Recorded Johnson City, TN: October 23, 1929
The identities of the banjo and guitar players are unknown
Originally released on Columbia 15565

(alternate title: Penny's Farm)

Not much is known about the Bently Boys other than that they were possibly from North Carolina. Even the session's producer, Frank Walker, did not remember much about them when interviewed by Mike Seeger (in Raim et. al. Anthology of American Folk Music, pg. 17). The song "Penny's Farm," which deals with the plight of a sharecropper, has evolved over the years. Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers recorded it as "Tanner's Farm." Bob Dylan adapted the theme to create "Maggie's Farm."

OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS & RELATED SONGS INCLUDE:
Folksong revival: as Penny's Farm: Fleming Brown (MRW 1953a); Pete Constantini and Rob Rosenthal (FW 5287c); Pete Seeger (SF 40018c); Happy and Artie Traum (RND 3007a); The Wilderness Family (Earring 5a); as Down on Robert's Farm: John Greenway (RVR 12607a); and as a related song, Maggie's Farm: Bob Dylan (COL 2328c, COL 31120c, COL 34349c); Richie Havens (VV 3034a); as a related song: Hard Times in New York Town: Bob Dylan (COL 47382c).

Post revival: as Penny's Farm: Bob Bovee and Gail Heil (MMC 9045d); as Tanner's Farm: Mike Cross (SGH 1001c).

Country/String Band: as Penny's Farm: The West Orrtanna String Band (RVH 924a); as On Tanner's Farm: Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett (BB 5565b).