My dad done this song Sunday night at church. I accompanied on guitar my brother-in-law on base. First time that I’ve done it with him so I came to listen to the original so now I know who to best accompany him.
My grandmother liked this song a lot. Its the main song I think of when I think of her. She died this year and I didn't get to see her much before or attend her funeral because of Covid. I wish i'd spent more time with her.
Love it; they treat this like a sacred song, with 7 band members gathered around the microphone. (Is that their all-time high?) As it is not a sacred song, it is the perfect song for bands with Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Humanist, etc. members to play when they have to play the Sunday morning gospel show in order to get booked by a bluegrass festival!
That's "Cousin" Jake Tullock on his right and the one whose high voice is heard here. He was also their regular bass player but "Uncle" Josh (Buck) Graves, dobro player, is filling in on bass for this number. To his left is "Hy-Lo" Brown who also sang the high part, so nicknamed "Hy-Lo" for his incredible vocal range, but I can't hear him here. Of particular interest on this number is the man standing in behind Earl Scruggs -- T. Tommy Cutrer who was the announcer/MC for the show. Evidently he liked the song so much he just had to get in on it (and I don't blame him). He is singing bass as well as the fiddler who usually sang bass, Paul Warren, standing directly behind and partially hidden by Lester Flatt.
@@grannywoods12 You're welcome, but just to be clear, Jake is the short guy standing to Lester's right rear, and is the high harmony voice heard most clearly on this -- he is the one most often heard singing high harmony on all their stuff. If you were talking about the tall fellow holding the mandolin to Lester's immediate right, that is Curly Seckler, who also sang tenor and occasionally lead, but he can't be heard here, or at least, I can't hear him. Seckler's bluegrass career spanned over 70 years, and, until his passing in '17 at the age of 98, was the "last man standing" from this musically historical ensemble.
Not true. Lester wanted the Foggy Mountain Boys to remain and perform more traditional bluegrass music while Earl wanted to explore more contemporary styles. That's why he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue band with his kids.
Not to deny this, but the law says if someone buys that song from him (Bolivar Shook) they have the right to list themselves as composers. He also missed out on all royalties by selling the song. Willie Nelson regretted selling a couple of his classic songs that have been recorded by countless others. All you can do is spread the word about your grandfather as the real composer of the song.
Someplace I have seen the copyright on this one credited to Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe (jointly), but the Dorothy Horstmann book, Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, which contains only the lyrics (without the echoes), credits Bolivar Lee Shook (1943). Look at the lengthy license statement above and you will see that there is some complication at work here. There is one thing about this that is a little odd,. that being that I am 99% sure that Flatt starts the song with "There's a happy child at home ..." and the band sings that back to him. The lyrics Horstmann gives start with "There's a happy childhood home ..., " which fits the remainder of the song an awful lot better. So it seems that Flatt is singing the wrong lyrics to a song for which he takes credit. Did Flatt and Monroe do this because they had to change at least one word of the lyrics to become co-composers with Shook and legally get songwriter royalties? What deep mumbo is operating here? Kathy, can you tell us more about this song?
@@lucasmembrane4763 It is my understanding that my grandfather was given $100 for the song. I wish I knew more. I have been inquiring with a lawyer office who took care of this, but he has passed away and all records were put somewhere else. The beginning line of the song is There's a happy child hood home not a happy child at home. That I do know. I have an old copy and have an old gospel songbook with my grandfather's name.