Duffey proposed some rules that the others agreed to including playing only one night a week at local clubs, doing occasional concerts and festivals on weekends, making records, and keeping their day jobs. Duffey repaired musical instruments, Eldridge was a mathematician, Starling a physician, Auldridge a graphic artist, and Gray a cartographer with National Geographic. The Scene's first home was the Red Fox Inn in Bethesda, Maryland, where they spent six years before starting weekly performances at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia.
Bluegrass reached a second peak in popularity in the early 1970s, and the progressive bluegrass style played by The Seldom Scene was particularly popular. Duffey's stratospheric tenor anchored the group, but the vocal blend of Duffey/Starling/Auldridge set a new standard that attracted new audiences to what had been a niche music. Their weekly shows included bluegrass versions of country music, rock, and even classical pop. The band's popularity soon forced them to play more than once a week--but they continued to maintain their image as being seldom seen, and on several of their early album covers were photographed with the stage lights on only their feet, or with their backs to the camera.
Though the Scene remained a non-touring band, they were prolific recorders, producing seven albums in their first five years of existence, including two live albums (among the first live bluegrass albums). But the band's philosophy of not touring and maintaining their day jobs eventually caused some changes in membership.
In 1977, John Starling left the group to focus on his medical career, and was replaced by singer and songwriter Phil Rosenthal, whose song "Muddy Water" had been recorded by the Scene on two earlier albums. Around the same time, the group switched record labels from Rebel Records to Sugar Hill; however, while Starling had been officially the band's frontman, these changes made little significant difference to the band's overall sound.
The band recorded several more albums in the 1980s and firmly established themselves as one of the most influential bluegrass bands. In 1986, Rosenthal and Tom Gray both left the band to focus on other pursuits, and were replaced by Lou Reid and T. Michael Coleman, respectively. Coleman proved to be very controversial, as many purists objected to his use of an electric bass in what is an acoustic genre, but the albums produced by the band after Coleman's arrival maintained the traditional appeal of any of the Scene's earlier albums.
Reid left the band in 1993, and Duffey convinced former member John Starling to return to the band for the next year. During that year the Scene recorded the album "Like We Used To Be," but Starling did not wish to stay with the band long term. He was replaced in 1994 by lead singer Moondi Klein.
Throughout these changes, John Duffey remained the group's spiritual center and greatest influence, and his initial ideas about keeping a light touring schedule and staying close to home continued to prevail. Though there had been disagreements about this philosophy before, it wasn't until after Starling left for the second time that it cost the band a majority of its members at once. During 1995 and 1996, Klein and Coleman, along with original member Mike Auldridge, left the group to form a new band called Chesapeake. This new band became a full-time project for its members, and for a time the Scene stopped recording.
Duffey and Ben Eldridge, the two remaining original members, recruited resophonic guitar player Fred Travers, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, and guitarist and singer Dudley Connell to join the band, and the reconstituted group recorded an album in 1996 and resumed live appearances.
For 25 years The Seldom Scene remained extremely popular in bluegrass circles even with the near-constant personnel changes. But the band was dealt what seemed a crushing blow in late 1996, when founder and leader John Duffey suffered a fatal heart attack. The band again stopped recording and made no live appearances for some years. Duffey had been widely regarded as one of the most powerful and entertaining stage performers in bluegrass, and there was no one who could replace him.
Nonetheless, the band was simply too popular to disappear for good. Banjoist Ben Eldridge, the sole remaining original member and a significant force in banjo music in his own right, assumed leadership of the band. Former guitarist Lou Reid rejoined the band on mandolin. Initially the new Scene concentrated on live performances, but in 2000 the group recorded a new album, "Scene it All." The Seldom Scene continues to tour, and remains on the Sugar Hill label for future recordings.
The band currently consists of Dudley Connell (guitar/lead vocals), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Lou Reid (mandolin/tenor vocals), Fred Travers (dobro/lead vocals), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass/baritone vocals).
John Starling died in May 2019.
