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Folk | Public Domain 4U

Ephraim Woodie & The Henpecked Husbands – “Last Gold Dollar”

EphraimWoodieTheHenpeckedHusbands-LastGoldDollar“Last Gold Dollar” is the first of several sides Ephraim Woodie and the Henpecked Husbands recorded for the Columbia label in 1929. Led by Ephraim Woodie’s affecting vocal, this North Carolina group featured Clay Reed on fiddle and multi-instrumentalist Edison Nuckolls on banjo. Original pressings of their records are rare and highly sought-after by collectors, and we are lucky to have this nice clean digital copy to share and enjoy. This song is about as sincere and uncomplicated as any love song ever could be.

Asa Martin – “She Ain’t Built That Way”

Old Time Music legend Asa Martin delivers a tongue-in-cheek tune about the perplexing ways of women. As Martin straight-faces these lyric without a shred of guilt in his drawl, his one-liners pile up to what would drive a modern-day woman out of her working shoes. I’m gonna take the fifth amendment on this particular topic and hope that you get a good tickle out of this mp3. Great mandolin and guitar pickin’ on this track, copied from an old 78 RPM record and free for ya’ll to enjoy.

The Dixon Brothers – “Intoxicated Rat”

South Carolina brothers Dorsey and Howard Dixon worked for many years in Carolina textile mills, and some of their original compositions were sung by striking mill workers during labor disputes in the early 1930’s. This earned them the nickname “hillbilly communists” among the local authorities. RCA Victor Records saw fit to record the rabble-rousing duo, and they released over fifty sides in their time. “Intoxicated Rat” features The Dixon Brothers’ easy vocal harmonies and trademark slide guitar style.

Burnett And Rutherford – “Ladies On The Steamboat”

Born in 1883, Kentucky native Dick Burnett started singing when he was just four years old. He mastered the dulcimer, banjo and fiddle by the age of thirteen. Burnett wrote the great ballad “Man Of Constant Sorrow” which was later covered by Bob Dylan and featured in the hit movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Dick Burnett often recorded and performed with his young protege and fiddle student, Leon Rutherford. Here they are together, on a smokin’ 78RPM side they made for Columbia Records, “Ladies On The Steamboat.”

The Carter Family – “Wildwood Flower”

The Carter Family were the first Country Music singing stars, and in fact they were among the very first recording artists, in any style. Their magnificent performance of the American classic, “Wildwood Flower” was captured at Victor Records’ Camden, New Jersey studio, on May 27, 1928. Originally penned in 1860 by Maud Irving and Joseph Philbrick Webster, the song has been covered by June Carter, Iris DeMent, Joan Baez, and too many others to list here. This clean MP3 from the original 78RPM vinyl is yours to enjoy.