"ralph's banjo special" = "daybreak in dixie"?

[lespaul_79]

On the Grisman/Bush CD "Hold On, I'm Coming"...
is "Ralph's Banjo Special" the same tune as "Daybreak in Dixie"?

[mandolirius]

Yes.

[lespaul_79]

Thanks... such a cool song. I wish they played that at jams here in the Colorado Frontrange.

[swampstomper]

They are playing Daybreak in Dixie, mistitled (not sure why!). Ralph's Banjo Special is really the title of a slightly different tune by Dr Ralph.

Daybreak in Dixie is the A/D/E progression (A part); this was cut for Mercury (Nov 15 1957) with Bill Napier playing mando and sweet twin fiddles (Benny Martin and Howdy Forrester!). This is the progression Sam and Dave play.

Ralph's Banjo Special is the A/G/D/E (quick turn to the G). It first appeared on SLP-106 - Mountain Song Favorites - Stanley Brothers & Clinch Mountain Boys [1959] and was recorded for Starday, probably in summer 1959 in Live Oak, FL. Again Bill Napier on mandolin. I guess the name was changed from Daybreak in Dixie, despite the obvious similarity of the tunes, to avoid copyright problems.

Daybreak was recorded again for King (July 11 1960) for LP King 719 "In Person", I guess to get it on the King label. This had Curly Lambert on mando.

Source: Gary B Reid's Stanley Brothers discography.


B part is the same progression on both.

[f5loar]

Two songs that have long been interchanged. You just got to follow the leader to know which one is being played.
Throwing that extra G in there is no big deal but does change the dynamics of the tune. Bill Napier was one fine mandolin picker.

[Steve Williams]

We always played 'em in our neck of the woods the way that swampstomper called 'em...Daybreak In Dixie with 3 chords, and Ralph's Banjo Special with the G out of A...

I had an old 8 track "way back when" that had Skaggs and Whitley playing it with Ralph and the CMB...it had the G in it but was labeled Daybreak In Dixie if I remember correctly.

f5loar is right...ya just gotta just follow the leader!

Steve Williams