Flatt and Scruggs
| Flatt and Scruggs | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Bluegrass |
| founding | 1948 |
| resolution | 1969 |
| Founding members | |
| Lester Flatt | |
| Earl Scruggs | |
Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo that was successful from 1948 to 1969.
Career
founding
Lester Raimond Flatt (born June 19, 1914 in Overton County , Tennessee , † May 11, 1979 in Nashville ) and Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924 in Shelby, North Carolina , † March 28, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee) know each other in Bill Monroe's band and left them in quick succession in 1948 to perform as a duo with a backing band called Foggy Mountain Boys . They named the band Foggy Mountain Top after a popular song by the Carter Family . Founding members were Mac Wiseman , Jim Shumate on fiddle and Howard Watts (stage name Cedric Rainwater) on bass . Scruggs played the three-finger banjo style with which he had previously decisively influenced bluegrass music. Flatt & Scruggs preferred a harder sound than Bill Monroe, the only soft one being Flatt's tenor voice. Author Jack Hurst wrote that they didn't just copy Monroe's music, they innovated it.
Ascent
When Jim Shumate left the band in 1948, he was initially replaced by Art Wooten. Benny Sims was his successor that same year. In 1949 the band recorded one of their most popular pieces, the Foggy Mountain Breakdown , with Flatt, Scruggs, Sims, Curly Seckler on mandolin and Howard Watts . It became known when Warren Beatty asked Scruggs to compose theme music for the film Bonnie and Clyde , and Scruggs decided on this piece. At the end of 1950 Sims left the band again. In the mid-1950s, Flatt and Scruggs replaced the mandolin with a Dobro played by Buck Graves ("Uncle Josh") .
In 1954 they had a television show that aired on over 40 programs. " The first country musicians to have a syndicated television show, " said Scruggs. One of the sponsors was Martha White, known for the "Martha White Theme". In January 1955 they became members of the Grand Ole Opry , but it was a few weeks before they were respected by the other artists there. With The Ballad of Jed Clampett they managed to achieve a number one hit in the country charts in 1962, something no artist had ever achieved with bluegrass music.
In the mid to late 1960s, they began to experiment with Nashville sound , drums, and gospel harmony singing, among other things ; especially older bluegrass fans were disappointed, even if friends of old-time country music felt addressed. In 1969, Flatt & Scruggs split due to artistic differences.
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1963 | Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall |
US134 (6 weeks) US |
Country7 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| 1964 | Recorded Live at Vanderbilt University | - |
Country10 (23 weeks) Country |
|
| The Fabulous Sound of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs | - |
Country2 (26 weeks) Country |
||
| 1966 | Town and Country | - |
Country15 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| Flatt & Scruggs' Greatest Hits | - |
Country34 (2 weeks) Country |
||
| 1967 | Hear the Whistles Blow | - |
Country37 (5 weeks) Country |
|
| 1968 | Changin 'Times |
US194 (4 weeks) US |
Country7 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| Original Theme From Bonnie & Clyde |
US161 (4 weeks) US |
Country26 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| The Story of Bonnie & Clyde |
US187 (5 weeks) US |
Country23 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| Nashville Airplane | - |
Country35 (6 weeks) Country |
||
| 1970 | Final Fling | - |
Country45 (2 weeks) Country |
|
| Breaking out | - |
Country35 (2 weeks) Country |
||
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
More albums
- 1957: Foggy Mountain Jamboree
- 1958: Country Music
- 1959: Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys
- 1960: Songs of Glory
- 1960: Flatt and Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys
- 1961: Foggy Mountain Banjo
- 1961: Songs of the Famous Carter Family
- 1962: Folk Songs of Our Land
- 1963: Hard Travelin '(The Ballad of Jed Clampett)
- 1963: The Original Sound of Flatt and Scruggs
- 1963: The Ballad of Jed Clampett
- 1965: The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs
- 1965: Great Original Recording
- 1966: Stars of the Grand Ol 'Opry (with Jim & Jesse )
- 1966: When the Saints go marching in
- 1966: Sacred Songs
- 1967: Strictly Instrumental
- 1968: The original Foggy Mountain Breakdown
- 1968: Songs to Cherish
- 1969: Detroit City
- 1970: 20 All Time Great Recording
- 1970: Foggy Mountain Chimes
- 1973: The World of Flatt & Scruggs
- 1973: A Boy Named Sue
- 1977: The Golden Hits
- 1977: The Golden Years
- 1978: The Golden Era
- 1978: Blue Ridge Cabin Home
- 1981: Historic Edition
- 1982: Don't Get Above Rising
- 1982: You Can Feel it in your Soul
- 1982: Country & Western Classic
- 1984: Mercury Sessions 1
- 1984: Mercury Sessions 2
- 1987: The Golden Hits
- 1991: 1948-1959
- 1992: 1959-1963
- 1992: The Complete Mercury Sessions
EPs
- 1957: Foggy Mountain Jamboree
- 1958: Tis Sweet To Be Remembered / Dim Lights Thick Smoke / Earl's Breakdown / Flint Hill Special
- 1958: Jimmy Brown The Newsboy / I'll Go Stepping Too / Randy Lynn Rag /?
- 1960: Songs of Glory Vol. 1
- 1960: Songs of Glory Vol. 2
- 1960: Songs of Glory Vol. 3
- 1961: I'll Never Shed Another Tear / Foggy Mountain Breakdown / Pain In My Heart /?
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1959 | Cabin In The Hills | - |
Country9 (30 weeks) Country |
B-side: Someone You Have Forgotten
Columbia Records |
| 1960 | Crying My Heart Out Over You | - |
Country21 (6 weeks) Country |
B-side: Foggy Mountain Rock
Columbia Records |
| 1961 | Polka On A Banjo | - |
Country12 (14 weeks) Country |
B-side: Shucking The Corn
Columbia Records |
| go home | - |
Country10 (16 weeks) Country |
B-side: Where Will I Shelter My Sheep
Columbia Records |
|
| 1962 | Just ain't | - |
Country16 (8 weeks) Country |
B-side: Cold Cold Lovin '
Columbia Records |
| The Legend Of The Johnson Boys Folk Songs of Our Land |
- |
Country27 (1 week) Country |
B-side: Hear The Whistle Blow A Hundred Miles
Columbia Records |
|
| The Ballad Of Jed Clampett Hard Travelin '(The Ballad of Jed Clampett) |
US44 (11 weeks) US |
Country1 (20 weeks) Country |
B-side: Coal Loadin 'Johnny
Columbia Records |
|
| 1963 | Pearl pearl pearl | - |
Country8 (11 weeks) Country |
B-side: Hard Travelin '
Columbia Records |
| New York Town | - |
Country26 (3 weeks) Country |
Columbia Records
|
|
| 1964 | You Are My Flower Recorded Live at Vanderbilt University |
- |
Country12 (18 weeks) Country |
B-side: My Saro Jane
Columbia Records |
| My Saro Jane | - |
Country40 (2 weeks) Country |
B-side of You Are My Flower
Columbia Records |
|
| Petticoat Junction | - |
Country14 (11 weeks) Country |
B-side of Have You Seen My Dear Companion
Columbia Records |
|
| Workin 'It Out | - |
Country14 (15 weeks) Country |
B-side from Fireball
Columbia Records |
|
| 1965 | I Still Miss Someone The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs |
- |
Country43 (10 weeks) Country |
B-side: Father's Table Grace
Columbia Records |
| 1967 | Nashville Cats | - |
Country54 (5 weeks) Country |
B-side: Roust-A-Bout
Columbia Records |
| California Up Tight Band | - |
Country20 (14 weeks) Country |
B-side: The Last Train To Clarksville
Columbia Records |
|
| 1968 | Down In The Flood Changing Times featuring Foggy Mountain Breakdown |
- |
Country45 (8 weeks) Country |
B-side: Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Columbia Records |
| Foggy Mountain Breakdown Changing Times featuring Foggy Mountain Breakdown |
US55 (12 weeks) US |
Country58 (6 weeks) Country |
B-side: Like A Rolling Stone
Columbia Records |
|
| Like A Rolling Stone Nashville Airplane |
- |
Country58 (8 weeks) Country |
B-side: I'd Like To Say A Word For Texas
Columbia Records |
|
More singles
At Mercury Records
- 1949: God Loves His Children / I'm Going To Make Heaven My Home
- 1949: We'll Meet Again Sweetheart / My Cabin In Caroline
- 1949: Baby Blue Eyes / Bouquet In Heaven
- 1949: Down The Road / Why Don't You Tell Me So
- 1950: I'll Never Shed Another Tear / I'll Be Going To Heaven Sometime
- 1950: No Mother Or Dad / Foggy Mountain Breakdown
- 1950: Is It Too Late Now / So Happy I'll Be
- 1950: My Little Girl In Tennessee / I'll Never Love Another
- 1951: Cora Is Gone / That Little Old Country Church House
- 1951: Pain In My Heart / Take Me In A Lifeboat
- 1951: Doin 'My Time / Farewell Blues
- 1951: Rollin 'My Sweet Baby's Arms / I'll Just Pretend
- 1952: Pike Country Breakdown / Old Salty Dog Blues