Discography
Act I (Rebel, 1972)
Act II (Rebel, 1973)
Act III (Rebel, 1973)
Old Train (Rebel, 1973)
Live At The Cellar Door (Rebel, 1975)
The New Seldom Scene Album (Rebel, 1976)
Baptizing (Rebel, 1978)
Act IV (Sugar Hill, 1979)
After Midnight (Sugar Hill, 1981)
At The Scene (Sugar Hill, 1983)
Blue Ridge with Jonathan Edwards (Sugar Hill, 1985)
15th Anniversary Celebration (Sugar Hill, 1986)
A Change Of Scenery (Sugar Hill, 1988)
Scenic Roots (Sugar Hill, 1990)
Scene 20: 20th Anniversary Concert (Sugar Hill, 1992)
Like We Used To Be (Sugar Hill, 1994)
Dream Scene (Sugar Hill, 1996)
Scene It All (Sugar Hill, 2000)
External links
Official site
I'll Remember You Love in My Prayers
The Seldom Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the beautiful moon sweeps the sky
Dewdrops from Heaven are kissing the rose
It's then that my memory flies
Well, upon the wings of a beautiful dove
I'll hasten this message of cheer
And I'll bring you a kiss of affection and say
Now the angels of Heaven are guarding the good
As God has ordained them to do
In answer to prayers that I offer to Him
I know there's one waiting for you
Now go where you will upon land or on sea
And I'll share all your sorrows and cares
At night as I kneel by my bedside to pray
I'll remember you, love, in my prayers
Well at night as I kneel by my bedside to pray
I'll remember you, love, in my prayers
The Seldom Scene's song, "I'll Remember You Love in My Prayers," is a beautiful tribute to the enduring nature of love and the power of prayer. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a nighttime scene, where the stars and moon hang in the sky, and dewdrops gently kiss the roses. The singer reflects on a loved one who is far away, and sends them a "kiss of affection" on the wings of a dove. He promises to remember them in his prayers, and calls upon the angels of heaven to look after them.
The second verse speaks to the universality of human experience, and the shared sorrows and cares that bind us all together. No matter where the loved one goes, the singer promises to be there for them, sharing their burdens and offering support. The final verse bookends the song, with the singer once again kneeling by his bedside to pray and remember his loved one. The song leaves a comforting impression of the constancy of love, and the power of prayer to bring us together.
Line by Line Meaning
When the curtains of night are pinned back by the stars
As the night sky reveals the stars shining bright, I think of you and our love.
And the beautiful moon sweeps the sky
The glowing moon is a reminder of the beauty of nature and our love.
Dewdrops from Heaven are kissing the rose
The dew of the night is a reminder to pray for God's blessings and protection for you and me.
It's then that my memory flies
At this moment I remember our love and cherish the memories we made together.
Well, upon the wings of a beautiful dove
Just like a dove that delivers messages of hope and love, I will send you my message of love.
I'll hasten this message of cheer
I'll quickly send you my message filled with joy and happiness.
And I'll bring you a kiss of affection and say
I'll show my love by sending you my affection and remind you of my love.
I'll remember you love in my prayers
I'll pray for you and remember our love, always keeping it close to my heart.
Now the angels of Heaven are guarding the good
God's angels watch over us and protect us, especially when we do right.
As God has ordained them to do
Angels are created by God to watch over us, and they have a divine purpose in our lives.
In answer to prayers that I offer to Him
I believe that my prayers to the Lord are heard, and that he can answer them through the angels.
I know there's one waiting for you
I have faith that an angel is waiting to watch over you and keep you safe.
Now go where you will upon land or on sea
I understand that you must travel and go where you need to go, but my love and support will always be with you.
And I'll share all your sorrows and cares
I'll be there for you during your struggles and worries, and I'll help carry your burdens.
At night as I kneel by my bedside to pray
As I stop to pray at night, my thoughts and prayers are with you and our love.
I'll remember you, love, in my prayers
My love and thoughts of you will be with me as I pray and ask God for blessings and protection for you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WILLIAM HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind