''Will the Circle be Unbroken'' is the seventh studio album by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

group

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

, with collaboration from many famous bluegrass and

country-western Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, old- ...

players, including

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

, "Mother"

Maybelle Carter "Mother" Maybelle Carter (born Maybelle Addington; May 10, 1909 – October 23, 1978) was an American country musician and "among the first" to use the Carter scratch, with which she "helped to turn the guitar into a lead instrument". It ...

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fin ...

Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...

Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic expl ...

, Pete "Oswald" Kirby, Norman Blake,

Jimmy Martin James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass". Early years Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming life of rural ...

, and others. It also introduced

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

to a wider audience. The album was released in November 1972, through

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

History

The album's title comes from a song by

Ada R. Habershon Ada Ruth Habershon (8 January 1861-1918) was an English Christian hymnist, best known for her 1907 gospel song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" for which the tune was composed by Charles H. Gabriel. Biography Ada R. Habershon was born in Maryle ...

(re-arranged by A. P. Carter) and reflects how the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was trying to tie together two generations of musicians. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was a young

country-rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal ...

band with a

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

look. Acuff described them as "a bunch of long-haired West Coast boys." The other players were much older and more famous from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, primarily as

old-time country Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combinati ...

and bluegrass players. Many had become known to their generation through the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

. However, with the rise of

rock-and-roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

, the emergence of the commercial country's slick '

Nashville Sound The Nashville Sound originated during the mid-1950s as a subgenre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of the rough honky tonk music, which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s, with "smooth strings and choruses", "sophist ...

,' and changing tastes in music, their popularity had waned somewhat from their glory years. Acuff was initially contemptuous of the project, but later relented and participated. The album cover features an image of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...

. Every track on the album was recorded on the first or second take straight to two-track masters, so the takes are raw and unprocessed. Additionally, another tape ran continuously throughout the entire week-long recording session and captured the dialog between the players. On the final album, many of the tracks—including the first track—begin with the musicians discussing how to perform the song or who should come in where in any given portion of a song. The record includes the first meeting of

and

, after whom Watson's son,

Merle Merle may refer to: People *Merle (given name), a given name used by both men and women *Merle (surname), a surname of French origin Others *Merle (dog coat), a pattern in dogs’ coats *Merle (grape), another name for the wine grape Merlot *Akaf ...

, was named.

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

, sixty years old at the time, refused to participate in the recordings. Originally appearing in 1972 as a three LP album and three-

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

tape offering, ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken'' was remastered and re-released in 2002 as a two

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

set. The original album was certified platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

on November 6, 1997, indicating shipments of 500,000 copies. It has sold 301,600 copies as of October 2019. Much later, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded two subsequent albums, '' Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two'' and ''

Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III'' is the 2002 album from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. This album reached 18 on the US Country chart. Earlier albums in the series include ''Will the Circle be Unbroken (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album), Will t ...

'', in an attempt to repeat the process with other historically significant musicians. ''Volume Two'' won the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...

's 1989 Album of the Year as well as three

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s. In 1990, the album was celebrated on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

music television program

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

, which featured a performance by the full ensemble of guests on the

Carter Family Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. ...

song, ''

Will The Circle Be Unbroken "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" is a popular Christian hymn written in 1907 by Ada R. Habershon with music by Charles H. Gabriel. The song is often recorded unattributed and, because of its age, has lapsed into the public domain. Most of the cho ...

'', from the original 1972 album.Will The Circle Be Unbroken” with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Denver and Friends
Austin City Limits, 1990

Track listing

Disc one

#"Grand Ole Opry Song" (

Hylo Brown Hylo Brown (April 20, 1922 – January 17, 2003) was an American bluegrass and country music singer, guitarist and bass player. Biography Frank "Hylo" Brown, Jr. was born in River, Johnson County, Kentucky, United States, and began his caree ...

) – 2:59 #*''

-Lead vocal and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

John McEuen John McEuen, born December 19, 1945 in Oakland, California, is an American folk musician and a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Career Solo work John McEuen was born in Oakland, California. In 1964, at age 18, he became interested ...

Banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

Fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, Les Thompson-

Mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

, Roy "Junior" Huskey- Bass;

Jeff Hanna Jeffrey R. Hanna (born July 11, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and performance musician, best known for his association with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His professional music career has spanned six decades. Early life Hanna was born in D ...

, Gary Scruggs, Jim Ibbotson, Thompson, Ray Martin-Background vocals'' #" Keep on the Sunny Side" ( A.P. Carter, Gary Garett) – 3:35 #*''Mother

-Lead vocal and guitar,

-Guitar, Pete "Oswald" Kirby-

Dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

, Huskey-Bass,

-Banjo,

Autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of ...

, McEuen-Mandolin; Hanna, Thompson,

, Ibbotson, Watson, Gary Scruggs-Background vocals.'' #"Nashville Blues" (

) – 3:10 #*''Earl Scruggs-Lead banjo, McEuen-Banjo, Hanna- Washboard, Jimmie Fadden-

Harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, Clements-Fiddle, Randy Scruggs-Guitar, Norman Blake-Dobro, Huskey-Bass'' #"You Are My Flower" (A.P. Carter) – 3:35 #*''McEuen-Banjo, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Blake-Dobro, Fadden-Autoharp, Ibbotson-

Snare SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts, more than 60 members in mammalian cells, and some numbers in plants. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to mediate vesicle fu ...

, Huskey-Bass, Randy Scruggs-Guitar; Hanna, Thompson, Randy Scruggs-Background vocals'' #"The Precious Jewel" (

) – 3:30 #*''

-Lead Vocal, McEuen-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Randy Scruggs-Autoharp, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass, Kirby-Dobro'' #" Dark as a Dungeon" (

) – 2:45 #*''Travis-Lead vocal and guitar, McEuen-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Thompson, Ibbotson-Background vocals'' #"

Tennessee Stud "Tennessee Stud" is a song written by Jimmy Driftwood, who originally recorded and released it in 1959. "Tennessee Stud" is considered to be Driftwood's most recorded song. Synopsis The song tells a story about the adventures of a man and his h ...

" (

Jimmie Driftwood James Corbitt Morris (June 20, 1907 – July 12, 1998), known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was an American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs " The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud ...

) – 4:22 #*''Watson-Lead vocal and guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibbotson-Guitar, Huskey-Bass, Clements-Fiddle, Hanna-Background vocal'' #"Black Mountain Rag" (traditional; credited to Thomas Magness on the album) – 2:10 #*''Watson-Lead guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Ibbotson-guitar, Thompson-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #" Wreck on the Highway" (

Dorsey Dixon Dorsey Murdock Dixon (October 14, 1897, Darlington, South Carolina – April 18, 1968, Plant City, Florida) was an American old-time and country music songwriter and musician. He was also a millworker who spent much of his life working in texti ...

) – 3:24 #*''Acuff-Lead Vocal, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, Kirby-Dobro, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #"The End of the World" ( Fred Rose) – 3:53 #*''Oswald-Dobro, Watson-Guitar, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Huskey-Bass'' #" I Saw the Light" (

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

) – 3:45 #*''Acuff-Lead Vocal, Earl Scruggs-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, McEuen-Mandolin, Watson-Guitar, Kirby-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Randy Scruggs-Autoharp, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Thompson, Ibbotson, Martin-Background Vocals'' #"Sunny Side of the Mountain" (Byron Gregory, Harry McAuliffe) – 2:14 #*''Martin-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Thompson-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibottson-Snare, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Thompson, Gary Scruggs, Ray Martin-Background Vocals'' #" Nine-Pound Hammer" (Merle Travis) – 2:14 #*''Travis-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibbotson-Snare, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Ibbotson, Thompson-Background Vocals'' #"Losin' You (Might Be the Best Thing Yet)" (Edria A. Humphrey, Jimmy Martin) – 2:44 #*''Martin-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, Ibbotson-Snare, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #" Honky Tonkin'" (Hank Williams) – 2:19 #*''Fadden-Lead Vocal, Hanna-Guitar, Blake-Dobro, Clements-Lead Guitar and Fiddle, Thompson-Mandolin, Huskey-Bass, Ibbotson-

