THE CHURCH BROTHERS
SESSION DISCOGRAPHY
THE CHURCH BROTHERS and their BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS-1
THE CHURCH BROTHERS and their BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS “THE
GREATEST HILLBILLY BAND ON RECORD”-2. Johnson City, Tn: Winter
1950
William Cears “Bill”
Church (ld vcl-4/gtr): Arthur Ralph Church (tnr vcl-5/mand); poss Hubert Davis
(bjo) or John McKinley “Johnny” Nelson (bjo) or James Garfield “Gar” Bowers (bjo);
Arthur Ward Eller (vcl/gtr); John Ralph Pennington (stg bs); Trio vcl-3. Producer:
James Hobart “Jim” Stanton
1203 DARLING BROWN EYES -1-5 Rich-R’-Tone
(Uniss), Blue Ridge 101, GHP LP-900
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church) Rounder
1020, Jasmine JASMCD-3608
1211 NO ONE TO LOVE ME -3 Rich-R’-Tone
(Uniss), Blue Ridge 609, LP-900
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church) Rounder
1020
1302 I’M LONELY FOR YOU -2-4-5 Rich-R’-Tone
1009, GHP LP-900, Rounder 1020
(Bill Church)
1400 A SWEETER LOVE THAN YOURS
I’LL NEVER
KNOW -4 1009, Rounder 1020
(Bill Church)
BENEATH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOON Rich-R’-Tone (Uniss), GHP
LP-900, 1020
()
1408 WE’LL MEET UP THERE Rich-R’-Tone
1017, Rounder 1020
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church)
1310 I KNOW MY NAME WILL BE CALLED
UP THERE 1017, 1020
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church)
NB(1): RICH-R’-TONE 1009 released 1951.
NB(2): RICH-R’-TONE 1017 released Monday 17th
September 1951.
NB(3): BILLBOARD ADVANCE
RELEASES-RELIGIOUS-Saturday 29th September 1951-RICH-R’-TONE 1017.
NB(4): BLUE RIDGE 101 released 1952.
NB(5): BLUE RIDGE 101-Some or all copies give
DRUSCILLA ADAMS’ name as “DRUSILLI”.
NB: JASMINE JASMCD-3608 “BLUEGRASS THAT HIGH LONESOME SOUND”
released United Kingdom
March 2012.
BUFFALO JOHNSON & THE CHURCH BROS. & their BLUE RIDGE
RAMBLERS
Saturday
27th October 1951
Buffalo Johnson (vcl-1/ ); Bill Church (vcl-2/gtr); Ralph Church
(tnr vcl-2/mand); Johnny Nelson (bjo) or
Gar Bowers (bjo); Ward Eller (vcl/gtr);
Ralph Pennington (stg bs). Producer: Jim Stanton
ROLL IN MY SWEET BABY’S ARMS Rich-R’-Tone
(Uniss), GHP LP-900, Rounder 1020
(P.D.)
1312 DAY DREAMING -1 Rich-R’-Tone
1019-A, LP-900
(Gladys Gobble) DAY DREAMING (Alt)-1 Rich-R’-Tone
(Uniss)
(Gladys Gobble)
1410 I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO -1-2 Rich-R’-Tone 1019-B
(Gladys Gobble)
I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO (Alt)-1-2 Rich-R’-Tone (Uniss)
(Gladys Gobble)
NB(1): According to Drusilla Adams Smith, a second
Rich-R’-Tone recording session was held about summer 1950 in
Kingsport, Tennessee. It is uncertain if any of the foregoing masters were
recorded there.
NB(2): The BILLBOARD edition of Saturday 24th
November 1951 stated that RICH-R’-TONE had issued its first TWO artist disc. It
issued BUFFALO
JOHNSON & THE CHURCH BROS.
THE CHURCH BROTHERS and their BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS
Radio
Station WKBC North Wilkesboro, N.Car: 1951
Bill Church (ld
vcl-1/gtr); Ralph Church (tnr vcl-2/mand); Johnny Nelson (bjo-3) Ward Eller (vcl-4/gtr); Ralph
Pennington (stg bs). Producer:
1465 TEARS FALL ON MY BROKEN HEART Blue Ridge 302 (Uniss)
()
1864 BLUE RIDGE SPECIAL (Inst) 302 (Uniss) , GHP LP-900,
Rounder 1020
(Johnny Nelson) 1109 BROKEN VOWS AND A BROKEN HEART -1-2-3 Blue Ridge 209, GHP LP-900, Rounder 1020
(Drusilla Adams-Ralph Pennington)
1706 SOMEONE
ELSE IS LOVING YOU Blue Ridge 101, GHPLP-900, Rounder 1020
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church) SOMEONE
ELSE IS LOVING YOU (Alt) Blue Ridge
(Uniss)
(Drusilla
Adams-Bill Church)
1717 YOU’RE
STILL THE ROSE OF MY HEART -4 Blue Ridge
609, LP-900, 1020
(Drusilla Adams-Ward Eller) JSP
CD-77110 GET
THINGS READY (FOR ME MA) Blue Ridge (Uniss)
(Grandpa Jones) (Lois BMI)
NB(1):
BLUE RIDGE 209 released Monday 9th February 1953.
NB(2): BLUE RIDGE 302 was
not released.
NB(3): GHP LP-900 “THE
CHURCH BROTHERS & THEIR BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS: TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS”
released 1968.
NB(4): GHP LP-900
reviewed Bluegrass Unlimited Vol.3, #5-November 1968.
NB(5): ROUNDER 1020 “THE
CHURCH BROTHERS: THE EARLY DAYS OF BLUEGRASS Vol.8.” released 1981.
NB(6): ROUNDER 1020 reviewed
in Bluegrass Unlimited Vol.16, #10 April 1982.
JOE FRANKLIN “THE FRIENDLY FARM BOY” and his MIMOSA QUARTET
1952
Joseph “Joe” Franklin (vcl/rhy
gtr); Ralph Church (tnr vcl/mand); Clarence “Tater” Tate (fdl); Ralph Mayo (stg
bs).
Producer:
1122 IF I COULD JUST MAKE IT IN Blue
Ridge 202
(Joe Franklin)
9081 SWING WIDE THOSE GOLDEN GATES 202
(Joe Franklin)
NB: BLUE RIDGE 202 released 1952.
THE CHURCH BROTHERS and their BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS
Radio
Station WPAQ Mt.
Airy, N.Car: May
1952
Bill Church (ld vcl/gtr);
Ralph Church (tnr vcl/mand); Gar
Bowers (bjo); Ward Eller (vcl/gtr); Ralph Pennington (stg bs). Engineer:
Bruce Fleming
4069 AN ANGEL WITH BLUE EYES Blue
Ridge 1208-A, GHP LP-900, Rounder 1020
(Drusilla Adams-Bill Church) JSP
CD-77110
5031 WHEN JESUS CALLS YOUR NAME Blue
Ridge 1208-B, LP-900, 1020
(Drusilla Adams-Bill Church) JSP
CD-77110
NB: BLUE RIDGE 1208 released 1952.
THE CHURCH BROTHERS And Their BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS
Radio
Station WKBC North
Wilkesboro, N.Car: ca:
Late 1952
Bill Church (ld vcl-1/gtr);
Ralph Church (tnr vcl-2/mand); Gar Bowers (bjo); poss James “Jim” Wilkerson (fdl); Ward Eller (vcl/gtr);
Ralph Pennington (stg bs). Producer:
0990 WAY DOWN IN OLE’ CAROLINE -1-2 Blue Ridge 209, GHP LP-900,
Rounder 1020
(Drusilla Adams-Bill Church) JSP
CD-77110
NB(1): BLUE RIDGE 209 released 9th February 1953.
NB(2): According to various interviews by Walt Saunders with
Johnny Whisnant that took place between March and June 1970, and appeared in
Bluegrass Unlimited Vol.5, #3 – September 1970, the session personnel were Joe
Franklin (rhy gtr); Ralph Church (mand); Johnny Whisnant (bjo); Ralph Pennington
(fdl) & Dean Walsh (stg bs).
NB(3): JSP JSP-77110 “AUTHENTIC RARE BLUEGRASS: HISTORIC
CUTS: INDEPENDENT LABEL SIDES 1951-19542 released United Kingdom 2008.
DISCOGRAPHY compiled
by CLARENCE H. GREEN & DICK GRANT with acknowledgements to DRUSILLA ADAMS
SMITH, JIM CLARK, ERIC ELLIS, JIM ATKINS,
EDDIE NELSON, DICK SPOTTSWOOD, PETE KUYKENDALL & DAVE SAX.
1987-2013.