35 replies to this topic

[E.Powers]

Thought we could start a new genre thread talking about Gospel joints that we have that need some light shown on them!

I'm late to the Gospel scene, really only starting to buy Gospel cuts about 4 years ago, but I never really gave the genre the same attention and research that I applied to the other forms of music. Then about a year ago a friend of mine handed me a few funky Gospel mixes he threw together and I was like, Damn! I don't know jack sh!t about Gospel and I need to get on this quick like! I still don't know much, but I'm feeling these cuts more than ever. Here's a couple I've picked up recently:



Martha "The Queen" Jean "Just Telling the Truth" 1972 on Jewel. This is a spoken word LP, not really in the vain of sermons, but more along the lines of civil rights workers sending out public announcements. Half the message on this is about getting in touch with the Lord the other half is about working class America, both Black and White, getting together and forming a strong unified voice about social and civil issues, most noticeable in the track titled "Blue Collar Power". I dig it, but I dig most spoken word joints regardless.



The Dynamic Clark Sisters "Is My Living In Vain" 1980 on New Birth Records. I've seen tons of Clark Sisters joints at the store and other places, simply thought they were your run of the mill Gospel group. Then one of my friends schooled me to this joint. The whole LP is cool, but the track in the limelight is "Ha - Ya" If you can stay still, not wanting to tap your feet or some damn thing while listening to this, then you have no Soul. Nothing really rare about this, check it next time you see it in the crates.



Inez Andrews "War on Sin" 1976 on ABC. Here's another artist I had seen tons of around and blew off. She started making Gospel cuts back in the 50's and was really traditional during most of her career, then came the 70's. She has a string of cuts from this era with the legendary Gene Barge doing her production. Her voice is freaking awesome, ranks up there with many Street Diva Soul artists. Again, this whole LP is cool, but the cut to have is "Troubled Young Man", this sh!t is fire. Talking about a young man chilling on the streets falling ever further into the street life, has a chorus so catchy you'll be singing it in your sleep.

[gntsqd]

It seems like a lot of folks sleep on these gospel records. A lot of stuff to not only sample, but to play out as well when DJing. Even Gospel children records have some dope cuts on it. Maybe i'll post some pics later.....

[prestege]

Did anyone happen to check out the gospel mix I think Egon made here on Stones Throw Podcast ??? There was a lot on there..one of my favorites..But if you like gospel that is dope....check this album out too The King James Version

http://apyrexscholar.blogspot.com/2008/12/...ime-we-met.html

[Zoonice]

Don't mess around with the gospel to much, but I did find a nice little piano while listening to the radio with my pops. I said I have to find this song once I came home.

[Liv]

prestege, on Feb 5 2010, 01:06 AM, said:

Did anyone happen to check out the gospel mix I think Egon made here on Stones Throw Podcast ??? There was a lot on there..one of my favorites..But if you like gospel that is dope....check this album out too The King James Version

http://apyrexscholar.blogspot.com/2008/12/...ime-we-met.html

THAT WAS DAM-FUNK
AND YES IT'S ONE OF MY FAV PODCASTS TOO

[prestege]

One more LP on the same site by Black Grass

http://sharebee.com/840ce215"]http://sharebee.com/840ce215

Making the most of Today

http://www.zshare.ne...80053891771d01/

enjoy !!

[E.Powers]

prestege, on Feb 4 2010, 06:06 PM, said:

The King James Version

Ya that joint is killer, it's a legend, if you look it up on Popsike it constantly goes for decent cash, out of bounds for my broke azz!! (But I want it!!!) Picked up another Inez Andrews joint today:



Inez Andrews "This is not the First Time I've been Last" 1975 on ABC. This is another one she did with the mighty Gene Barge at the productions helm. Again, the whole LP is straight with me, hard Soul with a Gospel twist really, the title track though, now that's a funky cut, has that funky bubbly beat to it, another must have.

[E.Powers]

gntsqd, on Feb 4 2010, 03:40 AM, said:

It seems like a lot of folks sleep on these gospel records. A lot of stuff to not only sample, but to play out as well when DJing. Even Gospel children records have some dope cuts on it. Maybe i'll post some pics later.....

Tons of samples to be had in Gospel joints, but you're right, too many people sleep on Gospel joints, plenty of cuts that fit perfectly into Soul and Funk/Break Beat DJ sets for sure! But Numero came out with a few Gospel comps in the last few years, so at least some heads out there are digging heavy, I have one friend whose expertise into Gospel 45's is shocking, he's been hipping me to mad funky shit, if I can find them that is!

[Whoarei The Silent Monk]

ladies and gentlemen, the holy grail. pun intended.

[E.Powers]

Oh hell ya! Did not know that's where that Blackalicious sample came from! Very nice, the Bay area always impresses me with the dope funk that has come out of that area.

[rchecka]

I agree, a lot of cats sleep on Gospel. I'm a newb when it comes to the genre so I started out with a couple of compilations to get me more familiar.

I like these 2...

Good God -- A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Numero Group)




Soul Gospel 2 (Soul Jazz Records)

[E.Powers]

Ya the boys over at Numero put together a good comp on that one, I think they have a part two of that out now, that one though has some fantastic breaks in it. Haven't listened to that Soul Jazz joint yet, I'm sure it's heat, their comps are always good.

[Liv]

oops wrong thread

[rchecka]

E.Powers, on Feb 5 2010, 07:50 PM, said:

Ya the boys over at Numero put together a good comp on that one, I think they have a part two of that out now, that one though has some fantastic breaks in it. Haven't listened to that Soul Jazz joint yet, I'm sure it's heat, their comps are always good.

Good news about pt 2, good lookin out.

Yeah Soul Jazz is quality no doubt, they are pretty versed in a lot of veins of music.

Good thread.

[E.Powers]

I had to double check on this, a friend of mine knows the heads over at Numero and he was the one who hipped me a few months back about the new Gospel joint they're putting out, it's called: Good God! - Born Again Funk, should be a winner. I heard of a new record store in the western 'burds, will check it tomorrow, hopefully find some tasty hidden Gospel gems hiding, seems only fitting to hunt for Gospel on a Sunday

[E.Powers]

I see that this tread is catching on like wildfire, ahem, yaaaa. Well I'll keep throwing a few joints on now again, here's a recent find:


Marion Williams "The New Message" 1969 on Atlantic. I'm really feeling this joint, it isn't a full tilt funk joint that most people search for in hidden Gospel gems, but it has a very cool sound none the less. The sound is a combination of Folk/Soul/Traditional and Secular Gospel/Blues/Funk, all of that influence makes for a nice stew. The cover caught my eye, turned it over to see these cats amongst the band members: Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie and I was like damn, this has to be good no matter what! All the cuts are either traditional or covers, but they really put their own twist on things here. There are some very cool points where they blend her vocal highs with the guitar almost in Minnie Ripperton style, but rawer not as orchestrated. The only cut that will really stand out at first listen is the traditional "Will the Circle be Unbroken" which is a nice funky number, but for me the whole LP from start to finish is good sh!t that grows more and more with each listen, definitively check it when you come across it in the bins!

[spitler]

E.Powers, on Feb 25 2010, 10:31 PM, said:

I see that this tread is catching on like wildfire, ahem, yaaaa. Well I'll keep throwing a few joints on now again, here's a recent find:


Marion Williams "The New Message" 1969 on Atlantic. I'm really feeling this joint, it isn't a full tilt funk joint that most people search for in hidden Gospel gems, but it has a very cool sound none the less. The sound is a combination of Folk/Soul/Traditional and Secular Gospel/Blues/Funk, all of that influence makes for a nice stew. The cover caught my eye, turned it over to see these cats amongst the band members: Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie and I was like damn, this has to be good no matter what! All the cuts are either traditional or covers, but they really put their own twist on things here. There are some very cool points where they blend her vocal highs with the guitar almost in Minnie Ripperton style, but rawer not as orchestrated. The only cut that will really stand out at first listen is the traditional "Will the Circle be Unbroken" which is a nice funky number, but for me the whole LP from start to finish is good sh!t that grows more and more with each listen, definitively check it when you come across it in the bins!

for someone with little to no knowledge of gospel can you provide some beginner tips on what to look for.. i.e. labels / artists / etc..

[E.Powers]

spitler, on Feb 26 2010, 11:06 AM, said:

for someone with little to no knowledge of gospel can you provide some beginner tips on what to look for.. i.e. labels / artists / etc..

Yes and no, I really started this thread so all the heads on the board could pool our knowledge on this genre. For starting you have to think about what type of music you really listen to in general, if you really are into the Soul/Funk sound of the late 60's and 70's I would say look for Gospel music made from '71-'78, that's when a lot of Gospel was using the same sort of production that the secular music was using. Also the same digging tips that you use anyway apply to Gospel just the same, I mean if you find a Gospel LP and all the people are rocking Afro's looking real sharp/funky and you turn the jacket over and they're playing moog's, wah wah guitar, plenty of congo's and bongo's, I would say listen to that joint and get ready for some good ass music! Some basic artists would probably be: teenage Aretha, The Soul Stirrers (with or without Sam Cooke), The Clark Sisters (already mentioned above), shit even the Mighty Clouds of Joy of some cool cuts on their records and they were making Pop Gospel. Some major labels to check for are: Peacock, Chess Gospel, Savoy, Song Bird (ABC subsidiary). Just as with everything else, the real gems are on private presses and small labels. For example check THIS record that Egon reviewed over at the N.A. website. This joint was sourced by Chicago's collector extraordinaire Dante, whom is a friend of Egon's and I'm assuming hiped him to it. This record is very obscure from Bloomington IL, sh!t is bonkers to the max, a must have, iiiiiiif you can find it. I guess my best advice is the same that I use, dig your ass off!

[Liv]

listening to

atm

[E.Powers]

Hey Liv what was that album in the photo? I didn't catch it before the link broke.

Here's a group I've been digging this last week: The Sensational Williams Brothers


"Mama Prayed for Me" 1977 on Savoy


"Taking Gospel Higher" 1977 on Savoy


"What's Wrong With The People Today" 1974 on ABC Songbird

This is a family group with the father at the lead plus a few of his sons, started out in the early 60's and have quite a large discography. A few of the other brothers were also part of the Jackson Southernaires which was a pretty big Gospel group of the era. These joints have a good Southern R&B feel with Funk undertones, some of the tracks have more of a traditional approach/sound to them but they don't become too tiresome due to the decent R&B backbone grooving on. Nothing crazy Funky but good music none the less.

[Liv]

E.Powers, on Mar 8 2010, 02:34 PM, said:

Hey Liv what was that album in the photo? I didn't catch it before the link broke.

it was http://www.discogs.com/Voices-Of-East-Harl...e/master/176475

[E.Powers]

Oh hell ya! I guess that probably should have surfaced sooner. That LP is super nice, I don't have it though, probably with have to bow down and get the reish, have some of their 45's, nice Curtis and Leroy production.

[E.Powers]

Here's some 45's I came across this week that I've been digging, no hidden funk gems but cool music regardless.



Marshall I. Keyes "Unity part 1 and 2" on Cher Kee, early 80's I think. This is a cool oddball small label 45, has the feel of some tracks from a play or something of the sort. Though it says part 1 and 2, they are sort of two different tracks. Part 1 has a up tempo feel, very churchy, while part 2 is half the tempo with more of a slow R&B feel to it. The singers are talking about different periods of human history where people are killing each other or repression of some sort then talking about unity, it's part spoken word part singing, I dig it.



Doroth Norwood "Let your feet down easy - What a beautiful day" on GRC, 1975. The feel on this is a combo of Pop/Soul/R&B. Has a nice full sound to the production. She has a nice mellow raspy voice with good backup singers. Apparently she toured with the Rolling Stones for a few years as a opening act, which would explain the Pop/cross over aspects.



Sister Lucille Pope "Somebody's Gone - 991/2 won't do" on Nashboro Records, 1974. This has more of traditional feel to the lyrics and approach. But what grabs me is the fat sounding R&B feel. It's a bit slower and laid back temp to it combined with her mellow voice which just makes for a nice thick sound.



Gospel Enchanters "I'm not tired - Don't move the mountain" on Glori Records, 1973. This is also more of a traditional release, more so then the others. But again there is a thick sound to it that grabs me, sometimes these traditional ones hit me nicely, won't be able to rock a party with them but are nice to chill out to.

[E.Powers]

Here's some recent finds that I've been digging.


Adam Clayton Powell "Keep the Faith, Baby!", 1967 on Jubilee Records.

