chuckv97 - Posted - 04/19/2026:  12:26:57

Anyone know where I can find these? Thnx

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/19/2026:  14:59:02

The Bear Family CD set of F&S's recordings through the 1950s is the best place to find Benny's discography with Lester and Earl. There are at least 2 other LPs that have some wonderful WSM radio transcriptions of the Foggy Mtn Boys including Benny on the early Martha White morning programs -- with many WONDERFUL tunes that never made it onto Columbia sessions. Like Me and My Fiddle with Benny singing, Grey Eagle, Katy Hill (fierce!), and several others.

Personally I find these songs with Benny to be the PEAK of Flatt & Scruggs' powers. And with the passage of decades, we tend to forget the BLAZING speeds they played at. Almost all the time!

There are also about 2 (3?) old Grand Ole Opry transcriptions or air checks from 1947-48 of the Blue Grass Boys with Benny fiddling beside Lester and Earl. Benny was really gunfighting in those early days.

If you can't find your list on your own, message me and I'll type up the list and send them to you. But be specific what you're looking for please.

chuckv97 - Posted - 04/19/2026:  16:04:17

Thank you, Dick. I’ll search around the internet for those. I was watching / listening to this interview with Matt Combs and he mentions those years with Benny in the Foggy Mountain Boys were his favorites.

youtu.be/vAsJYbqFWVk?si=JhGNOKFHE9K-yXog

Edited by - chuckv97 on 04/19/2026 16:07:41

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/19/2026:  19:10:32

Matt and I are not alone in this belief.

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/20/2026:  17:44:49

Digging through my archive today to try to answer Chuck's question, I found my pristine copy of the Radio Gems #5 LP which I never had a cassette tape of. So it was a complete surprise and delight to hear that LP. Fire on the Mountain (IMPOSSIBLY fast), Me and My Fiddle (quite slow in fact), Turkey in the Straw (WOW!), Cumberland Gap (FAST!), Earl's Breakdown with Benny, etc. Some of the songs are from a show where they apparently had NO bass player, and Lester is really punching the guitar bass notes to make up for it. He played more and harder, without a bass.



Once again, I was simply transported by their performances. Through an AM radio mic system. Just gorgeous playing and singing.



And their theme instrumental opening every show was Train 45 in G where they played so fast Earl barely played any rolls. Pete Kuykendall told me Monroe and Lester and Earl cut a transcription of Train 45 and the speed was simply not to be believed. But that transcription got broken...but Pete heard it once...

And Chuck found them all on YouTube, he has informed me.

Edited by - The Old Timer on 04/20/2026 17:45:39