanied ballad singing, and a story-teller entertaining his buddies in a fiddler's convention parking lot.

The Carter Family: Greatest Hits 1927-1934

Fabulous Records – FABCD146

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2011
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk & Country
[Tracklist]
01 Wildwood Flower (3:14)
02 My Clinch Mountain Home (3:12)
03 The Foggy Mountain Top (3:00)
04 Keep On The Sunnyside (2:54)
05 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blues Eyes (3:03)
06 Jimmy Brown The Newsboy (2:34)
07 John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man (2:57)
08 Lula Wall (2:53)
09 Wabash Cannonball (3:00)
10 Worried Man Blues (2:46)
11 Carters Blues (3:00)
12 Diamonds In The Rough (3:25)
13 Church In The Wildwood (3:15)
14 Lonesome Pine Special (3:00)
15 The Cannonball (3:00)
16 I Never Will Marry (2:38)
17 Lonesome Valley (2:42)
18 Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) (3:09)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals)
[Notes]
Fans looking for more than ASV/Living Era's Wildwood Flower collection but scared off by Bear Family's massive 12-disc box could comfortably pick up this five-disc budget compilation. At 126 songs, it covers all of their RCA Victor recordings in chronological order, omitting only alternate takes. The remastering isn't necessarily better than other Carter Family issues -- rather than clean up the crackle, the engineers have simply boosted the sound level, and while that does bring out some nuances, the ever-present hiss is louder than usual. That and the scanty liner notes mean that casual fans could probably do perfectly well with Wildwood Flower, but this music is going to be an outstanding addition to any collection, especially at a price this low. -- AllMusic Review by Jim Smi

Maybelle Carter – Wildwood Pickin'

Vanguard – 77021-2

Series: Newport Folk Festival Classics
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Appalachian Music, Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Introduction (02:19)
02 Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow (02:40)
03 Cannonball Blues (02:07)
04 Two Sweethearts of Mine (05:01)
05 Wabash Cannonball (01:56)
06 Coal Miner's Blues (00:56)
07 Lover's Farewell (02:24)
Autoharp Workshop With Mike Seeger
08 Little Brown Jug (00:58)
09 Unknown Fiddle Tune (01:55)
10 San Antonio Rose (01:52)
11 Liberty Dance (01:17)
12 Bully of The Town (01:55)
13 My Native Home (03:55)
14 Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies (03:59)
15 Tennessee Waltz (01:22)
16 Never on Sunday (02:51)
17 Gathering Flowers From The Hillside (00:51)
18 Little Darling Pal of Mine (02:27)
New Lost City Ramblers & Maybelle
19 Worried Man Blues (03:11)
20 The Storms Are on The Ocean (03:40)
21 Wildwood Flower (03:49)
22 Gold Watch And Chain (02:26)
[Credits]
Maybelle Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Mike Seeger (guitar) John Cohen (guitar) Tom Paley (guitar) Bill Clifton (intro)
[Notes]
In the late 1950s the daughters stopped performing, but Maybelle Carter remained with the Opry until 1967. The folk revival of the late 1960s revitalized interest in the Original Carter Family, and Maybelle performed at the Newport Folk Festivals 26/28 July 1963.

The Carter Sisters – Maybelle, Anita, June & Helen

Bear Family Records – BFX 15080

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: Germany
Released: 1981
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 I Like My Lovin' Overtime (2:03)
A2 Love, Oh, Crazy Love (2:42)
A3 You Flopped When You Got Me Alone (2:00)
A4 Don Juan (2:02)
A5 He Went Slippin' Around (2:18)
A6 Heartless Romance (2:48)
A7 Faithless Johnny Lee (2:39)
A8 There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight (2:50)
B1 Jukebox Blues (2:16)
B2 Like All Get Out (2:11)
B3 Time's A Wastin' (2:07)
B4 We've Got Things To Do (2:25)
B5 Keep It A Secret (2:38)
B6 Cool, Cold, Colder (2:35)
B7 Unfit Mother (2:30)
B8 You're Right But I Wish You Were Wrong (2:32)
[Credits]
Maybelle (guitar/vocals) Anita (guitar/bass/vocals) June (autoharp/guitar/bannjo/vocals) Helen Carter (guitar/accordion/vocals)
[Notes]
After the original Carter Family's legendary run ended, Maybelle Carter remained a radio and recording star with her talented daughters Helen, Anita and June. This generation's ties to popular music's bigger picture include Helen's singer-songwriter son Kenny Jones, Anita's marriage to Johnny Cash bandmate Bob Wootton, and both June's first husband, Carl Smith, and her daughter from a second marriage, Rosie Nix-Adams.

The Original Carter Family in Texas Volume One

Old Homestead Records – OHCS 111

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A01 Theme: Keep On The Sunnyside / I'm Thinking Of My Blue Eyes Tonight (2:47)
A02 Cyclone Of Rye Cove (1:57)
A03 God's Gonna Trouble The Waters (2:00)
A04 Charlie Brooks (1:31)
A05 Shortening Bread (Instrumental) (0:40)
A06 Worried Man Blues (1:51)
A07 Will The Circle Be Unbroken (2:00)
A08 Bury Me Beneath The Willow (2:00)
A09 My Virginia Rose Is Blooming (2:09)
A10 Ole Faithful (1:13)
A11 Going Back To My Texas Home (2:00)
A12 Commercial And Theme (0:41)
B01 Theme: Old Lady's Home (2:19)
B02 Out On Old Saint Sabbath (1:37)
B03 Let The Church Roll On (1:01)
B04 Broken Engagement (2:21)
B05 Dark Haired True Lover (1:45)
B06 Kissing Is A Crime (1:40)
B07 Will You Miss Me (1:56)
B08 The Prisoners Dream (1:43)
B09 Cowboy Jack (1:37)
B10 Cumberland Gap (Instrumental) (0:50
B11 The Maple On The Hill (1:54)
B12 Goodbye - Theme (1:02)
[Credits]
A.P. Carter (vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) Sara Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals)
Liner Notes: Freeman Kitchens and John W. Morris
[Notes]
Late 1930s, the first family of American country music, the Carter Family, recorded transcriptions for radio broadcast on Mexican border radio stations. The recordings featured A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, sister-in-law Maybelle.

An Historic Reunion: Sara And Maybelle The Original Carters

Columbia – CS 9361

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 While the Band Is Playing Dixie (04:09)
A2 Higher Ground (03:11)
A3 Lonesome Pine Special (02:13)
A4 Hand That Rocks the Cradler (02:53)
A5 Three Little Strangers (03:20)
A6 The Ship That Never Returned (02:26)
B1 Weary Prodigal Son (02:48)
B2 Sun of the Soul (03:05)
B3 Farther On (03:24)
B4 Happiest Days of All (03:06)
B5 Goin' Home (02:54)
{Credits]
Sara Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals) Maybelle Carter (autoharp/banjo/guitar/vocals)
Producer: Frank Jones and Don Law, Liner Notes: Johnny Cash, Designer: Thomas Molesky
[Nptes]
Two of the original three Carters reunite for a one-off some twenty years after they'd last sang together, and nearly a decade after the the third original, A.P., had died. The careening, transcendent harmonies that they create are as moving as anything from their heyday, perhaps more so given the context. The Carter Family represent one of those precious moments in the arts culture where we're all reminded that the real stuff of human yearning and questioning needn't be mediated by the fashions and commercial interests of the self-appointed media elites located in urban centres. A moving album in both theory and actuality.

The Very Best of the Carter Family

60 Original Recordings on 3CDs
Not Now Music - NOT3CD297

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: March 15, 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Disc One]
01 Wildwood Flower
02 Anchored In Love
03 Wabash Cannonball
04 The Little Black Train
05 Sinking In The Lonesome Sea
06 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
07 Lulu Walls
08 Maple On The Hill
09 The Dying Soldier
10 Kitty Waltz
11 Diamonds In The Rough
12 Just A Few More Days
13 Black Jack David
14 The Rambling Boy
15 Sweet Fern
16 Answer To Weeping Willow
17 Waves On The Sea
18 There's No One Like Mother To Me
19 He Never Came Back
20 Bury Me Beneath The Willow
[Disc Two]
01 The Picture On The Wall
02 Keep On The Sunny Side
03 Sailor Boy
04 The Foggy Mountain Top
05 Forsaken Love
06 In The Shadow Of Clinch Mountain
07 Chewing Gum
08 We Parted By The Riverside
09 Just Another Broken Heart
10 Single Girl, Married Girl
11 My Clinch Mountain Home
12 On The Rock Where Moses Stood
13 My Old Cottage Home
14 They Call Her Mother
15 The Mountains Of Tennessee
16 In The Shadow Of The Pines
17 Little Girl That Played On My Knee
18 The Grave On The Green Hillside
19 When I'm Gone
20 When The Evening Sun Goes Down
[Disc Three]
01 John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
02 Angel Band
03 I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
04 The Titanic
05 Little Darling, Pal Of Mine
06 Coal Miner's Blues
07 Lover's Lane
08 Who's That Knocking On My Window
09 In The Valley Of The Shenandoah
10 My Dixie Darling
11 The Wandering Boy
12 There'll Be No Distinction There
13 Dark Haired True Lover
14 You Denied Your Love
15 Lonesome Valley
16 Meet Me By The Moonlight Alone
17 You Are My Flower
18 God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign
19 The Storms Are On The Ocean
20 Farewell Nellie
[Credits]
Sara Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals)
[Notes]
It has been argued that one day in history marks the real beginning of country music... On 31 July 1927 talent scout Ralph Peer arrived in Bristol, Tennessee offering anyone and everyone who came along $50 for new songs. Among those who arrived and auditioned that historic day was A.P. Carter, who arrived with his wife Sara and sister in law Maybelle. Ralph Peer later said that his talent lay in being where the lightning is going to strike . Peer recognised that the songs which poured out of the Carter Family were historic, but also extremely marketable. For the next 15 years, the Carter Family dominated the airwaves of American radio. But such was their legacy that nearly a century on, the music that the Carters injected into the mainstream lives on. The material heard on this comprehensive 3CD collection formed the foundation of not one, but three important strands in the development of popular music. It was the songs of the Carter Family which underpinned country & western music, the 1950s skiffle boom and the 1960s folk revival.

Chet Atkins with the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle 1949

Country Routes – RFD CD 37

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2006
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 No Vacancy
02 Today
03 'Deed I Do
04 The Deaf Woman's Courtship
05 In The Pines
06 Eight More Miles To Louisville
07 Ain't It Hard To Love
08 No Tears In Heaven
09 She's Killing Me
10 I'm Fading Fast With The Tide
11 Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain
12 Carry Me Off To Old Virginny
13 Lord Lead Me On
14 Columbus Stockade Blues
15 Under The Hickory Nut Tree
16 When God Dips His Love In My Heart
17 What's The Use
18 Keep On The Sunny Side
19 In The Pines
20 Take Me Back To Tulsa
21 You Belong To Me
22 Meeting In The Air
23 Frankie And Johnny
24 Farther Along
25 I'll Be Thinking Of You Little Girl
[Credits]
Chet Atkins (guitar/vocals) Mother Maybelle (guitar/banjo/vocals) Helen Carter (vocals) Anita Carter (vocals) June Carter (vocals)
Remastering: Charlie Crump
[Notes]
After the original Carter Family trio stopped performing together, Maybelle Carter formed Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters in 1943 with her daughters Helen, Anita, and June Carter, and in 1947 Maybelle added a young Chet Atkins to the group to play electric lead guitar. This reconstituted Carter Family recorded some 60 songs in 1949 and 1950 to be used as live radio transcriptions, the earliest of which are included here (County Routes released the later sessions on CD in 2005 as The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle with Chet Atkins). The sound on these transcriptions is clear and sharp, and for those who only know the much more Appalachian-sounding A.P. Carter version of the Carter Family, it is a bit of a revelation, with a more modern Nashville veneer. A half-dozen or so of these tracks are Atkins guitar solos, and he sings an occasional lead vocal and a harmony or two, but it is the Carter sisters' joyous harmonies that really carry the show. Highlights include ensemble pieces like "You Belong to Me," "Someone's Last Day," "Under the Hickory Nut Tree" (featuring Atkins on the lead vocal), several short versions of "In the Pines," and a wonderful duet from Helen and Anita Carter on "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain." -- AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett

The Carter Family On Border Radio 1939 Vol. 3

Arhoolie Records – 413

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 Theme / Cannon Ball Blues (2:19)
02 The Story Of Charlie And Nelly (1:36)
03 One Little Word / Alabama Gal (2:54)
04 You Are My Sunshine / Happy Or Lonesome (2:56)
05 Oh, Susanna / On My Way To Canaan's Land (2:37)
06 Going Back To Texas / Great Speckled Bird (3:34)
07 Oh, Death / Don't Bury Me On The Lone Prairie (3:07)
08 When The Spring Roses Are Blooming / Chinese Breakdown (2:29)
09 Way Down Yonder In The Cumberland Mts. / Let The Church Roll On (1:55)
10 Broken Engagement / I Shall Not Be Moved (4:17)
11 Dark Haired True Lover / In Your Care (3:15)
12 Theme / Station ID (1:17)
13 Theme / The Old Lades' Home (2:30)
14 The Winding Stream (2:28)
15 Miner's Blues / Columbus Stockade Blues (3:46)
16 No Home / Prisoner's Dream (3:52)
17 Something Got A Hold Of Me / Spirit Of Love (2:50)
18 Worried Man Blues (1:52)
19 Giddyup Go / Sittin' On Top Of The World (2:48)
20 My Virginia Rose (2:13)
21 Cyclone Of Rye Cove (1:59)
22 Wade In The Water / Charlie Brooks (3:36)
23 Anchored In Love (2:07)
24 I've Been Working On The Railroad / I'll Be Satisfied (2:52)
25 Theme Out & Station ID (1:01)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals) Janette Carter, Helen Carter, June Carter, and Anita Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals)
Producer: Chris Strachwitz, Liner Notes: Ed Kahn, Artwork: Beth Weil, Designer: Wayne Pope and Craig Millman
[Notes]
In 1938 and 1939, the first family of American country music, the Carter Family, recorded transcriptions for radio broadcast on Mexican border radio stations. The recordings featured A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, sister-in-law Maybelle, A.P. and Sara’s daughter Janette (listed as Jeanette in the liner notes), and Maybelle’s three children, Helen, June, and Anita. In 1963, 17 transcription discs were discovered at station XET in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1995, Arhoolie Records released three CDs containing material from the 17 discs. In Volume 3, the Carters sing a mix of country, western, gospel, and children’s songs including "You Are My Sunshine," "Oh, Susanna," "Great Speckled Bird," "Sitting On Top of the World," "Wade in the Water," and "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

The Carter Family On Border Radio 1939 Vol. 2

Arhoolie Records – 412

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 Theme / Why There Is A Tear In My Eyes (2:58)
02 Sleep Baby Sleep / Just Another Broken Heart (3:37)
03 Corina (1:21)
04 I Can Not Be Your Sweetheart / Red Wing (3:21)
05 A Broken Down Saint (2:13)
06 Weeping Willow (0:45)
07 You Are My Flower / Gathering Flowers From The Hillside (3:50)
08 The Last Letter / I Wouldn't Mind Dying (3:33)
09 Who's That Knocking At My Window? (2:03)
10 Diamonds In The Rough / The Fatal Wedding (3:00)
11 It's Hard To Please Your Mind / Death Is Only A Dream (2:41)
12 Theme / XET Station Break (1:01)
13 Theme / The Church In The Wildwood (2:02)
14 Are You Tired Of Me, Darling? / Sourwood Mountain (2:48)
15 Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie / My Bonnie Blue Eyes (3:21)
16 Yankee Doodle / Storms On The Ocean (2:58)
17 Sugar Hill (0:40)
18 Hello Stranger (2:07)
19 Cowboy Jack (1:38)
20 Nobody's Darling / Funny When You Feel That Way (4:03)
21 Dixie Darling (1:37)
22 Shortning Bread / Soldier And His Sweetheart (2:22)
23 Polly Wolly Doodle All Day / My Gold Watch And Chain (2:31)
24 River Of Jordan (1:39)
25 I Will Never Marry / God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign (3:53)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals) Janette Carter, Helen Carter, June Carter, and Anita Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals)
Producer: Chris Strachwitz, Liner Notes: Ed Kahn, Artwork: Beth Weil, Designer: Wayne Pope and Craig Millman
[Notes]
In 1938 and 1939, the first family of American country music, the Carter Family, recorded transcriptions for radio broadcast on Mexican border radio stations. The recordings featured A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, sister-in-law Maybelle, A.P. and Sara's daughter Janette (listed as Jeanette in the liner notes), and Maybelle’s three children, Helen, June, and Anita. In 1963, 17 transcription discs were discovered at station XET in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1995, Arhoolie Records released three CDs containing material from the 17 discs. In Volume 2, the Carters sing a mix of country, western, and gospel songs and perform several instrumentals, including a guitar duet between Sara and Maybelle on "Shortning Bread."

The Carter Family On Border Radio 1939 Vol. 1

Arhoolie Records - 411

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 XET Station Break, Introduction, Theme Song / The Wandering Boy (2:44)
02 I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home / In The Highways (3:17)
03 Room For You And Me (1:36)
04 Cumberland Gap / Lonesome Valley (2:33)
05 Just Another Broken Heart (1:05)
06 Darling We Are Growing Older / The Old Texas Trail (3:35)
07 Cowboy's Wild Song To His Herd / Maple On The Hill (3:14)
08 New River Train / Lover's Lane (2:51)
09 My Sweetheart Is A Poor Working Girl / Waves Of The Sea (2:58)
10 On The Sea Of Galilee (1:32)
11 The Curtains Of Night (1:38)
12 Just A Few More Days Of Sorrow (2:28)
13 Theme Out & XET Station Break (1:22)
14 Intro & Theme / When Our Lord Shall Come Again (2:36)
15 The Happiest Days Of All (1:27)
16 By And Bye / We Shall Rise (3:22)
17 Engine 143 / Jealous Hearted Me (3:22)
18 Untitled / What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul? (2:54)
19 Beautiful Brown Eyes & Sweet Fern (2:40)
20 I Have No Loving Mother Now (2:06)
21 Western Hobo (1:51)
22 Single Girl (2:04)
23 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (1:33)
24 The Sun's Gonna Shine In My Back Door Someday / Give Me The Roses While I Live (2:53)
25 You Denied Your Love (2:15)
26 No Telephone In Heaven (2:29)
27 Theme Out & XET Station Break (1:11)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (guitar/vocals) Janette Carter, Helen Carter, June Carter, and Anita Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals)
Producer: Chris Strachwitz, Liner Notes: Ed Kahn, Artwork: Beth Weil, Designer: Wayne Pope and Craig Millman
[Notes]
In 1938 and 1939, the first family of American country music, the Carter Family, recorded transcriptions for radio broadcast on Mexican border radio stations. The recordings featured A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, sister-in-law Maybelle, A.P. and Sara’s daughter Janette (listed as Jeanette in the liner notes), and Maybelle’s three children, Helen, June, and Anita. In 1963, 17 transcription discs were discovered at station XET in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1995, Arhoolie Records released three CDs containing material from the 17 discs. In Volume 1, the Carters perform their signature theme, “Keep on the Sunny Side,” to open their broadcasts and sing a mix of country, western, and gospel songs including “Single Girl, Married Girl,” a song they first recorded in 1927.

