Today’s post was written by Paul.
Pap and Granny – Wilson Holler early 1960s
“I Love You Best Of All” is a beautiful love song that the Louvin Brothers recorded. If you’ve never heard their recording, I encourage you to give it a listen.
Although it may be a simple song, they showcased their amazing singing abilities by singing the song in three different harmony configurations all during one take, switching around who sings lead (Charlie or Ira) and at what octave and in different keys. If you follow this link to the Louvin’s studio recording of this song, and click to open the description below the video pane, you can learn who wrote the song, when they wrote it, and all about the different musicians who played on the Louvin Brothers’ studio recording.
This link is to an entire radio show the Louvins did, but it features this song at one point in the broadcast. It was an impressive take of the song to be done live on the radio.
In the late 90’s, I saw Charlie perform this song live in Hiawassee, Georgia, at the Anderson Music Hall at the Georgia Mountain Fair. I recall that before he sang it, he spoke briefly about some of the explicit lyrics that were coming out in the new “music” of the day, and he contrasted it with the words of this song. I remember that he smiled and said, “I defy you to find something bad or negative in this song.”
Pap and Granny mostly sang gospel songs when they sat around and sang together, but every now and then, they would sing a song like this, or maybe “When I Stop Dreaming,” another love song from the Louvin Brothers.
They recorded this fragment of “I Love You Best of All” on a cheap, consumer-type cassette recording, something with a very basic or low recording quality. At the time they made this recording, probably neither of them had any silver (gray) hair to love. 🙂
I’m thankful to still have some of those old tapes. It’s funny that, though they made several recordings, I never remember them ever listening back to the recordings they made. They probably often recorded over things they previously recorded. I have no way of knowing exactly when they made this particular recording, but I would guess it was in the 70’s. I’m sure they never imagined that 40 or 50 years later, people they never knew would be listening to those recordings.
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
The Wilson Brothers Words of Life Album released in the 70s.
awe they sung beautiful together. Thank you for sharing. loved it
Such a Beautiful song, and a Beautiful Love Story with Pap & Grannie. So Sweet, brings tears to my eyes.
Nothing like a treasure found, and how precious they are.
Absolutely precious!
Thank you for sharing!
This is so very precious, thank you Paul for sharing this lovely song that Pap and Granny did together. God bless the Wilson and Pressley Families.
oh that is so precious! I love that so much!
So very lovely. They sang so beautifully together, thank you for sharing this.
What a blessing for me to hear the song from Pap & Granny! They were lovebirds all their married lives.
How wonderful that you have this! Thank you for sharing it!
What a priceless gift! Pap and Granny’s sweet voices singing this sweet song.
I enjoyed the song very much, thank you and God bless you very much, I hear 26,000 acres are burning in Florida, tornadoes in various places yesterday, God bless the people protect them keep them safe and well in Jesus name, didn’t get the three drops of rain yesterday
Beautiful song, thank you Paul for sharing.
It’s wonderful that all of these beautiful songs were recorded and now you will always be able to hear their voices. Precious!!
Thank you for sharing. It’s so wonderful to have old recordings. It brought back memories for me watching and listening.
Please pray fory Daddy, Ricky Tuggle. He means more to me than I can say,and he’s in need. Please keep me in your prayers, they are working and I’m so grateful for the time all have given to remember me. I’m just a sinner saved by God’s Holy grace.
I will pray for him and keep praying for you!!
What a sweet and beautiful song! Pap and Granny sound wonderful together. Their singing voices were made to blend together. I know you miss them so.
Randy, so thankful to hear you got a soaking rain in your area!
Good morning Paul, Tipper and Acorns. It is a blessed day to know that Granny and Pap are together with our Lord in Paradise. TY for sharing the tape of them singing together. Paul, Do you travel around to play tennis? Are their armature tournaments for adults? I know Pickle Ball is pretty popular I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers. TY all for your prayers for my son, Ed and me. I love y’all.
Barbara, Paul does travel to play tournaments 🙂
And how fortunate we are that you share them with us! ❤️
Priceless!
Beautiful song from beautiful people.
Have a blessed Sunday, today.
A beautiful love song! Thank you for sharing it, Paul.
I really enjoyed reading about the song and then hearing Pap and Granny sing it as pictures of their lives appeared one after another. It was really an emotional moment for me to think of the years and love those pictures told about. Your cup runneth over with love and blessings and beautiful people, Paul. Plus you make beautiful music so what’s not to adore and lift up high?! Have a blessed week and thank you for sharing your wonderful memories with the rest of us. It blesses us as well!!! I can’t never get enough of families and love and pictures!!! Now I’d say I know where Katie’s son Ira got his name sake-Ira the musician you all think so highly of…and I think that’s wonderful! Maybe lil Ira will be play and sing like his family… God bless you all.
This was so lovely. What a treasure to have their voices recorded!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful love song this morning. How precious to have your parents recorded, so you can always hear their sweet voices. My parents would sometimes get up and sing a song during Sunday morning church service—nothing fancy—just the two of them and no music. I wish with all my heart that I had a recording of one of these songs. It would be sweet to hear my dad’s voice again.
I won’t start this morning about this song or my wife. I am just going to say we finally got a pretty good soaking rain late yesterday and hopefully will get more this Tuesday and Wednesday.