- 1952: Preachin 'Prayin' Singin '/ Will The Roses Bloom
- 1953: Back To The Cross / God Loves His Children
At Columbia Records
- 1951: Come Back Darling / I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling
- 1951: I'm Head Over Heels In Love / We Can't Be Darlings Anymore
- 1951: Jimmie Brown The Newsboy / Somehow Tonight
- 1951: Don't Get Above Your Raising / I've Lost You
- 1951: 'tis Sweet To Be Remembered / Earl's Breakdown
- 1952: Get In Line Brother / Brother I'm Getting Ready To Go
- 1952: Old Home Town / I'll Stay Around
- 1952: Over The Hills To The Poorhouse / My Darling's Last Goodbye
- 1952: I'm Gonna Settle Down / I'm Lonesome And Blue
- 1953: Reunion In Heaven / Pray For The Boys
- 1953: Why Did You Wander / Thinking About You
- 1953: If I Should Wander Back Tonight / Dear Old Dixie
- 1953: I'm Working On A Road / He Took Your Place
- 1953: I'll Go Stepping Too / Foggy Mountain Chimes
- 1954: Mother Prays Loud In Her Sleep / Be Ready For Tomorrow May Never Come
- 1954: I'd Rather Be Alone / Someone Took My Place With You
- 1954: You're Not A Drop In The Bucket / Foggy Mountain Special
- 1954: Till The End Of The World Rolls Round / Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky
- 1955: You Can Feel It In Your Soul / Old Fashioned Preacher
- 1955: Before I Met You / I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open
- 1955: Gone Home / Bubbling In My Soul
- 1956: Randy Lynn Rag / On My Mind
- 1956: Joy Bells / Give Mother My Crown
- 1956: What's Good For You / No Doubt About It
- 1957: Six White Horses / Shuckin 'The Corn
- 1957: Give Me The Flowers While I'm Living / Is There Room For Me
- 1957: / Let Those Brown Eyes Smile At Me
- 1957: I Won't Care / I Won't Be Hangin 'Around
- 1958: Big Black Train / Crying Alone
- 1958: Heaven / Building On Sand
- 1958: I Don't Care Anymore / Mama's And Daddy's Little Girl
- 1959: A Million Years In Glory / Jesus Savior Pilot Me
- 1960: The Great Historical Bum / All I Want Is You
- 1961: I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow / If I Should Wander Back Tonight
- 1961: Jimmie Brown The Newsboy / Mother Prays Loud In My Sleep
- 1964: Little Birdie / Sally Don't You Grieve
- 1965: Go Home / Ballad Of Jed Clampett
- 1965: Gonna Have Myself A Ball / Rock Salt And Nails
- 1965: Memphis / Foggy Mountain Breakdown
- 1966: Green Acres / I Had A Dream
- 1966: Colors / For Lovin 'Me
- 1966: The Last Thing On My Mind / Mama You Been On My Mind
- 1967: It Was Only The Wind / Why Can't I Find Myself With You
- 1967: Theme From Bonnie And Clyde (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) / My Cabin In Caroline
- 1968: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight / Universal Soldier
- 1969: Universal Soldier / Down In The Flood
- 1969: Maggie's Farm / Tonight Will Be Fine
literature
- Dellar, Fred / Thompson, Roy: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music . Foreword by Roy Acuff. 2nd edition London: Salamander Books, 1979, pp. 87f.
- Stambler, Irwin / Landon, Grelun: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music . New York / London: St. Martin's Press, 1969, pp. 95-97 (Lester Flatt) and pp. 268-270 (Earl Scruggs).
- Shestack, Melvin: The Country Music Encyclopaedia . London: Omnibus Press, 1977, pp. 73-75 (Lester Flatt) and pp. 246-248 (Earl Scruggs).
Web links
- Biography Lester Flatt (Engl.)
- Biography Earl Scruggs (Engl.)