The Carter Family: Last Sessions - Their Complete Victor Recordings 1934-1941

Rounder Records – CD 1072

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 I'll Be Home Someday (2:30)
02 Faded Coat Of Blue (3:10)
03 Sailor Boy (3:11)
04 Why Do You Cry Little Darling (3:09)
05 You Tied A Love Knot In My Heart (2:48)
06 Lonesome Homesick Blues (2:31)
07 Dark And Stormy Weather (2:28)
08 In The Valley Of The Shenandoah (2:46)
09 Girl On The Greenbriar Shore (2:58)
10 Something Got A Hold Of Me (2:47)
11 Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room (2:49)
12 Keep On The Firing Line (3:04)
13 Waves On The Sea (2:41)
14 Rambling Boy (2:55)
15 You're Gonna Be Sorry You Let Me Down (2:48)
16 The Mountains Of Tennessee (2:48)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals)
Designer: Scott Billington, Liner Notes: Charles Wolfe
[Notes]
There was a remarkable seven-year gap in the recording of the tracks on this disc. After years of struggling for widespread success, the members of this seminal family trio finally parted ways. The material is terrific as usual, though some tracks sound a bit flat in the delivery. Perhaps the strain of maintaining a family group began to show in the performance of the tunes, as daughters Maybelle and Sara struggled for their own identity. Not the best of the Carter Family recordings, but certainly great. -- AllMusic Review by Tim Sheridan

The Winding Stream - The Carters, The Cashes And The Course Of Country Music

Omnivore Recordings – OVCD-150

Format: CD, Soundtrack, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2015
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Bear Creek Blues: John Prine (4:27)
02 Lord, I'm in Your Care: Grey Delisle and Murry Hammond (1:39)
03 Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow Tree: The Original Carter Family (2:56)
04 Single Girl, Married Girl: The Original Carter Family (2:48)
05 Worried Man Blues: George Jones (3:14)
06 Hello Stranger: Carolina Chocolate Drops (2:46)
07 Keep on the Sunny Side: The Original Carter Family (0:29)
08 Cannon Ball Blues: The Original Carter Family (1:49)
09 I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes: The Original Carter Family (3:02)
10 Wildwood Flower: Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters (2:43)
11 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Johnny Cash and the Carter Sisters (3:20)
12 In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain: Murry Hammond (2:57)
13 Sweet Fern: Maybelle and Sara Carter (2:38)
14 Gold Watch and Chain: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band With Kris Kristofferson (4:07)
15 Step Light Ladies: Home Folks, Joe Carter and John McCutcheon (2:59)
16 The Winding Stream: Rosanne Cash (4:33)
[Notes]
The Winding Stream is a story about the family at the heart of American roots music, the Carters and the Cashes. Starting with the Original Carter Family–A.P., Sara and Maybelle–the film traces the trio’s early musical success, the transformation of the act into The Carter Sisters, June Carter’s marriage to legend Johnny Cash, and the efforts of the present-day Carter family to keep the music alive. A favorite at SXSW and Lincoln Center’s Sound + Vision Festival, this award-winning documentary features Johnny Cash, Sheryl Crow, Mike Seeger, Rhiannon Giddens, and many more.

Can The Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music's First Family

Legacy – CK 65707

Series: The American Milestones Series
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2000
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Can The Circle Be Unbroken (3:06)
02 Lulu Wallis (2:52)
03 My Clinch Mountain Home (2:52)
04 Wildwood Flower (3:15)
05 Worried Man Blues (2:59)
06 Keep On The Sunny Side (2:49)
07 Gospel Ship (2:55)
08 My Texas Girl (3:04)
09 Sinking In The Lonesome Sea (3:14)
10 Cannon Ball Blues (2:53)
11 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (2:52)
12 River Of Jordan (2:43)
13 The Storms Are On The Ocean (3:05)
14 On The Rock Where Moses Stood (3:02)
15 The Little Black Train (2:52)
16 Single Girl, Married Girl (3:03)
17 Kissing Is A Crime (2:33)
18 Blackie's Gunman (2:41)
19 My Home Among The Hills (2:38)
20 Black Jack David (2:39)
[Credits]
Sara Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) A.P. Carter (vocals)
Producer: Lawrence Cohn, Engineers: David Mitson and Stephan Mars
[Notes]
The second half of the Carter Family's recorded output largely rests with the contents of this CD. It's their output for Columbia's OKeh and Conqueror labels, 17 of the 20 recorded over five days in May 1935 and the final three from an October 1940 session. In typical Carter Family fashion, the material is wide ranging and eclectic, running from British folk music ("Black Jack David," "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea") to gospel ("On the Rock Where Moses Stood," "River of Jordan") to blues ("Worried Man Blues") and beyond. Along the way we're treated to re-cuts of notable Carter "hits" like "Can the Circle Be Unbroken," "Wildwood Flower," and "Keep on the Sunny Side." After you collect all of their Victor recordings from the 1920s, here's your next stop, an indispensable addition to any basic country collection. -- AllMusic Review by Cub Koda

Autoharp As Played By Mother Maybelle Carter

Sears 688S-1711

Format: Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Non-Music, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Education
[Tracklist]
A1 Untitled
A2 Untitled
B1 Untitled
[Credits]
Mother Maybelle Carter (voice)
Editor: Dr. Nat T. Winston, Jr., Narrator: Dr. Walter Duda
[Notes]
This is an instructional record meant to accompany a written manual on playing autoharp. Track A1 begins with the tune "Red River Valley" on solo autoharp, and then introduces Mother Maybelle Carter, Dr. Walter Duda (editor), and Nat T. Winston, Jr. (narrator), all in their own voices. Track A2 teaches tuning of the autoharp. Track B teaches playing "Red River Valley" on autoharp in the style of Mother Maybelle Carter.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Capitol Records 7243-5-35148-2-2

Format: 2×CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
1-01 Grand Ole Opry Song (3:10)
1-02 Keep On The Sunny Side (4:26)
1-03 Nashville Blues (3:15)
1-04 You Are My Flower (3:39)
1-05 The Precious Jewel (4:09)
1-06 Dark As A Dungeon (2:47)
1-07 Tennessee Stud (4:50)
1-08 Black Mountain Rag (2:40)
1-09 Wreck On The Highway (3:25)
1-10 The End Of The World (3:54)
1-11 I Saw The Light (4:21)
1-12 Sunny Side Of The Mountain (2:50)
1-13 Nine Pound Hammer (2:53)
1-14 Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet) (2:49)
1-15 Honky Tonkin' (2:32)
1-16 You Don't Know My Mind (2:47)
1-17 My Walkin' Shoes (2:52)
2-01 Lonesome Fiddle Blues (2:43)
2-02 Cannonball Rag (1:16)
2-03 Avalanche (2:52)
2-04 Flint Hill Special (2:13)
2-05 Togary Mountain (2:28)
2-06 Earl's Breakdown (2:37)
2-07 Orange Blossom Special (2:12)
2-08 Wabash Cannonball (2:03)
2-09 Lost Highway (3:48)
2-10 Doc Watson & Merle Travis: First Meeting (Dialogue) (1:52)
2-11 Way Downtown (3:35)
2-12 Down Yonder (3:45)
2-13 Pins And Needles (In My Heart) (2:54)
2-14 Honky Tonk Blues (2:23)
2-15 Sailin' On To Hawaii (2:09)
2-16 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (4:26)
2-17 I Am A Pilgrim (3:54)
2-18 Wildwood Flower (3:33)
2-19 Soldier's Joy (3:33)
2-20 Will The Circle Be Unbroken (4:48)
2-21 Both Sides Now (2:25)
[Previously Unreleased Tracks]
2-22 Foggy Mountain Breakdown (2:39)
2-23 Warming Up For "The Opry" (Talk) (2:43)
2-24 Sunny Side (Talk) (4:06)
2-25 Remember Me (1:39)
[Credits]
Roy Acuff (vocals) Maybelle Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals) Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis (guitar/vocals) Earl Scruggs (banjo/guitar) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Bashful Brother Oswald, Norman Blake (dobro) Randy Scruggs (autoharp/guitar) Junior Husky, Ellis Padgett (bass) Chet Flippo, Martha Flippo, Ray Martin, Tim Martin, Alice McEuen, Larry Murray, Gary Scruggs, Louise Scruggs, Steve Scruggs, Betty Travis (background vocals) Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Béla Fleck, Roger McGuinn (guest artists) NGDB: Bob Carpenter (accordion/piano/vocals) Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica) Jeff Hanna (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Jimmy Ibbotson (mandolin/accordion/vocals) John McEuen (banjo)
[Notes]
Will the Circle be Unbroken is a 1972 album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with collaboration from many famous bluegrass and country-western players, including Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, Pete "Oswald" Kirby, Norman Blake, Jimmy Martin, and others. It also introduced fiddler Vassar Clements to a wider audience.

The Carter Family: 1927-1934

JSP Records JSP7701

Format: 5CD, Box Set, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 30 Apr 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
Disc One
101 Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow
102 Little Log Cabin By The Sea
103 The Poor Orphan Child
104 The Storms Are On The Ocean
105 Single Girl, Married Girl
106 The Wandering Boy
107 Meet Me By The Moonlight, Alone
108 Little Darling, Pal Of Mine
109 Keep On The Sunny Side
110 Anchored In Love
111 John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
112 I Ain't Goin' To Work Tomorrow
113 Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone
114 River Of Jordan
115 Chewing Gum
116 Wildwood Flower
117 I Have No-One To Love Me (But The Sailor On The Deep Blue Sea)
118 Forsaken Love
119 Sweet Fern
120 My Clinch Mountain Home
121 God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign
122 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
123 Little Moses
124 Lulu Wall
125 The Grave On The Green Hillside
Disc Two
201 Don't Forget This Song
202 The Foggy Mountain Top
203 Bring Back My Blue-Eyed Boy To Me
204 Diamonds In The Rough
205 Engine One-Forty-Three
206 The Homestead On The Farm
207 The Cyclone Of Rye Cove
208 Motherless Children
209 When The Roses Bloom In Dixieland
210 No Telephone In Heaven
211 Western Hobo
212 Carter's Blues
213 Wabash Cannonball
214 A Distant Land To Roam
215 Jimmie Brown The Newsboy
216 Kitty Waltz
217 Fond Affection
218 The Cannonball
219 The Lover's Farewell
220 There's Someone Awaiting For Me
221 The Little Log Hut In The Lane
222 When The Springtime Comes Again
223 When The World's On Fire
224 I Have An Aged Mother
225 Dying Soldier
226 Worried Man Blues
DiscThree
301 Lonesome Valley
302 On The Rock Where Moses Stood
303 Room In Heaven For Me
304 Lonesome Pine Special
305 No More The Moon Shines On Lorena
306 On My Way To Canaan's Land
307 Where Shall I Be?
308 Sow 'Em On The Mountain
309 Darling Nellie Across The Sea
310 The Birds Were Singing Of You
311 Weary Prodigal Son
312 My Old Cottage Home
313 When I'm Gone
314 Sunshine In The Mountain
315 Let The Church Roll On
316 Lonesome For You
317 Can't Feel At Home
318 Why There's A Tear In My Eye
319 The Wonderful City
320 Jimmie Rodgers Visits The Carter Family
321 The Carter Family And Jimmie Rodgers In Texas
322 'Mid The Green Fields Of Virginia
323 Happiest Days Of All
324 Picture On The Wall
325 Amber Tresses
Disc Four
401 I Never Loved But One
402 Tell Me That You Love Me
403 Where We'll Never Grow Old
404 We Will March Through The Streets Of The City
405 Sweet As The Flowers In Maytime
406 Will The Roses Bloom In Heaven
407 My Little Home In Tennessee
408 The Sun Of The Soul
409 If One Won't, Another One Will
410 Broken Hearted Love
411 Two Sweethearts
412 The Winding Stream
413 I Wouldn't Mind Dying
414 The Spirit Of Love Watches Over Me
415 The Church In The Wildwood
416 Give Me Roses While I Live
417 I Will Never Marry
418 On The Sea Of Galilee
419 Home By The Sea
420 I Loved You Better Than You Knew
421 This Is Like Heaven To Me
422 See That My Grave Is Kept Green
423 Over The Garden Wall
424 Gold Watch And Chain
425 Will My Mother Know Me There?
Disc Five
501 On A Hill Lone And Gray
502 Cowboy Jack
503 I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
504 Away Out On The Old Saint Sabbath
505 Happy Or Lonesome
506 One Little Word
507 Darling Daisies
508 The East Virginia Blues
509 Lovers Return
510 It'll Aggravate Your Soul
511 Hello Central! Give Me Heaven
512 I'm Working On A Building
513 You've Been Fooling Me, Baby
514 Longing For Old Virginia
515 March Winds Goin' To Blow My Blues All Away
516 There'll Be Joy, Joy, Joy
517 Are You Tired Of Me, My Darling
518 My Heart's Tonight In Texas
519 There's No Hiding Place Down Here
520 Cowboy's Wild Song To His Herd
521 The Evening Bells Are Ringing
522 The Mountains Of Tennessee
523 I'll Be Home Some Day
524 Faded Coat Of Blue
525 Sailor Boy
[Credits]
Maybelle Carter (vocals/guitar) Sara Carter (vocals/guitar/autoharp) A.P. Carter (vocals)
[Notes]
Fans looking for more than ASV/Living Era's Wildwood Flower collection but scared off by Bear Family's massive 12-disc box could comfortably pick up this five-disc budget compilation. At 126 songs, it covers all of their RCA Victor recordings in chronological order, omitting only alternate takes. The remastering isn't necessarily better than other Carter Family issues -- rather than clean up the crackle, the engineers have simply boosted the sound level, and while that does bring out some nuances, the ever-present hiss is louder than usual. That and the scanty liner notes mean that casual fans could probably do perfectly well with Wildwood Flower, but this music is going to be an outstanding addition to any collection, especially at a price this low. -- AllMusic Review by Jim Smith

The New Lost City Ramblers 50 Years: Where Do You Come From? Where Do You Go?

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD-40180

Format: 3xCD, Various Artists
Country: US
Released: 2009
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
Disk One
1-01 Colored Aristocracy: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:05)
1-02 Hopalong Peter: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:04)
1-03 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:26)
1-04 When First Unto this Country: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:48)
1-05 Sales Tax on the Women: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:14)
1-06 Rabbit Chase: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:30)
1-07 Leaving Home: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:05
1-08 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:34)
1-09 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:19)
1-10 I Truly Understand You Love Another Man: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:29)
1-11 The Old Fish Song: The New Lost City Ramblers (4:52)
1-12 The Battleship of Maine: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:05)
1-13 No Depression in Heaven: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
1-14 Dallas Rag: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:02)
1-15 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
1-16 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
1-17 The Lady of Carlisle: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:32)
1-18 Brown's Ferry Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:46)
1-19 My Long Journey Home: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:37)
1-20 Talking Hard Luck: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:40)
1-21 The Teetotals: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:00)
1-22 Sal Got a Meatskin: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:24)
1-23 Railroad Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:41)
1-24 On Some Foggy Mountain Top: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:25)
1-25 My Sweet Farm Girl: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:22)
1-26 Crow Black Chicken: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:35)
Disk Two
2-01 John Brown's Dream: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:32)
2-02 Riding on That Train: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:19)
2-03 The Titanic: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:59)
2-04 Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:15)
2-05 Cowboy Waltz: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:49)
2-06 Shut Up in the Mines of Coal Creek: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:49)
2-07 Private John Q: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:03)
2-08 Old Johnny Bucker Wouldn't Do: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
2-09 I've Always Been a Rambler: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:16)
2-10 Automobile Trip Through Alabama: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:15
2-11 Who Killed Poor Robin?: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:52)
2-12 My Wife Died on Saturday Night: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:18)
2-13 Little Satchel: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:47)
2-14 Black Bottom Strut: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:09
2-15 The Cat's Got the Measels, the Dog's Got the Whooping Cough: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:55)
2-16 Dear Okie: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:14)
2-17 Smoketown Strut: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:16)
2-18 The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
2-19 Fishing Creek Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:01)
2-20 '31 Depression Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:31)
2-21 Black Jack Daisy: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
2-22 Victory Rag: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:05)
2-23 The Little Carpenter: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:50)
2-24 On Our Turpentine Farm: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:51)
2-25 Parlez-Nous à Boire: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:35)
2-26 Valse du Bambocheur: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:59)
2-27 Old Joe Bone: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:59)
Disk Three
3-01 Colored Aristocracy: The Rich Family (1:37)
3-02 Cluck Old Hen: Wade, Crockett and Fields Ward (1:31)
3-03 Young Emily: Dellie Norton (2:03)
3-04 Going Down the River: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:40)
3-05 Billy Grimes the Rover: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:26)
3-06 Pretty Little Miss: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:20)
3-07 Dark & Stormy Weather: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:24)
3-08 Sioux Indians: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
3-09 Moonshiner: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:07)
3-10 Long Lonesome Road: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
3-11 Cotton Eyed Joe: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:14)
3-12 New White House Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:41)
3-13 Milwaukee Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
3-14 Poor Old Dirt Farmer: Tony Balfa, Tracy and Peter Schwarz (3:40)
3-15 Cady Hill: Arthur Smith & Sam and Kirk McGee (1:22)
3-16 I Belong to the Band: Reverend Gary Davis (3:56)
3-17 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:38)
3-18 I'm Leaving You: Sara Carter Bayes and Maybelle Carter (2:35)
3-19 Walking Boss: Clarence Tom Ashley (2:28)
3-20 Mother's Advice: Dock Boggs (2:48)
3-21 Hills of Mexico: Roscoe Holcomb (2:29)
3-22 Galax Rag: Kilby Snow (2:49)
3-23 Say Old Man, Can You Play a Fiddle?: Eck Robertson, The New Lost City Ramblers (2:50)
3-24 Awake, Awake: Dillard Chandler (4:12)
3-25 Bowling Green: Cousin Emmy with The New Lost City Ramblers (3:49)
3-26 Madeleine: Dewey & Rodney Balfa, Allie Young, & Weston Bergeau (2:54)
3-27 Fishing Creek Blues: Sue Draheim, Mack Benford, Eric Thompson, Jody Stecher, Hank Bradley, Will Spires, Kenny Hall, Holly Tannen, & Larry Hanks (2:39)
3-28 Sally In the Garden: New Tranquility String Band & friends (2:21)
[Credits]
Producers: John Cohen, Mike Seeger and Tracy Schwarz, Liner Notes: Jon Pankake and Ray Allen, Photographers: Robert Frank and Chris Strachwitz, Designer: Visual Dialogue
[Notes]
Collectively known as the New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley were pioneers in the revival of Southern mountain music during the folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. They brought the sounds of genuine old-time string band music and early bluegrass to eager city and college audiences who had grown disillusioned with the commercial pap of the folk boom. This set features two previously released CDs of the Ramblers classic Folkways recordings: The Early Years, 1958-1962 with the original trio, and Out Standing in Their Field: Volume II, 1963-1973, with Tracy Schwarz replacing Tom Paley. A newly compiled third disc,Where Do You Come From? Where Do You Go? celebrates the band's 50th anniversary in 2009, presenting more choice Ramblers selections along with their field recordings of the traditional Southern musicians who inspired them including: Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, Tom Ashley, Maybelle Carter, Elizabeth Cotten, Eck Robertson, Cousin Emmy, Reverend Gary Davis, Kilby Snow, Dillard Chandler, Dellie Norton, and the Balfa Brothers. 81 tracks, over 3 ½ hours of music, 88-page booklet over 3 CDs. Disc #3 includes 6 previously unreleased songs.