Take's BG Album Channel - Help Locate the Gems

A number of times in the past year, my searches on YouTube have led me to this massive collection of bluegrass albums, audio files ripped from the vinyl:

Take's Bluegrass Album Channel

There's so much material here, with an emphasis on the releases from the 1970s and 1980s. Many are new to me, or in some cases forgotten. It's way too much material for me to sift through, so I thought I'd open it up to the hive to find the 'good stuff.'

Try to keep it on the positive and light side, if you don't mind. It was a period, where I think some dubious productions decisions were common in the bluegrass recording world, but there are some undisputed treasures, and plenty of projects of special relevance to the time they were created. And it's nice to have LP-sized chunks of music, in a 'singles only' world. I'll lead off with an LP that I think about everybody on this thread will consider a 'treasure'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAgZz4pPdsY

Label: Rebel Records - SLP 1542
Format: Vinyl
Country: US
Released: 1975

Song List:
A1 - Rain And Snow
A2 - Andy's Honey
A3 - Loggin' Man
A4 - Springtime Of Life
A5 - Corina
A6 - Blackmail Your Heart
B1 - Rain Please Go Away
B2 - Hang Your Head In Shame
B3 - I Told You That
B4 - If I Had To Live Without You
B5 - I've Endured
B6 - I've Been Away Just A Little Too Long

Musicians:
・Del McCoury (Guitar, Vocals)
And The Dixie Pals

Nice phraseology about the advances made in recording technology since some of these were cut.
Super cool link Brad, thanks a lot! Wait, that wasn't recorded by Del until much later!
Anyway, I appreciate your digging to find the channel.
T

Brad - If it's the series of complete LP's put onto YouTube that i'm thinking of,i've listened to several, & the 'pitch' (record speed) is wrong on some of them :- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3H...=dd&shelf_id=3 Well worth a listen though & yes,there are several 'classics' on there. Many thanks for reminding me of them - great music,
Ivan

He's posted a ton of great stuff. I'd suggest searching his videos for a musician you like and see what comes up. He also has a live bluegrass channel

Certainly not an exhaustive list, but I'm a big fan of:
Tea For One [1982] - Jethro Burns

The Country Fiddlers Featuring Wade Ray [1967] - Wade Ray
Jethro's breaks are transcribed in his Mel Bay book

Mandolin Workshop [1972] - Jim & Jesse
The definitive crosspicking album. A lot of these are transcribed in Andy Statman's out of print book on Jesse

The Legendary Kentucky Mandolin Of Nolan Faulkner [1976] - Nolan Faulkner
Maybe the best obscure bluegrass mandolinist ever

Prairie Bluegrass [1976] - The Bray Brothers With Red Cravens
Nate Bray is another challenger for best obscure bluegrass mandolinist

Bobby & His Mandolin [1981] - The Osborne Brothers

Nashville Mornings New York Nights [1986] - Andy Statman

National Junior Fiddle Champion [1975] - Mark O'Connor
Young Mark O'Connor

Pickin' in The Wind [1976] - Mark O'Connor
More young Mark O'Connor

In Concert [1977] - Byron Berline & Sam Bush & Mark O'Connor
With the 3 of them switching between mandolin, guitar, and fiddle

Big And Country Instrumentals [1967] - Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys
Vernon Derrick was a great mandolinist

The Gaudreau Mandolin Album [1978] - Jimmy Gaudreau

Holiday In Japan [1976] - J.D. Crowe & The New South
The Rounder 0044 lineup

Frank Wakefield [1972] - Frank Wakefield


There are a ton more (Johnson Mountain Boys, Spectrum, Country Store, Kenny Baker, Vassar Clements, Red Rector, Country Gentlemen).

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Originally Posted by Peewee

He also has a live bluegrass channel

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Well there is another treasure trove to sort through! I'll be interested to see and hear about what rare, well-recorded, or particularly fine performances are in that second huge collection.

I really like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCC5kucIwvw

"This World's No Place to Live In (But It's Home)" is just devastating.

This one's actually available on CD in a much enhanced (22-track) version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stgq4n6qhHM
Vern Williams was the king of tasteful, restrained mandolin breaks, and one of my favorite bluegrass singers ever.

The title track from this one is just great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rPND-pY8BA

Fantastic singer and mandolin player.

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Originally Posted by doublestoptremolo

"This World's No Place to Live In (But It's Home)" is just devastating.

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Yeah. That Busby / Morris album is one that I had forgotten.

Here's one that I have been enjoying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgh0an0I2OQ

The late Butch Baldassari was a big presence here on the Cafe, back in the day. And maybe some of the newer members will enjoy an introduction to his playing. And some great players here.

