The Phillippian Gospel Singers, from the cover of their Jewel LP # 0042 God Counted The Cost (which is the only photo of them known to me):
Five persons here. However, the indications on the back cover of the Jewel LP give the names of two male singers, Henry Lee Brown and Melvin Wilder, and of four female singers: Eddie Mae Jackson, Patricia Davis, Betty Neely and LaVerne Morris. So this makes six persons, one more than seen in the photo, and all of whom you can hear in at least one track of the album. However, I have no idea who the persons are on the photo above, but of course it's a fair guess that the two men standing are H.L. Brown and M. Wilder. Seven songs on the LP are credited to H.L. Brown, another two to M. Wilder (see the track list below).
According to the notes on the back cover, Melvin Wilder organized the group, »some eight years ago«. As the Jewel LP was released in late 1970 or early 1971, this points to 1962. This also matches the fact that in 1962 they recorded a 45 for Nashboro (# 749). Apart from this, I do not know anything about this group; nor could I identify any of its members. Help needed!
In order to facilitate further research I repro- duced in the following the track list plus info from the back cover of the Jewel LP:
A1 »The Christian Army« (H.L. Brown), feat. Eddie Mae Jackson
A2 »God Counted The Cost« (H.L. Brown), feat. Henry Lee Brown
A3 »It's Time To Live Holy« (H.L. Brown), feat. Patricia Davis
A4 »The Solid Rock« (H.L. Brown), feat. Betty Neely
A5 »No Condemnation« (H.L. Brown), feat. LaVerne Morris
B1 »What Would You Give« (H.L. Brown)
B2 »I Want To Live So« (M. Wilder), feat. Melvin Wilder & Betty Neely
B3 »I Believe That He Will« (H.L. Brown), feat. Henry Lee Brown
B4 »I've Had My Share« (E. Jackson), prob. feat. Eddie Mae Jackson
B5 »Meeting Tonight« (M. Wilder), feat. Melvin Wilder
You can hear two songs from this album below. The first song, »The Solid Rock«, takes the lyrics from the known Baptist hymn »My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less (Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness)«, written by Edward Mote (1797-1874). However, the melody deviates from the known hymn, and the song is credited to H.L. Brown. Lead voice is by Betty Neely.
The second song, »I've Had My Share«, is credited to »E. Jackson« what certainly stands for Eddie Mae Jackson. And the lead vocals must be hers as well (though not stated) as becomes clear from a comparison with her performance of the first song on the A side. This song seems to be an original on this album; I couldn't track the lyrics anywhere else.
»The Solid Rock« (lead vc. Betty Neely) / »I've Had My Share« (lead vc. E.M. Jackson) from the Jewel LP # 0042 (1971):
Jewel LP # 0048 (The Meditation Singers: Change Is Gonna Come) (1971)
Last Sunday I promised to post some more songs from the Meditation Singers' 1971 LP Change Is Gonna Come. This post was sche- duled for yesterday, but you know how things are. So, today is fine as well.
Today's selections are the two songs »Getting High On The Lord« and »That's My Child«. The first tune was decreed to be one of the standout tracks on the album by a Billboard critic, and this isn't far off the mark. It was also released on Paula # 356 and on Jewel # 167 (devotional series). This funky track is basically an instrumental with a chorus line. Equally minimalistic are the lyrics which take up the song's title in so many few words:
I know what you goin' through,
I know what you need
Get addicted to the Holy Ghost power
It will set you free
That is some message! The second tune, »That's My Child«, has a dramatic begin- ning and Mrs. Rundless hollering and shouting to a frenzy beat. It can't get much funkier than that. The song is a mother's plea, or rather a mother's rage and outcry. Very forceful message as well here. Let me just add that both songs were penned by Andre Williams, as was the entire album except Sam Cooke's »A Change Is Gonna Come«. Listen here:
The Meditation Singers: »Getting High On The Lord« / »That's My Child« from the Jewel LP # 0048 (1971):
This is, for the time being, the next to last post featuring the Meditation Singers. You can hear them today and, God willing, next Wednesday. But not to worry: I kept one of the highlights of my little series for the great finale. You're in for a rare Funk Gospel treat!
Remember Ralph Bass? The producer and A&R director at Chess who, among much else, supervised the Meditation Singers' Checker LP # 10044 (The Bad Apple) (see the previous posts:
here and here). Well, he said the following in a Billboard interview (Oct. 12, 1968, p. 88): »The message of 'gos-pop' is that there is more to gospel than just finding solace in the church. This follows the same message of Martin [Luther] King, who was fighting for a new way of life.« He was putting that credo into practice at Chess, not the least with the Meditation Singers. But their way did not end at Chess. In autumn 1971, the Meditation Singers moved on to Stan Lewis's Jewel/Paula Records (Shreveport, La.). On Jewel, they had two albums out, the second of which already featured in this blog (here). However, the true gem of their Jewel output is their first album entitled Change Is Gonna Come (Jewel # LPS 0048). It was released in October '71, some forty years ago to this day.
Jewel # LPS 0048 (1971)
While with Jewel, the Meditations went beyond what they had recorded for Chess, and that is saying something. Their sound became still grittier and funkier. Clearly, they went with the times and from »gos-pop« to funk gospel. »Times has brought about a change, y'all«: The line above, apt title of today's post, is from a song on the Meditation Singers' first Jewel LP, »Trouble's Brewin'«. Together with several memorable recordings by the Loving Sisters from Arkansas, the first Jewel LP by the Medi- tation Singers is just about nothing short of the very definition of funk-gospel. As it is, they were helped in achieving that by the famous Detroit-based r&b producer, arranger, composer and, well, singer Andre »Mr. Rhythm« Williams. (There is much to know about Andre Williams, but best read his 2001 interview first.)