Powell was a Congressman from New York and apparently a charismatic cat as well. This is a spoken word album that's part sermon, part civil rights promotion and part political soap box. He has a very cool authority in the way he speaks on here, basically ranting. He has some very minor back up music and singing at a few parts but the rest is spoken word. Again I dig on spoken word joints, especially eccentric ones, plus that cover is dope. If you dig on spoken word joints, pick it up.


The Family Tree "God is Big Enough", 1979 on Ala Entterprises, Inc.

Apparently the group's name is truthful being that the all members are part of a large family that sprung the idea of forming a group at a family reunion. This one is still growing on me. The music aspect on here is good, has a nice solid thick sound that I look for, has nice snappy drums, flute and other accompaniment. In fact they have Ron Carter on a few of the tracks. The voices are good, more along the group/small choir lines which I normally don't really dig on. It's all nice, but it seemingly hasn't clicked right for me yet. It's one of those odd records that I keep listening to, I can feel something there, but it escapes me with each listen, or something. I dunno, perhaps to early to post, maybe I should let this hide for awhile and then pull it back out and I'll hear it's secrets then, who knows. But if you come across it, check it, see if you see what I'm talking 'bout.


Mary McCreary "Butterflies in Heaven", 1973 on Shelter/MCA records.

You can make a argument that this really isn't a full on Gospel record and I guess that may be right. It's half Gospel half Soul, but the Soul cuts all have moral stories and motives to them though which really makes if feel very much like a secular Gospel joint to me. This is solid album. For those who don't know, she was part of the group called "Little Sister" that Sly Stone put together as his back up group. This album has some great help from the likes of: Chuck Rainey, David T. Walker, Tremaine & Walter Hawkins (for those who don't know, the Hawkins family are very big in the Gospel world), Maxayn, George Bohanon, Clarence McDonald and the whole thang is produced by D.J. Rogers. As I said, this is solid, has some pop appeal, but it just has that solid early 70's production that I love, her voice is great, slightly rosy. I'd have to say that it's a must have, at least listen to it when you're at the store. Plus, another cool cover.


Various "Hallelujah Disco", covers years 1974, 76 and 79 on ABC.

This is a great compilation. It bothers me that I can't find the vinyl here in Chicago, it was distributed by GRT, alas, all I can find is the cassette. Here's the list of artists on board:
Andrea Vereen and the St. Mark's Choir
Carl Bean and Universal Love
Mildred Clark and the Melodyaires
The Salem Travelers
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Inez Andrews
Rev. Nat Townsley Jr. and the Lighthouse Ensemble
Everyone who is into Gospel should grab this, but for those who are starting out, or are a bit tepid about spending too much time digging to find tasty joints, pick this up to start. It doesn't have the break beats that say the Numero comp has, but as the title would suggest, this has some nice Disco flavor for you, and not the gimmicky sort. I've hipped a few of my friends to this, and all agree it's solid gold. When you come across this one, pick it up!

[drift]

hello STMB

not strictly gospel but its gospel influenced jazz. its got some nice cuts on it.

donald byrd - im tryin to get home ( 1964 )



also on the gospel jazz vibe,


les maccan - the gospel truth

[E.Powers]

Welcome to the board! That Donald Byrd joint is a classic, also a obvious but mandatory Donald Byrd Gospel/Jazz album would be his legendary A New Perspective. I don't think I've checked out that Les McCann joint, looks tasty, I'll have to look for that one. Here's something I picked up today:


Rev. T.L. Barrett "Lord's Prayer - Said it long time ago" 1979 on Gospel Roots records (part of T.K. Productions).

This is a cool 45 with great production work, it should since it has the touches of the T.K. network in it. It has that "Modern Soul" sound that many heads are digging these days. Upbeat, with nice tight drums, synth, nice brass section, recommended. In regards to this label, I've randomly come across a few other joints on Gospel Roots of late, would have to say that this is a very good label and worth looking into when you find these cuts.

[Friies]

Les McCann is the man!

[drift]

E.Powers, on May 11 2010, 04:29 AM, said:

Welcome to the board! That Donald Byrd joint is a classic, also a obvious but mandatory Donald Byrd Gospel/Jazz album would be his legendary A New Perspective. I don't think I've checked out that Les McCann joint, looks tasty, I'll have to look for that one.

thanks man



yeah, its well worth a look. the title track is a great track if you dj or produce

[E.Powers]

^^ ahaha!! Word brother, word, nice wall! I sense some nice digging contributions coming from you.

[drift]