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
Working On A Building
The Seldom Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm workin' on a building, for my lord, for my lord.
If iiiiiiiiiiiiii were a drunkard, tell you what I'd do,
I'd quit my drinkin', and work on a building too.
Chorus:
I'm workin' on a building, I'm workin' on a building,
It'a a holy ghost building, it'a a holy ghost building,
It'a a holy ghost building, for my lord, for my lord.
If iiiiiiiiiiiiii were a gambler, tell you what I'd do,
I'd quit my gamblin', and I'd work on a building too.
Chorus
If iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii were a preacher, tell you what I'd do,
I'd keep on preachin', and I'd work on a building too.
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
The Seldom Scene's song "Working On A Building" is a gospel song about the importance of faith and dedication to God. The song's repetitive structure emphasizes the idea of working on a holy ghost building for the lord. The singer expresses that even if they were a drunkard or a gambler, they would quit their bad habits and devote themselves to working on the building for their lord. The repetition of the line "for my lord" emphasizes the importance of faith and devotion.
The song can also be interpreted as a metaphor for personal growth and self-improvement. The idea of "working on a building" suggests the idea of building oneself up, especially in terms of spiritual growth. The song encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and consider whether they are dedicating themselves to something greater than themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm workin' on a building, I'm workin' on a building,
I am currently engaged in constructing a building,
I'm workin' on a building, for my lord, for my lord.
This building is being built in honor of my lord, and for his divine purposes.
If iiiiiiiiiiiiii were a drunkard, tell you what I'd do,
If I were someone who struggled with excessive drinking,
I'd quit my drinkin', and work on a building too.
I would cease my addictive behavior and choose to devote my time and energy to the construction of a holy building.
Chorus:
Refrain or repeat of the previous lyrics.
It'a a holy ghost building, it'a a holy ghost building,
This building is infused with spiritual significance and is being built with divine guidance.
It'a a holy ghost building, for my lord, for my lord.
This building is being created for the specific purpose of serving my lord and glorifying him through its existence.
If iiiiiiiiiiiiii were a gambler, tell you what I'd do,
If I were someone who engaged in excessive gambling,
I'd quit my gamblin', and I'd work on a building too.
I would stop my destructive behavior and instead focus on this holy construction project.
If iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii were a preacher, tell you what I'd do,
If I were a spiritual leader,
I'd keep on preachin', and I'd work on a building too.
I would continue to spread the word of the lord while simultaneously working on this holy building project.
Chorus
Refrain or repeat of the previous lyrics.
Chorus
Refrain or repeat of the previous lyrics.
Chorus
Refrain or repeat of the previous lyrics.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional, Cindy Morgan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind