“Where Shall I Be?” Recorded Sunday, August 14,...

Fran Leadon and Leigh Anderson of Brooklyn, NY attempt to record every single song that the Carter Family ever cut.

Just like the original recordings, these are lo-fi and low-budget. We are using a H2 ZOOM recorder propped on a chair in our living room. Fran plays a homemade D-18 guitar and sometimes a 1959 Martin 0-18. Leigh plays an early 1950s Epiphone upright bass.

We grew up listening to the Carter Family. The rules for this project are simple: Record the songs in chronological sequence, beginning with the first 1927 Bristol sessions recordings, don't worry too much about flubs, and get everything recorded while the baby is napping.

Sound simple? Keep listening!

(We recommend listening through headphones or stereo speakers. The average laptop speaker doesn't pick up Leigh's bass.)

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9 months ago

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“Where Shall I Be?”

Recorded Sunday, August 14, 2011.

Key: C

Second take of a rousing gospel number. We threw in a little clip of a teenage Buddy Holly singing the Bill Monroe song “Footprints in the Snow” just to demonstrate what Lo-Fi, homemade recording sounded like back in the early 1950s. Why, ours sounds positively Studio B by comparison.

Guest Stars: Charles and Jen on harmony vocals.

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The Carter Family Project

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