Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio's Musical Legacy

by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

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Compact disc in digipak packaging with liner notes insert. [note: photo of product is a mock-up image]. All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail. CD does not include the bonus tracks that are available on the double LP.

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Standard weight and standard color double vinyl LP in gatefold jacket with 6-pg liner notes insert. Features archival bonus tracks *only available on double vinyl LP*:

The Traditional Grass – "You'll Never Be the Same"
Red Allen & The Allen Brothers – "Stone Wall"
The Hotmud Family – "The Singer"
Dave Evans – "Ninety-Nine Years Is Almost for Life"
Larry Sparks – "He's Everything to Me"
The Stanley Brothers – "I'm Bound to Ride"
The Boys From Indiana – "Shakin' the Grate"

Archival bonus tracks are not available for digital purchase; purchase of the physical double album does not include a digital download of the archival bonus tracks.

Includes unlimited streaming of Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio's Musical Legacy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 10 days

Purchasable with gift card

$29.98 USD or more

1.	Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers - Readin', Rightin', Route 23 03:39	buy track
2.	Dan Tyminski - 20/20 Vision 02:45	buy track
3.	Mo Pitney and Merle Monroe - Suzanne 02:48	buy track
4.	Lee Ann Womack - From Life's Other Side 05:35	buy track
5.	Josh Williams, Bradley Walker, and Russell Moore - Larry Sparks Medley: Dark Hollow / A Face in the Crowd / These Old Blues 05:20	buy track
6.	Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - When He Blessed My Soul 03:04	buy track
7.	Larry Cordle - The Rolling Mills of Middletown 03:56	buy track
8.	Rhonda Vincent and Caleb Daugherty - Family Reunion 03:27	buy track
9.	Sierra Hull - Mountain Strings 03:42	buy track
10.	Ronnie Bowman, Don Rigsby, and Kenny Smith - Stone Walls and Steel Bars 02:25	buy track
11.	Dailey & Vincent - Are You Missing Me 02:25	buy track
12.	The Grascals - Once More 02:54	buy track
13.	Jim Lauderdale and High Fidelity - Barefoot Nellie 02:31	buy track
14.	The Isaacs and The Oak Ridge Boys - Garden Tomb 02:47	buy track
15.	Vince Gill - Baby Blue Eyes 03:21	buy track
16.	Bobby Osborne - We'll Head Back to Harlan 02:27	buy track

about

During the middle decades of the 20th century, the factories of southwestern Ohio drew hundreds of thousands of migrants from Appalachia, including innumerable musicians. Industrial Strength Bluegrass celebrates the music that these migrants made and loved, and explores a pivotal moment in the history of bluegrass and country music at large. Produced by beloved performer and radio personality Joe Mullins, the collection features many modern legends like Lee Ann Womack, Mo Pitney, and Vince Gill, plus a stellar lineup of bluegrass stalwarts including Rhonda Vincent, Bobby Osborne, and Mullins himself, taking on tunes that have echoed across Ohio for decades. This group of some of the biggest names in bluegrass today pays tribute to the jubilant highs and lonesome lows of life amongst the factories and warehouses, reflecting the region’s rich culture and resilient people.

The expanded 2xLP vinyl version of this album features seven archival bonus tracks that are *only available on double vinyl LP*:

The Traditional Grass – "You'll Never Be the Same"
Red Allen & The Allen Brothers – "Stone Wall"
The Hotmud Family – "The Singer"
Dave Evans – "Ninety-Nine Years Is Almost for Life"
Larry Sparks – "He's Everything to Me"
The Stanley Brothers – "I'm Bound to Ride"
The Boys From Indiana – "Shakin' the Grate"

Archival bonus tracks are not available for digital purchase; purchase of the physical double album does not include a digital download of the archival bonus tracks.

credits

released March 26, 2021

Joe Mullins, producer
Daniel Mullins, associate producer

Recording engineers:
Readin’, Rightin’, Route 23: Rickey Wasson, engineer, Rick’s Main Street Studio, Clay City, KY; additional recording by Jerry Douglas, Jerry Douglas Studio, Nashville, TN, and Dennis Hensley, Jordan Recording Studio, Taylor Mill, KY

Are You Missing Me: Paul Harrigill, engineer, Skaggs Place Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Dennis Hensley, Jordan Recording Studio, Taylor Mill, KY

20/20 Vision: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Rickey Wasson, Rick’s Main Street Studio, Clay City, KY

