... right on this blog, this is the idea. Lately I couldn't keep it up as I would have liked because I was much active over on the pages of the 45cat and then I had to somehow flesh out my Youtube channel. However, there is always time for a nice Friday night song or two.
For reasons that take too long to explain I wanted to play a New York record tonight. (I hope you made it to the opera in time!). Tough choice, so I looked into my Calla crate and first thing I fished out was a Jean Wells record (well, this wasn't much of a surprise!). And better still, it was her first record for Calla and her first (moderate) chart hit, »After Loving You b/w Putting The Best On The Outside« released in March 1967. Florida-born Jean Wells had a string of hits on Calla, and her first 45 A side entered the charts in May and eventually peaked at #31 r&b.
Since the flip side will make your rusty bones rattle more than the A side (and may also be less known) it does provide just the perfect Friday night track. »After Loving You« (which is a haunting song the more often you listen to it) is more of a Saturday morning song ... but this might be just as fine! Have a good time y'all!
Jeans Wells: »Putting The Best On The Outside« / »After Loving You« on Calla # 128 (1967):
... that the Cussin' & Carryin' On Blogspot has launched a Youtube channel of its own!
Let it, therefore, proudly and with the required loftiness be proclaimed that you will find it here ... and instead of a darn stupid link I better post a video all along:
To tell you the truth, for a long time I didn't see the minimal necessity to open a Youtube channel. (Years ago I had already experimented with one but didn't find it worthwhile and closed it down after a few days.) And I still think that listening to old records in the form of video-stills (because that's what they are in 95% of cases) is a strange thing to do and not very satisfying. BUT, unfortunately many sites nowadays use Youtube as a sort of general default site and you simply can't do without it. Best example for this is the extremely useful 45cat, which uses Youtube as a basic device. This is why I decided to go along with it, after all. So may it be made known heresoforewithandtowithandinanycase that this blog was from the beginning of time destined to have its own Youtube channel, and now this has come about as it was written in the Book of Fate. Lol.
I might add, just to let you know, that for the time being I will play only rare gospel music on the Youtube channel, nothing else. Most of what you'll find there was already played on this blog, but some tunes or 45s haven't been so far (and maybe never will). So in the best of perspectives, the Youtube channel will function as a supplement to this blog, mainly for use in connection with other sites. End of declaration, the Lord has spoken. Elvis has left the building. Drive carefully and good night.
... of Lucy Rodgers. Oh yes I know, I never chose songs from the same record three times in a row (and won't do it again soon). But there are two good reasons for doing it this time. First, I got many new disks during the last days and can't keep up with ordering and sort of catalogizing them. This is the less good reason, however. The truly good reason is that Lucy Rodgers's Checker LP is just so versatile that it doesn't suffice to play one or two songs. She offers all here, a caleidoscope of uptempo gospel shouters, intense hyms, operatic pieces and bluesy sacred grooves. And all tunes are worth listening to! So, really, Lucy Rodgers's LP does stand apart from much of the more conventional stuff in the field of sacred music, and Checker already was able to maintain high standards with the Gospel LP series. And by the way, the Subliminal Kid kindly suggested to me a while ago to play entire records here, which I could have done easily with this fabulous Checker LP. I thought about it but eventually felt it to be contrary to the purposes of this blog, also because when starting it I decided (as kind of a personal guideline) not to play entire LPs.
Said this, be captivated by the bluesy side of Lucy Rodgers ...
Happy Sunday all!
Lucy Rodgers: »Life's Evening Sun« / »I'm Fighting For My Rights« from the Checker LP # 10034 (1967):
... I'm late again with continuing a topic raised in a former posting. However, in this specific case it wasn't just changed plans that caused a delay, I also came to discover that researching gospel singer Lucy Rodgers is pretty difficult and leads only to less than satisfying results, at least for the moment being. But before going into dry details you merit some kind of musical treat. So, in the following you can listen to Lucy Rodgers's fabulous performance with »Days Past And Gone«.
Lucy Rodgers: »Days Past And Gone« from the Checker LP # 10034 (1967):
Back to the dry facts. First, Lucy Rodgers was billed under a myriad of names and it's only a small exaggeration to say that she appears on every record differently. Apart from »Sister Soul« she also surfaces as »Lucy Rogers« (spelled without the d and in all cases known to me probably typoed by mistake or negligence), making it difficult to track her records. She had several groups accompanying her and she sang also with her family. What seems certain is that she did only one LP, viz. Checker # 10034 in 1967. When researching her 45-discography, something which proved more complicated than I anticipated, I finally came up with this listing:
(T e n t a t i v e) L u c y R o d g e r s S i n g l e s D i s c o g r a p h y
(1)»Man In The City Pt. 1 b/w Man In The City Pt. 2« on Halo #09 (a One-Derful subsidiary out of Chicago), probably from 1964 (or 1965). Billing: »Lucy Rogers Singers«, personnel: Lucy Rodgers, Edna Thomas, Virginia Riley and Geneva Dudley. You can find detailed info for this record and label scans in the Royce-Darden Gospel Music Collection.
(2) »I Have One More River b/w I'm Fighting For My Rights« on St. Lawrence #1015, from 1966. Billing is: »Sister Soul & The Lucy Rodgers Singers«. (B side is a song composed by Erma Franklin.)
(3) »Time Is Drawing Nigh b/w I Surrender All« on Checker #5028, released in summer 1967 but maybe recorded back in 1966. Billing: »Sister Soul & The Lucy Rodgers Singers«.
*At this point, Hayes-Laughton list three unreleased Checker masters, rec. c.July 1967: »In My Father's House«, »Just Like My God« and »Jesus Lover Of My Soul«.
(4) »I Found A Friend (yes, this is the plug side!) b/w Let The Train Roll Easy« on Checker # 5042, out in late autumn 1967, billing: »Lucy Rodgers«. Both songs also on Checker LP 10034.
(5) »Why Don't You Hold On b/w Something Within Me« on Saint #1102, rec. in 1967 in Chicago and probably released in 1968. A side appears on Checker LP # 10034 as »Hold On«.
(6) »The Day Is Passed And Gone b/w My Soul Needs Resting« on Saint Lawrence 705, billing: »Lucy Rodgers (A side) / Lucy Rodgers & The Angelic Choir (B side)«.
(7) »He's Been Good b/w The Blood Of Jesus« on Rush #2719, billing: »Lucy Rodgers Singers«, personnel includes Edna Thomas. (8) »Live For My Lord b/w Our Heavenly Home« on Mayo #401; billing uncertain.
For these last two 45s my only source of information is Hayes-Laughton's Gospel Discography. No release dates, late 60s or early 70s.
(9) »Pray A Little Longer b/w Rain« on One-Way # 301, a Chicago-based label. Billing: »Lucy (Sister Soul) Rodgers«. Released in 1975, this record is a marvelous performance. H e a r t h e f u n k y A s i d e b e l o w !
(10) »Old Landmark b/w I Don't Know What I'll Do Without The Lord« on Angel Joy #7003, billing: »Lucy Rodgers (Sister Soul) and Family« (»Rodgers« spelled on A side label without d, »Rogers«!). Release date is unknown, but the record looks like 70s or early 80s. See more details and label scans in the Royce-Darden Gospel Music Collection.
That's about it. I feel that something is still missing, but the above list comprises all what I could find until now. As always, you are invited to contribute more info or correct mistakes!
Lucy Rodgers, often billed as »Sister Soul« (and here and then also as »Lucy Rogers«), had only LP out, to my best knowledge. It was released at some point towards the end of 1967, on the Checker label. Simply self-titled, this LP (Checker # 10034) is a very satisfying mix of bluesy spiritual songs, church hymns and well-arranged gospel fare, both uptempo and non. It is one of the lesser known LPs of the Checker Gospel series, but it does merit a little more attention really.
The career of Lucy Rodgers is known only sketchily; I'll have some more info about her in tomorrow's post. (I am still traveling, so today's post is somewhat short ...)
