FIDDLIN' ARTHUR SMITH on Starday

Thursday, November 13, 2008


From 1962 comes the great Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (1898-1971) on Starday SLP 202. Here are the original liner notes in full...

Whenever country music fans talk about fiddlers, the name of Fiddlin' Arthur Smith is mentioned as one of the all time greats. His Career over a period of 30 years in the country music entertainment field has brought him recognition as "The King of the Fiddle". His many hit recordings helped to make country music history, and although he has been retired for several years, he consented to make this album.
The dexterity and technique of this fine artist, recorded in new high fidelity sound, will bring joy to the vast number of people who appreciate the fine art of country fiddlin'. This album contains a memorable collection of melodic fiddle tunes that Fiddlin' Arthur Smith gathered together during his long and colorful career. Although Arthur is a great hoedown fiddler, we felt that his talents could be better expressed by playing the rare old fiddle tunes that have a strong melody line and that have the country and mountain flavor. Of course, no Arthur Smith album would be complete without the immortal ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL and this Arthur Smith specialty is included along with his very unique arrangements on LOUISE, INDIAN CREEK, WHISTLER's FEVER, K. C. STOMP, DICKSON COUNTY BLUES, CUMBERLAND WALTZ and many others.
We are indebted to Alton Delmore of the famous Delmore Brothers for the following nostalgic words about Arthur Smith - Tennessee's Dixieline Fiddler.

"If
you have ever made the trip from Nashville to Memphis on Highway 70, you've been through Dickson, Tennessee. That's the home of one of America's most famous old time fiddlers, none other than Arthur Smith. It also happens to be the hometown of Tennessee's popular governor, Frank Clement, who is an ardent country music fan."
"You will also remember the peaceful rugged hills, the cold Spring water, and the clear rippling brooks, that ramble lazily through the green pastures. It is truly a wonderful country and somehow it seems to blend with Arthur Smith's style of fiddlin'. The people in the hills know good music when they hear it. Arthur learned when he was a youngster and he learned right. He practiced every night after his days work was through until he had perfected the style for which he has become famous."
"When George D. Hay, 'the solemn old judge' started the Grand Ole Opry, a country music show which has now become an international institution, Arthur was one of the first old time fiddlers to appear on the program. Each Saturday night, Arthur Smith and Sam and Kirk McGee would come into Nashville and play over Radio WSM on the Opry. They became more popular each week and Arthur decided to call his band the Dixieliners. He was working then as a lineman on the N.C. & ST. L. Railroad known as 'The Dixie Line' - hence the name for his entertainers."
"It was about this time that my brother Rabon and I came to WSM and the Opry. We had listened many times to Arthur Smith and his Dixieliners so we asked Arthur to make some phonograph records with us. At first he was shy but after considerable persuasion, we were able to get him to record. Arthur was modest and didn't think he was good enough to make records. Bluebird had brought a portable recording outfit, and it was there that Arthur Smith made his first records. Since then he has made many best selling records that have been played and enjoyed throughout America and wherever country music is enjoyed."
"Arthur plays by ear and doesn't read music. Rabon and I did a lot of the singing on Arthur Smith's records for bluebird back in the 20's and 30's. Rabon and I enjoyed singing with Arthur both on records and on radio."

Sincerely,
ALTON DELMORE

The open string Martin guitar background is by Earnest Smith, Arhtur's son who is pictured with Arthur on the front cover of this album. This album by Arthur Smith is an important contribution to the heritage of American country music.


DON PIERCE, President
STARDAY RECORDS

Tracks:

1. Orange Blossom Special
2. Paris Waltz
3. Dixieliner's Ramble
4. North Carolina Breakdown
5. Cumberland Gap
6. Dickson County Blues
7. K. C. Stomp
8. Louise
9. Indian Creek
10. Darling Honey
11. Whistler's Fever
12. Maple Leak Waltz
13. Tulsa Hop
14. Cheatham County Hoedown

*download here*

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Feel free to put my disc up and the Earl Heywood would look good here too and thet Out Of Print Arc Anne Murray . Harry hibbs arc stuff too .

Unknown said...

Anyone who find this blog is blessed this guy knows his country music like nobody I've ever known and has a collection of old country , fiddle , cowboy , Americana , Canadian folk , etc etc and one of the largest collections of 78's I have ever seen ( cause a portion came from me when I did not want to move them around anymore ) . This is so immense one would have to see it to believe it . I for one am thrilled and excited to see this collection finally make it's way into blogland , alot of these records are so long OOP and impossible to find it is silly . But Mike and I would drive all over South Western Ont for hours searching basements , wee dump stores , long forgotten corners of dusty old stores , long forgotten by the masses along old highway 3 . Beaver Barn forever . Mike like myself is a completist and there will be amazing posts here you do not want to miss trust me . Steve

Mike Bass said...

Hey Lefty! I'm a fellow Ontarian now living in Ireland. I'm looking forward to further posts on what promises to be a great blog. Good on ya!

brujo said...

Thank you Lefty for your generous share I am looking forward with great anticipation to see what other gems you will unearth .I never thought I would be able to hear The Arc recordings of Hal lone pine ,thank you once again .brujo

Mellow said...

Hi Lefty, great blog. I added your site to my blog. Maybe you're able zo post an album of the Skillet Lickers? I'm searching since a long time for an album of the boys, but wasn't succesful. I'm looking forward to your upcoming posts. Welcome,

mellow

J.D. Hughes said...

I can't get anything to download from Media Fire.
The url never leads to a download link.
Help!
really dieing to hear the Lone Pine Records.

Unknown said...

j. doggie I checked the links they do work , click on the link , it will take you directly to the link and in the left side you will see in blue letters download here Steve P.s Arc records are a rare thing outside of Canada and Mike has hundreds of them , I know because we hunted for records together often . Another interesting tidbit the original Arc tapes were destroyed so we are fortunate to have a guy with a collection in such great shape

cdelint said...

I'm also a fellow Ontarian, Lefty,and veryhappy to have found your blog. Since I see you're in to fiddle music, an possibly Ottawa Valley, I was wondering if you have any Johnny Mooring, particularly his album of waltzes.

Looking forward to listen to this Smith album--thanks muchly!

cheers

Charles

J.D. Hughes said...

Thanks jazzme. Maybe it's because i'm running mac, but the "download here" never shows up for the Hal lone Pine 37 song file. My parents are from PEI and i grew up in Uxbridge, Ont. Now been in NYC for 20 years. Would love to get the file, but it just doesn't seem to want to work for me.
If anyone could send me a copy or any other tips on getting it to load, I would greatly appreciate it.
Jdoggiehughes2@yahoo.com.

Lonesome Lefty said...

Hey folks, thanks for the great response. Johnny Mooring is definitely on the agenda, and I'll see what I can dig up on the Skillet Lickers....