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

'' #"You Don't Know My Mind" (Jimmie Skinner) – 2:45 #*''Martin-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Thompson-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibbotson-Drums, Huskey-Bass, Clements-Fiddle; Hanna, Thompson, Gary Scruggs, Ray Martin-Background Vocals'' #"My Walkin' Shoes" (Jimmy Martin, Paul Williams) – 2:02 #*''Martin-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Thompson-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibottson-Snare, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Thompson, Gary Scruggs, Ray Martin-Background Vocals''

Disc two

#"Lonesome Fiddle Blues" (Vassar Clements) – 2:41 #*''Clements-Fiddle, McEuen-Banjo, Ibbotson-Guitar, Fadden-Harmonica, Hanna-Washboard, Thompson-Mandolin, Randy Scruggs-Guitar, Ellis Padget-Bass'' #" Cannonball Rag" (Merle Travis) – 1:15 #*''Travis-Guitar, Huskey-Bass'' #"Avalanche" (Millie Clements) – 2:50 #*''Clements-Fiddle, McEuen-Banjo, Ibbotson-Guitar, Hanna-Washboard, Thompson-Mandolin, Fadden-Harmonica, Huskey-Bass'' #"Flint Hill Special" (Earl Scruggs) – 2:12 #*''Earl Scruggs-Banjo, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, Gary Scruggs-Guitar, Blake-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Ibbotson-Snare, Huskey-Bass'' #"Togary Mountain" (Walter McEuen) – 2:25 #*''McEuen-Banjo, Ibbotson-Guitar, Thompson-Mandolin, Blake-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #"Earl's Breakdown" (Earl Scruggs) – 2:34 #*''Earl Scruggs-Banjo, Randy Scruggs-Guitar, Clements-Fiddle, Thompson-Mandolin, Ibbotson-Snare, Huskey-Bass'' #" Orange Blossom Special" (Ervin T. Rouse) – 2:14 #*''Clements-Fiddle, McEuen-Banjo, Thompson-Mandolin, Martin-Guitar, Ibbotson-Snare, Randy Scruggs-Guitar, Padgett-Bass'' #"

Wabash Cannonball "The Great Rock Island Route", popularized as "Wabash Cannonball" and various other titles, is a 19th century American folk song that describes the scenic beauty and predicaments of a fictional train, the ''Wabash Cannonball Express'', as it tra ...

" (A.P. Carter) – 2:00 #*''Kirby-Dobro, Fadden-Harmonica, Watson-Guitar, Huskey-Bass, Earl Scruggs-Guitar'' #" Lost Highway" (

Leon Payne Leon Roger Payne (June 15, 1917 – September 11, 1969), "the Blind Balladeer", was an American country music singer and songwriter. Life He was born in Alba, Texas, United States. He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight in the othe ...

) – 3:37 #*''Ibbotson-Lead Vocal and Guitar, Thompson-Mandolin, Hanna-Drums, Clements-Fiddle, Blake-Dobro, Huskey-Bass, McEuen-Banjo'' #Doc Watson & Merle Travis First Meeting (Dialogue) – 1:52 #"Way Downtown" (traditional, Doc Watson) – 3:30 #*''Watson-Lead Vocal and Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Thompson-Mandolin, Ibbotson-Guitar, Fadden-Harmonica, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass, Hanna-Background Vocal'' #"Down Yonder" (arr. Doc Watson) – 1:48 #*''Watson-Guitar, McEuen-Banjo, Ibbotson-Guitar, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, Hanna-Washboard, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #"Pins and Needles (In My Heart)" (Floyd Jenkins) – 2:53 #*''Acuff-Lead Vocal, Kirby-Dobro, Fadden-Harmonica, Thompson-Mandolin, McEuen-Banjo, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Clements-FIddle, Ibbotson-Snare, Huskey-Bass'' #"

Honky Tonk Blues "Honky Tonk Blues" was a hit country and western song written and performed by Hank Williams. The original 1952 recording was a major hit, and it later became a hit for later-day superstar Charley Pride. Hank Williams version "Honky Tonk Blues" ...

