Project Timelime

2004: Lance Ledbetter receives a homemade compilation from record collector Robert Nobley called ”Anthology of American Folk Music: Other Sides” which sparks the idea for releasing the flip sides of the “Anthology of American Folk Music" on Dust-to-Digital. Research is conducted but the project is sidelined after several months due to limited capacity. 

2013: John Cohen and Eli Smith contact Lance Ledbetter about a proposed “B-Sides” production which parallels the concept Nobley had presented in 2004. Cohen, Ledbetter, and Smith formulate a production plan for the box set. 

2014-2015: Essays and annotations are written. 78-rpm records are sourced and digitized. 

2016: Final text is submitted to the graphics designer for layout, and audio is submitted to the engineer for remastering.

2017-2019: Rights to master recordings are licensed.

Early 2019: Manufacturing begins.

September 12, 2019: John Cohen calls Lance Ledbetter to inform him that his cancer has come back and he will not be around to see the set when it comes out. 

September 16, 2019: John Cohen passes away at his home in upstate New York. 

Late 2019: Licensing agreements are finalized, and manufacturing continues. 

Early 2020: Delays occur with manufacturing due to the global pandemic. 

June 2020: The decision is made by the producers to remove three tracks from the CDs due to racist lyrics. Discs 1, 2, and 4 are re-manufactured and exchanged. However, the books which are already printed, remain intact. The information about the recordings and an essay that addresses the initially-included audio are still a part of the liner notes.

October 16, 2020: “The Harry Smith B-Sides” release date.