The album was considered a breakthrough in bridging generational and musical differences between the old guard of Nashville, Tennessee and the younger country rock movement.[1][5]Will the Circle Be Unbroken reached number 4 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, and was eventually certified platinum for selling over one million copies. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released two follow-up albums in 1989 and 2002.
The album's title comes from a song by Ada R. Habershon (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 band with a hippie look, described by Acuff 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 and bluegrass players. Many had become known to their generation through the Grand Ole Opry. However, with the rise of rock-and-roll, the emergence of the commercial country's slick "Nashville sound", and changing tastes in music, their popularity had waned somewhat from their glory years.[6]
Acuff was initially contemptuous of the project, but later relented and participated.[6] The record includes the first meeting of Doc Watson and Merle Travis, after whom Watson's son, Merle, was named. Bill Monroe, sixty years old at the time, refused to participate in the recordings.[7]
The album was recorded at Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] 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 album cover features an image of UnionAdmiralDavid Dixon Porter.[8] Originally appearing in 1972 as a three LP album and three-cassette tape offering, Will the Circle Be Unbroken was remastered and re-released in 2002 as a two compact disc set. The original album was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 6, 1997, indicating shipments of 500,000 copies.[9] It has sold 301,600 copies as of October 2019.[10]
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, Louise Scruggs, Steve Scruggs, Chet Flippo, Martha Flippo, Larry Murray, Mike Carr, Alice McEuen-Background Vocals
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