Previously Unheard Music From The Louvin Brothers To Release In September

Previously unheard demo recordings from country duo The Louvin Brothers (1956-1963), will be heard for the first time Sept. 28 when Modern Harmonic releases Love And Wealth: The Lost Recordings. The 29 songs (and one warm, spoken audio letter) were recorded in the late 1950s, and have never been released before, although a few of these cuts have been covered by other artists.

The duo’s Charlie and Ira Louvin are known for their otherworldly sibling harmonies, which have graced classic songs including “I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby,” and the album Satan Is Real.

The brothers were regular performers on the Grand Ole Opry and inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Their music has been recorded by artists including The Byrds, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris, among others. A 2003 tribute album to the duo featured artists such as Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart and Johnny Cash, and won two Grammy Awards (Best Country Album and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for James Taylor and Alison Krauss).

In his liner notes for Love And Wealth, writer Colin Escott goes through the collection, identifying songs that were hits (or near-hits) for other artists, as well as songs like “Discontented Cowboy” that weren’t known to exist. He notes the song was possibly “the Louvin’s response to a request for western songs; if so, it’s a very southeastern spin on the western genre.” He goes on to note, “Comedic songs, love songs, and that one cowboy song aside, it’s in the religious songs that we hear the still beating heart of Ira Louvin. No one could call the Louvin’s MGM or Capitol sessions overproduced, but the gospel demos have an intimacy and immediacy that even outrank the studio recordings.”

Side A:
Spoken Message From Ira Louvin
It’s All Off
Take My Ring From Your Finger
I’ll Never Go Back (To The Ways of Sin)
Are You Missing Me?
Coo, Coo, Coo
Streamline Heartbreaker
(I’m Changing The Words To) My Love Song

Side B:
Red Hen Boogie
Unpucker
Television Set
Discontented Cowboy
Two-Faced Heart
Don’t Compare The Future With The Past
That’s My Heart Talking
I’m Gonna Love You One More Time

Side C:
Preach The Gospel
Born Again
They’ve Got The Church Outnumbered
The Sons And Daughters of God
Insured Beyond The Grave
You’ll Meet Him In The Clouds
I Love God’s Way of Living

Side D:
Love And Wealth
Bald Knob, Arkansas
Measured Love
Kiss Me Like You Did Yesterday
Would You Tear Down Your Castle
You’ll Forget
Never Say Goodbye