Baby Blue Eyes: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Matthew J. Rausch, Vince Gill Studio, Nashville, TN, and Jerry Douglas, Jerry Douglas Studio, Nashville, TN

When He Blessed My Soul: Josh Swift, engineer; Cowbell Fever Studio, Sparta, TN

Barefoot Nellie: Brad Benge, engineer, Tunesmith Studio, Goodlettsville, TN; additional recording by Jason Barie, Jason Barie Studio, Portland, TN

Once More: Van Atkins, engineer, Crossroads Studios, Arden, NC; additional recording by Adam Haynes, FiddleSnoop Studio, Portland, TN Barefoot Nellie: Brad Benge, engineer, Tunesmith Studio, Goodlettsville, TN; additional recording by Jason Barie, Jason Barie Studio, Portland, TN

Mountain Strings: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben's Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recordings by Jim Van Atkins, Crossroads Studios, Arden, NC, and Dennis Hensley, Jordan Recording Studio, Taylor Mill, KY

Suzanne: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Jim Price, Hat Creek Recording Company, Jonesborough, TN

Larry Sparks Medley (Dark Hollow/A Face in the Crowd /These Old Blues): Mark Capps and Ben Isaacs, engineers, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Mark Mundy, Flossy Monk Studio, Cumming, GA

Garden Tomb: Ben Isaacs and Mark Capps, engineers, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN

From Life’s Other Side: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Jason Barie, Jason Barie Studio, Portland, TN

Stone Walls and Steel Bars: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Rickey Wasson, Rick’s Main Street Studio, Clay City, KY

Family Reunion: Paul Harrigill, engineer, Skaggs Place Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Rickey Wasson, Rick’s Main Street Studio, Clay City, KY, and Joey Crawford, Upper Management Studio, Hermitage, TN Mountain Strings: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Van Atkins, Crossroads Studios, Arden, NC, and Dennis Hensley, Jordan Recording Studio, Taylor Mill, KY

The Rolling Mills of Middletown: Mark Capps, engineer, Ben’s Den Studio, Hendersonville, TN; additional recording by Chris Latham, Gorilla’s Nest Studio, Ashland City, TN, and Josh Swift, Cowbell Fever Studio, Sparta, TN

We’ll Head Back to Harlan: Rickey Wasson, engineer, Rick’s Main Street Studio, Clay City, KY; additional recording by Bobby Osborne Jr., Osborne Studio, Portland, TN, and Jerry Douglas, Jerry Douglas Studio, Nashville, TN

Mixed and edited by Ben Isaacs, Mark Capps, and Paul Harrigill

Mastering for vinyl edition by David Glasser, Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO

Tracks recorded in 2020 and 2021 mastered by Andrew Mendelson at Georgetown Masters, Nashville, TN. Assisted by Andrew Darby, Bobbi Giel, Taylor Chadwick, and Luke Armentrout.

Annotated by Joe Mullins, Fred Bartenstein, and Daniel Mullins

Front cover of LP: Blast Furnace, Armco Steel Corporation, c.1963; all courtesy of Middletown Historical Society. Back cover of LP: Blast furnace workers, American Rolling Mill Company (Armco), 1925. Courtesy of Middletown Historical Society

Executive producers: Maureen Loughran, Daniel E. Sheehy, and John Smith
Production manager: Mary Monseur
Production assistant: Kate Harrington
Editorial assistance by Carla Borden
Art direction, design, and layout by Cooley Design Lab

Related book available from University of Illinois Press: Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy, ISBN978-0-252-08560-4, press.uillinois.edu.

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers appear courtesy of Billy Blue Records
Jerry Douglas appears courtesy of Rounder Records
Mo Pitney appears courtesy of Curb Records
Merle Monroe appears courtesy of Pinecastle Records
Lee Ann Womack appears courtesy of ATO Records
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver appear courtesy of Billy Blue Records
Caleb Daughtery appears courtesy of KDM Records
The Grascals appear courtesy of Mountain Home Music Company
Jim Lauderdale appears courtesy of Yep Roc Records
High Fidelity appears courtesy of Rebel Records
Vince Gill appears courtesy of Universal Music

Bonus archival recordings by the Stanley Brothers, The Traditional Grass, Dave Evans, Larry Sparks and The Boys from Indiana courtesy of Rebel Records
The Hotmud Family recording courtesy of Richard P. Good and Thomas E. "Harley" Campbell
Red Allen and The Allen Brothers original recording from Smithsonian Folkways FTS 31088

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