Early Blue Grass Music

1963 compilation album by The Monroe Brothers

Early Blue Grass Music

Compilation album by

The Monroe Brothers

Released| June 1963 (1963-06)
Recorded| 1936–1949
Genre|

* Country
* folk
* gospel

Length| 33:30
Label| RCA Camden
Charlie Monroe chronology
| Bluegrass Sound
(1963)  | Early Blue Grass Music
(1963)  | Lord Build Me a Cabin
(1965)

|
|

Bill Monroe chronology
| Bluegrass Special
(1963)  | Early Blue Grass Music
(1963)  | Bill Monroe Sings Country Songs
(1964)

|
|

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]

Early Blue Grass Music track listingNo.| 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"|

* Guy Smith
* Charlie Swain

| 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"|

* C. W. Vance
* R. S. Crandall

| "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

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* 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]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ "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.
3. ^ "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)

* v
* t
* e

Bill Monroe

Studio albums|

* Knee Deep in Blue Grass (1958)
* I Saw the Light (1959)
* Mr. Blue Grass (1961)
* Bluegrass Ramble (1962)
* Bluegrass Special (1963)
* I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning (1964)
* Blue Grass Time (1967)
* Kentucky Blue Grass (1970)
* Uncle Pen (1972)
* Father & Son (1973)
* Road of Life (1974)
* The Weary Traveler (1976)
* Bill Monroe Sings Bluegrass, Body and Soul (1977)
* Bluegrass Memories (1977)
* Together Again (1978)
* Master of Bluegrass (1981)
* Southern Flavor (1988)
* Cryin' Holy unto the Lord (1991)

Live albums|

* Bean Blossom (1973)
* Bean Blossom '79 (1980)

Compilations|

* The Great Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1961)
* The Father of Blue Grass Music (1962)
* My All Time Country Favorites (1962)
* Early Blue Grass Music (1963)
* Bill Monroe Sings Country Songs (1964)
* Bill Monroe's Best (1964)
* Bluegrass Instrumentals (1965)
* The Original Blue Grass Sound (1965)
* The High, Lonesome Sound of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1966)
* Bill Monroe's Greatest Hits (1968)
* Bill Monroe and Charlie Monroe (1969)
* A Voice from on High (1969)
* 16 All-Time Greatest Hits (1970)
* Bill Monroe's Country Music Hall of Fame (1971)
* Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1950–60) (1973)
* Best of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (1975)
* The Best of Bill Monroe (1975)
* Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Vol. II (1950–1972) (1975)
* The Original Bluegrass Band (1978)
* The Classic Bluegrass Recordings (1981)

Singles|

* "Mule Skinner Blues"
* "Blue Yodel No. 7"
* "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
* "I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling"
* "Uncle Pen"
* "Kentucky Waltz"
* "I'm Working on a Building"
* "Gotta Travel On"

Family|

* Birch Monroe
* Charlie Monroe
* Pendleton Vandiver

Blue Grass Boys|

* David "Stringbean" Akeman
* Kenny Baker
* Byron Berline
* Vassar Clements
* Charlie Cline
* Cleo Davis
* Lester Flatt
* Randall Franks
* Amos Garren
* Richard Greene
* Bobby Hicks
* Bill Keith
* Rudy Lyle
* Jimmy Martin
* Bessie Lee Mauldin
* Del McCoury
* Clyde Moody
* Don Reno
* Butch Robins
* Peter Rowan
* Earl Scruggs
* Carter Stanley
* Gordon Terry
* Buck Trent
* Roland White
* Chubby Wise
* Mac Wiseman

Related articles|

* Blue Grass Boys members
* Discography
* Bill Monroe Farm
* Bill Monroe Memorial Festival
* Bill Monroe Museum
* True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe

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