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
Love of the Mountains
The Seldom Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to the girl you love
Treat her right, never wrong
How mountain girls can love
Ridin' at night in a high cold wind
On the trail of the old lonesome pine
Thinking of you baby
Wondering why I left you behind
Get at 'em boys, go back home
Back to the girl you love
Treat her right, never wrong
How mountain girls can love
There's a lake in the hill
Where my true love goes
That's when she's thinkin' of me
Why I'm not there only heaven knows
Heaven knows that's where I'd rather be
Get at 'em boys, go back home
Back to the girl you love
Treat her right, never wrong
How mountain girls can love
The Seldom Scene's song "How Mountain Girls Can Love" speaks about the universal theme of love and homesickness. The song starts with the phrase "Get at 'em boys, go back home," which means that the singer is urging his friends to return home to the girl they love. He advises that they should treat their girls with kindness and respect, never doing them wrong, and reflect on how mountain girls can love. The chorus, "How mountain girls can love," implies that there is something unique about the love of girls from the mountains. It might be an allusion to their innocence, unadulterated way of life, or perhaps their loyalty.
The verse "Ridin' at night in a high cold wind" describes the singer's internal battle as he travels through harsh terrains on the "trail of the old lonesome pine." He reflects on leaving his girl behind and feeling blue, hence "Wondering why I left you behind." As he reminisces about his love, the singer acknowledges that his girl is also thinking of him and missing him dearly. He uses the metaphor of a lake in the hill to illustrate his girl's emotions when she thinks of him. Finally, the song concludes with the affirmation that he would instead be with his girl than anywhere else.
Overall, the song speaks to the longing for love and companionship in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving. Whether you're a mountain girl or not, the song emphasizes the importance of treating those we love with kindness and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
Get at 'em boys, go back home
Encouragement to the male listeners to return to their hometowns where their loved ones are waiting.
Back to the girl you love
Reassurance that returning to the woman they love is the right thing to do.
Treat her right, never wrong
Reminder to treat their loved ones with love and respect, and not to take them for granted.
How mountain girls can love
Acknowledgement of the love and devotion shown by women from mountain communities.
Ridin' at night in a high cold wind
Descriptive beginning to a personal story about a man traveling alone at night experiencing the tough terrain.
On the trail of the old lonesome pine
A nod to the rugged environment in which the story takes place.
Thinking of you baby
The man's thoughts are preoccupied with the woman he left behind, illustrating his love and devotion.
Feelin' so blue
The sense of sadness that the man experiences as he reflects on the choices he made.
Wondering why I left you behind
The man is questioning his decision and reflecting on whether it was the right choice to leave the woman he loves.
There's a lake in the hill
A reference to a specific location where the woman spends her time.
Where my true love goes
The idea that the woman is the man's true love, and he recognizes her importance in his life.
That's when she's thinkin' of me
The man believes that the woman is thinking of him in the moments she spends at the lake.
Why I'm not there only heaven knows
The man doesn't understand why he isn't with the woman he loves, and hopes that there is a reason beyond his control.
Heaven knows that's where I'd rather be
The man longs to be with the woman he loves, and believes that their love is meant to be.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUBY RAKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind