Cat. No. 2757: NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND ~ WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN. CAPITOL 7243-5-35148-2-2. (IMPORT).

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THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND FORMED IN 1966. ALL MEMBERS OF THE BAND WERE STUDENTS OF RECORDS COMING FROM THE BLUEGRASS / FOLK / BLUES WORLD. FOUR YEARS AFTER FORMING THEY PLAYED THEIR FIRST NASHVILLE CONCERT AND IN THE AUDIENCE WAS THE LEGENDARY EARL SCRUGGS AND FAMILY. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT EARL CAME ALONG , “TO SEE THE BOY WHO PLAYED ‘RANDY LYNN RAG’ THE WAY I INTENDED IT TO BE PLAYED.” FOLLOWING THE SHOW, THE BAND AND EARL CHEWED THE FAT FOR AWHILE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC ETC. TWELVE MONTHS LATER THEIR PATHS CROSSED AGAIN IN BOULDER, COLORADO. BAND MEMBERS JEFF HANNA AND JOHN McEUEN TOOK EARL BACK TO HIS HOTEL. IT WAS THERE THAT JOHN AND JEFF GOT UP THE COURAGE TO ASK EARL, “WOULD YOU EVER RECORD A SONG WITH THE DIRT BAND?”. EARL’S REPLY WAS EMPHATIC, “I’D BE PROUD TO.” A WEEK LATER AT THE SAME CLUB JOHN TOLD DOC WATSON THAT THEY WERE DOING AN ALBUM WITH EARL SCRUGGS AND WANTED TO KNOW IF HE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT. DOC REPLIED, “WELL IF EARL’S GONNA BE THERE, COUNT ME IN!” AND IT WAS THEN THAT THIS CONCEPT ALBUM WAS BORN.

WITH THE HELP OF EARL SCRUGGS, OTHER ARTISTS CAME ON BOARD, ROY ACUFF, MERLE TRAVIS, MOTHER MAYBELLE CARTER, JIMMY MARTIN, ROY ‘JUNIOR’ HUSKEY, VASSAR CLEMENTS AND A HOST OF OTHER BLUEGRASS MUSICIANS ALSO CAME ON BOARD. THE RECORD COMPANY WAS AT FIRST RELUCTANT TO FINANCE THE PROJECT, HOWEVER, AS THE BAND WAS SO INTENT ON THE CONCEPT THE LABEL APPROVED $US22,000 FOR THE PROJECT. THE ALBUM WAS RECORDED LIVE OVER SIX DAYS AND AS THEY SAY, “THE REST IS HISTORY”. THE ALBUM WENT GOLD AND STANDS AS ONE OF THE FIRST CONCEPT ALBUMS OF ANY GENRE AND AN EVENT OF UNUSUAL PROPORTIONS, A PRESENTATION OF MUSIC THAT DID CHANGE THE WORLD. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ******

*Please note that only the lead vocalist(s) or musician(s) are listed with each song as the list of artists performing on each song is far too numerous to list. The complete listing is contained in the accompanying booklet.

TRACK LISTING: DISC 1 – Grand Ole Opry Song (lead vocal & guitar: Jimmy Martin) / Keep On The Sunnyside (lead vocal & guitar: Mother Maybelle Carter) / Nashville Blues (instr.) (lead banjo: Earl Scruggs) / You Are My Flower (instr.) (lead banjo: John McEuen / guitar: Earl Scruggs) / The Precious Jewel (lead vocal: Roy Acuff) / Dark As A Dungeon (lead vocal & guitar: Merle Travis) / Tennessee Stud (lead vocal & guitar: Doc Watson) / Black Mountain Rag (instr.) (lead guitar: Doc Watson) / Wreck On The Highway (lead vocal: Roy Acuff) / The End Of The World (instr.) (dobro: Pete ‘Oswald’ Kirby / guitar: Doc Watson / guitar: Earl Scruggs) / I Saw The Light (lead vocal: Roy Acuff / banjo: Earl Scruggs) / Sunny Side Of The Mountain (lead vocal & guitar: Jimmy Martin / banjo: John McEuen) / Nine Pound Hammer (lead vocal & guitar: Merle Travis) / Losin’ You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet) (lead vocal & guitar: Jimmy Martin / banjo: John McEuen) / Honky Tonkin’ (lead vocal: Jimmie Fadden / guitar: Jeff Hanna) / You Don’t Know My Mind (lead vocal & guitar: Jimmy Martin) / My Walkin’ Shoes (lead vocal & guitar: Jimmy Martin).

DISC 2 – Lonesome Fiddle Blues (instr.) (fiddle: Vassar Clements) / Cannonball Rag (instr.) (guitar: Merle Travis / bass: Junior Huskey) / Avalanche (instr.) (fiddle: Vassar Clements) / Flint Hill Special (instr.) (banjo: Earl Scruggs) / Togary Mountain (instr.) (banjo: John McEuen) / Earl’s Breakdown (instr.) (banjo: Earl Scruggs / guitar: Randy Scruggs) / Orange Blossom Special (instr.) (fiddle: Vassar Clements) / Wabash Cannonball (instr.) (dobro: Pete ‘Oswald’ Kirby) / Lost Highway (lead vocal & guitar: Jim Ibbotson) / Doc Watson & Merle Travis: First Meeting – Dialogue / Way Downtown (lead vocal & guitar: Doc Watson) / Down Yonder (instr.) (lead guitar: Doc Watson) / Pins And Needles (In My Heart) (lead vocal: Roy Acuff) / Honky Tonk Blues (lead vocal: Jeff Hanna / guitar: John McEuen) / Sailin’ On To Hawaii (instr.) (dobro: Pete ‘Oswald’ Kirby) / I’m Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (lead vocal: Mother Maybelle Carter / banjo: Earl Scruggs) / I Am A Pilgrim (lead vocal & guitar: Merle Travis) / Wildwood Flower (lead vocal & autoharp: Mother Maybelle Carter / guitar: Earl Scruggs) / Soldier’s Joy (instr.) (banjo: Earl Scruggs) / Will The Circle Be Unbroken (lead vocal & autoharp: Mother Maybelle Carter plus Ensemble) / Both Sides Now (instr.) (guitar: Randy Scruggs). Previously Unreleased Tracks: Foggy Mountain Breakdown (instr.) (banjo: John McEuen) / Warming Up For “The Opry” (talk) / Sunny Side (talk) / Remember Me (instr.) (guitar: Doc Watson).

2CD SET