Label: Cactus Records - CT103 - 1987

Song List:
A1 - Dark Rider
A2 - Money's All Gone
A3 - Kentucky Mandolin
A4 - What's Doin'
A5 - Angel Eyes
B1 - Methodist Preacher
B2 - No Title Yet Blues
B3 -Nuages
B4 - A-New-Q-Stik

Musicians:
・Butch Baldassari (Mandolin, Lead Guitar A2)
・Stuart Duncan (Fiddle)
・Mr. Elbak (Guitar, Violin A5, B3)
・Ron Block (Banjo, A3, B1; Lead Guitar, A1, B2, B4)
・Mike Bub (Banjo, B2; Bass, A3)
・Pat Cloud (Banjo, A4)
・Robbie Icks (Dobro, A1, B2, B4)
・Eric Uglum (Rhythm Guitar A1 to A3, B3, B4)
・Gordon Nichol (Bass, A1, A2, B2, B4)
・Rudy Aikels (Bass, A5, B3)

I've had a link on my PC to Take's YouTube site for a while now & looking through the albums on there,in their way for one reason or another,they're ALL classics. Some,because they're great recordings by great,well known players,others because they players were just 'on the rise' & we hear their early work,& some because the players were never really well known & 'vanished' before most of us ever even heard of them.
I did find an early recording by Andy Statman - i can't remember what it was called,but i must find it again & have a listen. I can't imagine it being anything less that awesome,
Ivan;)
PS - I don't know how this sits with the law & recording /broadcasting rights at all,but i assume that because these recordings are open to the public to listen to & can be downloaded fromYouTube,that it's ok to do so - is that right ?. A bit of a grey area. The other thing to do,is to save a link to any recording on your pc. It'll take you straight to it, & you can listen without downloading it & taking up hard drive space - that's what i do. The only problem is that sometimes,the YT clips are removed.

He also put Bill Monroe's Master of Bluegrass 1981 record (discussed in another topic) on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3qmy0YoU0

Here's a great one by Bob Paisley and the Southern Grass. I particularly like the first two songs. Great rendition of the title track, and the second song, which may be titled something like Where the Mountains Meet the Sky? Anyone know where that one comes from? Writer? Other versions?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSVD0_Cef34

Brad, that is the stuff right there! The second track is Mountain Sweetheart by Charlie Monroe.
Best regards,
Max

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Originally Posted by Mandomax

Brad, that is the stuff right there! The second track is Mountain Sweetheart by Charlie Monroe.
Best regards,
Max

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I think it's Charlie Moore, rather than Monroe. But I still can't find a recording anywhere.
Can anyone help? I think it's the title track of an album by Moore recorded in Europe. Out of print and hard to find!

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Originally Posted by BradKlein

I think it's Charlie Moore, rather than Monroe. But I still can't find a recording anywhere.
Can anyone help? I think it's the title track of an album by Moore recorded in Europe. Out of print and hard to find!

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Hi, Bradklein, thank you so much for all those nice words about my channel. I really appreciate them. I was wondering if you have been able to find the album you mentioned above. If not, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=atMq88OBk28
Thanks again :-) Take

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Originally Posted by swing315

Hi, Bradklein, thank you so much for all those nice words about my channel. I really appreciate them. I was wondering if you have been able to find the album you mentioned above. If not, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=atMq88OBk28
Thanks again :-) Take

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Thanks for sharing all these treasures Take. I too have been a subscriber and avid listener of your channel for several years now. I really appreciate the material.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by swing315

Hi, Bradklein, thank you so much for all those nice words about my channel. I really appreciate them. I was wondering if you have been able to find the album you mentioned above. If not, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=atMq88OBk28 Thanks again :-) Take

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Welcome to the Cafe, Take. That link doesn't seem to work for me, but I did manage to get a copy of Charlie Moore: Live in Europe. Thanks for hunting that one down. Great vocal arrangement on that song: Mountain Sweetheart.

I think THIS is the link from Take - Mountain Sweetheart [1979]. That works for me!

And while I'm at it, here's a Christmas present to the Cafe from me and Take's BG Album Channel.

A nice live recording of Star of Bethlehem by the Stanleys and Kieth Whitley. Is Ricky on this one?

Attachment 163403

Victor, thanks so much for your support. Really appreciate it. :-) Take

Bradklen, thanks for bringing up my channel here. I'd like to see my channel grow and a lot more folks will have a chance to hear good old traditional bluegrass. Thanks again for your support. :-) Take

Here's a fantastic recording by the avant-oldtime Red Clay Ramblers. I was working at Rounder in E. Cambridge when this one came out. I was amazed then by its vision and execution, and I still am!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68yIcfbcZhQ

I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to meet the Red Clay Ramblers back around ‘76, they were as fun a bunch as I’ve ever known! Party fun after gigs? Oh yeah!!