" (Hank Williams) – 2:22 #*''Hanna-Lead Vocal, Bill McEuen-Guitar, Ibbotson-Drums, Blake-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass'' #"Sailin' on to Hawaii" (Beecher Kirby) – 2:00 #*''Kirby-Dobro, Watson-Guitar, Scruggs-Guitar, Huskey-Bass'' #"

I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" is the title of a country/folk song by A. P. Carter. A. P. Carter was a collector of old songs and lyrics. ''I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes'' is one of these old songs he discovered and it is said to ...

" (A.P. Carter) – 4:25 #*''Carter-Lead Vocal and Guitar, Earl Scruggs-Banjo, McEuen-Mandolin, Travis, Guitar, Kirby-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass; Hanna, Thompson, Ibbotson, Randy Scruggs-Background Vocals'' #"I am a Pilgrim" (traditional) – 2:55 #*''Travis-Lead Vocal and Guitar, Fadden-Harmonica, Ibbotson-Snare, Huskey-Bass'' #"

Wildwood Flower "Wildwood Flower" (or "The Wildwood Flower") is an American song, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. It is a folk song, cataloged as Roud Folk Song Index No. 757. History "Wildwood Flower" is a variant of the ...

" (A.P. Carter) – 3:34 #*''Carter-Lead Vocal and Autoharp, Earl Scruggs-Guitar, Ibbotson-Guitar, Thompson-Mandolin, Huskey-Bass'' #" Soldier's Joy" (John McEuen, Earl Scruggs) – 2:05 #*''Earl Scruggs-Banjo, McEuen-

Uncle Dave Macon David Harrison Macon (October 7, 1870 – March 22, 1952), known professionally as Uncle Dave Macon, was an American old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Known as "The Dixie Dewdrop", Macon was known for his chin whiskers, ...

's Banjo'' #"

Will the Circle Be Unbroken "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" is a popular Christian hymn written in 1907 by Ada R. Habershon with music by Charles H. Gabriel. The song is often recorded unattributed and, because of its age, has lapsed into the public domain. Most of the cho ...

" (A.P. Carter) – 4:50 #*''Carter-Lead Vocal (first and fourth verses) and Autoharp, Earl Scruggs-Banjo, Watson-Guitar, Fadden-Harmonica, Travis-Guitar, McEuen-Mandolin, Martin-Lead Vocal (second verse) Guitar, Kirby-Dobro, Clements-Fiddle, Huskey-Bass, Acuff-Lead Vocal (third verse); Watson, Hanna, Ibbotson, Thompson, Gary Scruggs, Ray Martin, Timmy Martin, Randy Scruggs, Betty Travis, Fred Cross,

Gloria Belle Gloria Belle Flickinger (June 9, 1939 – May 5, 2023) was an American bluegrass vocalist and musician, playing the banjo, bass, and mandolin. She was probably the first female lead singer in bluegrass, having begun her music career as early ...

, Louise Scruggs, Steve Scruggs, Chet Flippo, Martha Flippo, Larry Murray, Mike Carr, Alice McEuen-Background Vocals'' #"

Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. First recorded by Judy Collins, it appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album '' Clouds'', and became one ...

" (

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

) – 2:19 #*''Randy Scruggs-Guitar'' #*2002 Reissue bonus tracks #"

Foggy Mountain Breakdown "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is a bluegrass instrumental, in the common "breakdown" format, written by Earl Scruggs and first recorded on December 11, 1949, by the bluegrass artists Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. It is a standard i ...

" (Earl Scruggs) – 2:39 #Warming Up for "The Opry" – 2:43 #Sunny Side – 4:06 #"Remember Me" (Scotty Wiseman) – 1:32

References

{{Authority control 1972 albums Nitty Gritty Dirt Band albums United States National Recording Registry recordings United Artists Records albums Collaborative albums Country folk albums United States National Recording Registry albums