For today, let's hear Lucy Rodgers with the beautiful hymn »The Failure's Not In God«, followed by the Opera-like and maybe slightly over-produced »Sign My Name«: heavily orchestrated, heading towards a forceful climax and ending with a final flourish. It is the longest piece on the LP and certainly the one that stands out most.
A blessed Easter Monday to all of you!
Lucy Rodgers: »The Failure's Not In God« / »Sign My Name« from the Checker LP # 10034 (1967):
... yesterday I was close to losing my temper (which then in a wise move of self appeasement and by remembering Biblical injunctions I was able to avoid), but indeed the advantages of keeping my composure became evident today when yesterday's problems no longer mattered. I am good at ignoring problems anyhow. This is nothing to be proud of because sometimes the problems bounce back at you and matters will actually be much worse than before. Sometimes, however, they just disappear. This is the lucky turn of events.
Today, I am even luckier with what I have to offer musically wise, that is, I've got this 45 with two formidable performances and at first hadn't much information about the artists. The label is called Brother Love Records, and my copy has no additional info whatsoever. What I do know, though, is that Brother Love was an Atlanta-based label and that The Female Nightingales released one 45 on that label (see the Georgia Soul website). At least one Brother Love 45 also features non-sacred music, namely Bobby Strickland's »After All I'm Still In Love With You / The Girl That I Love« (an unnumbered 45). This record is mentioned as completely obscure over at Sir Shambling's Deep Soul Heaven, but an update on that page, based on the expertise of Georgia Soul buff Brian Poust, reveals that this was the only non-sacred issue on this label, the others being gospel music. Says Poust, »the same Brother Love label released gospel records here in Atlanta.
This [viz. Bobby Strickland's] is the only secular record I know of on the label, and all of the
gospel 45s have a blue label, but the exact typeface/design. The
three copies of the 45 I've ever had were all found here in Atlanta« (quoted from here). Release dates are uncertain, and a good guess is late 1970s or early 1980s. -- For completeness sake, there is at least one other label called »Brother Love Records«, out of Philadelphia, and then we have one 45 issued by »Brother Love Production«, of Akron Ohio (details here); both have nothing to do with Atlanta's Brother Love Records.
The Brother Love 45 I happen to possess (# MA 1065) features a duet of Reverend J.T. Barnett and Sister Barnett on the A side, and Sister Barnett solo on the B side, accompanied by the Central Holiness Choir. Now, from the label prints of their 45 we do not get many clues, but the best giveaway is the choir's name. It appears that this choir belonged to the Central Holiness Church of Deliverance in 1069 Washing- ton Street, Atlanta, the founder and pastor of which was and still is Bishop J.T. Barnett. What I am not sure about is who Sister Barnett is. A fair guess that she's the same person as Evangelist Blondine Barnett, first lady at the church mentioned. To my knowledge, there are no other records by Rev. and Sister Barnett. The two sides of this 45 are very different, which is nice. The A side is a soulful version of »You Can Go On« with a forceful piano setting the beat and Rev. & Sister Barnett engaging in sort of an answer-reply tune; the male voice has the lead. The B side, on the other hand, is an ecstatic hymn in the Holiness tradition and quite a church wrecker. Mind, you all, that the A side has one - little but unfortunately noticeable - skip right in the middle... it can't be helped but shouldn't distract I hope. Rev. J.T. Barnett & Sister Barnett: »You Can Go On« / Sister Barnett & Central Holiness Choir: »Home Up In Glory« on Brother Love # 1065:
I am interested in the music, not in the relative rarity of discs. I also listen with great pleasure to Aretha Franklin, because she has the voice of the century. Music is no Faith and therefore has no heretics.
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No music downloads on this site. All mp3s (with very few exceptions where noted) are ripped from original vinyl discs. If something on this blog is objectionable to anyone or should, for valid reasons, be re- moved from the net please let me know; it will be removed. And to reiterate: This is a non-profit blog.