Williams penned all but one song of the Medita- tion Singers' first Jewel LP and produced the album as well. As for the Medita- tions themselves, we have to go with the photo from the cover: seated in the center is Earnestine Rundless, behind her to the left is Marie Waters; at the right margin we see Patricia Lyles. One of the other two singers should be Donna Hammonds, though I'm not sure which. The second is unknown to me. There's a high soprano lead voice in some songs that sounds very young; maybe it's her (and, I'd say, the second from right on the photo?). According to the information on the back cover, the songs were recorded at United Sound Studios, Detroit. Strange thing is that on the back cover we also find a highly emotional text written in the first person but signed »The Me- ditation Singers«. Can't make much sense of that!
Whatever. Let's get down with it! This superb LP contains so many songs worth hearing that I post only part of them today; the others will follow. First, there are two utterly funky pieces to start with: »Trouble's Brewin'« and »Good Old Gospel Music«. They'll sweep you off your feet right away. In addition, they're graced with significant lyrics that dwell on social and political issues. But in the end, it all comes down to the groove: I wonder, do you feel it?
I wanna ask you one more time: Do you feel it? Oh yeah. The more you saying it: Do you feel it? Oh y'all. I wonder, do you feel it?
The Meditation Singers: »Trouble's Brewin'« / »Good Old Gospel Music« from the Jewel LP # 0048 (1971):
* * *
It's not all about heavy gospel funk on this album, however. We also have the title track, Sam Cooke's »A Change Is Gonna Come«. And I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's one of the best versions of this song ever recorded. The arrangement is complex and innovative, and there are several lead voices woven in. Jewel sensed the beauty and sales potential of that version and released it on the subsidiary Paula # 356. They were right about the beauty. Happy Sunday all!
The Meditation Singers: »A Change Is Gonna Come« from the Jewel LP # 0048 (1971):
There is much to be learned from the Gospels [!] as an art form, just as the same is true of the Blues and the Spirituals. (S.D. Plumpp)
When funk and other urban forms evolved from soul music during the mid- 1970s and 1980s, they retained the energy, rhythms, textures, and stylings of gospel music. ... Many components of gospel music have been incorporated into popular music, where they have intermingled with new techniques and expressions and then recycled back into gospel. This cyclical process has ex- panded the foundations of gospel and popular forms, generating new styles in both traditions. (P.K. Maultsby)
In 1973, nobody was any longer able to tell gospel from soul or pop, musicallywise at least. The development within the gospel field which was to lead to the new forms of »contemporary« gospel was well under way by then. And after the musicologists discovered the obvious fact that much of r&b, soul and funk had evolved out of gospel music, some others started to realize how gospel in its turn was influenced by the trends in secular music. This was plain as well by 1973, and indeed the more important phenomenon: Many gospel artists were looking towards contemporary soul and funk in order to further developing their style. However, influences were mutual in many cases, and the best illustration for this I could think of is an ad from the EBONY October '73 issue. There, a chocolate brown lace-up platform stepper is offered to the benevolent regard of stylish customers under the soulful name of »Holy Moses«, and it comes with similar examples of deviant shoe fashion called »Wattstax« and »Knocked Out«:
There is a rumor that the shoe firm advertising guy was sacked after he proposed other models called »Unto Thy Lace« and »My Sole's Salvation«. (Unfortunately, he hadn't thought of »Rubber Soul« what might have saved him his job.)
* * *
However, funky gospel was the call of the day in 1973. The Loving Sisters heard that call eagerly, around the same time, and so did the Meditation Singers. They released two albums on Stan Lewis's Jewel Records between 1971 and 1973, the second of which was entitled »Alright« (Jewel # LPS 0071). This album fea- tures nine songs. They are a mixed bag, but all closely modelled, as to rhythm, harmonies and instrumentation, on contemporary soul and funk music. The one exception from that is the longest song on the LP, »A Mother's Prayer« (aka »If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again« or similarly), which has some more traditional churchy feel to it. Apart from this, we have soft soul gospel (»Jesus Is Always On My Side«, »Everything Is Gonna Be Alright«) and bluesier tunes (»He Will Take Care Of You«, »Trouble Will Be Over«).
The funkiest piece on the album is, without any doubt, »I Love My Jesus«. It was the obvious choice for the single that was released some weeks before the album (Jewel # 205, B-side »Trouble Will Be Over«). The bluesiest song of the LP, on the other hand, is arguably »Why«. Both songs feature the forceful voice of Ernestine Rundless prominently. Especially her strong and dynamic performance in »Why« reminds much of her '60s recordings, without sounding dated in any way. »Why« is clearly the house-wrecker on this album.
Happy Sunday all!
My thoughts today go to the people at the East Coast who have suffered from the terrible hurricane.
The Meditation Singers: »I Love My Jesus« / »Why« from the Jewel LP »Alright« (1973):
Plumpp, Sterling D.: »On Record: The Gospel Sound«, in: Black World / Negro Digest, Jan. 1973, pp. 66 f. (quote from p. 67).
... and just as an afterthought: If you have wondered whose brush created the front cover portrait of Jewel LP 0071, little flattering as it is, I can tell you that the artist named on the back cover was a certain Cynthia Rodrigues ... didn't find anything out about her, though. I couldn't even determine whether she did other covers for Jewel or another record label.
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.
* * *
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.
