Never seen one of these round these parts. Been my obsession in the last 8 months or so. Been finding some amazing shit. Recommendations as far as albums, comps, and books are welcome. I am open for lots of different kinds/eras of gospel too, close harmony/country gospel/prewar/post war ect.
My favorites:
Fred McDowell and the Como Mississippi singers - Amazing Grace (my home is the delta is great as well)
The Louvin Bros (ANYYYYYTHINNGGGGGG but especially the huge bear family box "close harmony", tragic songs of life and of course satan is real)
Blue Sky Boys - Bear family box
Southern Journey vol 3, 5, 12, and 13. (only one that has been kinda weak so far that i've heard is vol 2)
The Delmore Bros - Brown's Ferry Blues
VA - From where i stand 3cd (though not all gospel, some great bits of it
VA - american Primative vol 1(what got me into gospel really)
VA - Gospel Fever, God Bless You!
VA - Sounds of the South
VA - Overcome Vol 1 Preching in Rhythm and Funk (FUCK!!!!!!)
VA - negro prison blues and songs
Vernard Johnson - I'm Alive
I know i got some more but those are my favorites so far. Care to add?
I'm So Glad I got Good Religion (The Gospel Thread)
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chris himself
- Posts: 733
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user_356
The Southern Journey 'Harp of 1000 Strings' and 'I Belong to this Band' comps are great.
Two current albums I like a lot are The Spiritualaires & Isiah Owens on Case Quarter.
And,although it's maybe a different variety of Gospel, 'Gaelic Psalms from Lewis' on the Scottish Tradition label is quite something-one side congregational singing and one side of two old dears recorded in their living room,singing unaccompanied.Great stuff.
Two current albums I like a lot are The Spiritualaires & Isiah Owens on Case Quarter.
And,although it's maybe a different variety of Gospel, 'Gaelic Psalms from Lewis' on the Scottish Tradition label is quite something-one side congregational singing and one side of two old dears recorded in their living room,singing unaccompanied.Great stuff.
any gospel will do.
VARIOUS ARTISTS : Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal
damn this sounds promising.
Got the other two comps your mention for sure. Forgot to mention the goodbye babylon box that one is a goody. American primative vol 2 let me down, but its hard to beat number 1. Perfect from start to finish.
VARIOUS ARTISTS : Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal
damn this sounds promising.
Got the other two comps your mention for sure. Forgot to mention the goodbye babylon box that one is a goody. American primative vol 2 let me down, but its hard to beat number 1. Perfect from start to finish.
Prayers From Hell - White Gospel & Sinners Blues 1927-1940
"Tales of drunkenness, the despair of imprisonment, betrayal and cold blooded murder, sit edgily alongside visions of the gloryland and eternal bliss. The road may be beset with temptation, alienation, and visions of eternal damnation, but it is also possible to embrace spiritual comfort and social cohesion."
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/prayers.htm" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
"Tales of drunkenness, the despair of imprisonment, betrayal and cold blooded murder, sit edgily alongside visions of the gloryland and eternal bliss. The road may be beset with temptation, alienation, and visions of eternal damnation, but it is also possible to embrace spiritual comfort and social cohesion."
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/prayers.htm" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
Soul Stirrers go w/o mentioning. There is a recent 3CD collection of all Sam Cooke's work with them. I have two Specialty discs, the a capella stuff is shit you'll want to take to the next life. And not that a 20 year old Sam Cooke could be outdone, but Paul Foster is amazing throughout.
Greatest Gospel Gems is a fine v/a from Specialty worth noting.
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama 1948-1951 disc is one I keep going back to.
Greatest Gospel Gems is a fine v/a from Specialty worth noting.
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama 1948-1951 disc is one I keep going back to.
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chris himself
- Posts: 733
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"Soul Stirrers go w/o mentioning. There is a recent 3CD collection of all Sam Cooke's work with them. I have two Specialty discs, the a capella stuff is shit you'll want to take to the next life."
oh cool! the only soul stirrers related thing i own is the cooke album "I thank god" which is pretty rad. Been wanting to check out more.
oh cool! the only soul stirrers related thing i own is the cooke album "I thank god" which is pretty rad. Been wanting to check out more.
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Dohol
- Posts: 2885
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This is some very cool stuff:
“In a kind of middle-aged crisis, it dawned upon me that there was a possibility that music might not even be an art form.”
Morton Feldman
http://soundcloud.com/doug-holbrook
Morton Feldman
http://soundcloud.com/doug-holbrook
Well, I second all the mentions of the Southern Journey series.
On a related note, I recently discovered a site called Folkstreams (perhaps some of you here know of it?), and was left wondering why I hadn't heard of it sooner. It's a goldmine of documentary films about American folk music and traditions, from Appalachian fiddle to NY graffiti, freely viewable as RealVideo or MPEG streams. As much of a revelation, in its own way, as the Ubuweb archives.
Here are two docs which are directly relevant to this thread, but there are probably others if you dig around (I paste from the descriptions):
A Singing Stream: A Black Family Chronicle
The story of a gifted African American family from the rural South. With interviews and stories, and scenes from daily life, reunions, gospel concerts, and church services, the film traces the history of the Landis family of Granville County, North Carolina, over the lifetime of its oldest surviving member, 86-year-old Mrs. Bertha M. Landis.
Sweet Is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait
Tells the story of the Woottens, one of the key singing families who have helped Sacred Harp music survive and flourish for more than 150 years. Producer/Folklorist Erin Kellen and Director Jim Carnes intertwine scenes of family gatherings, singing conventions, and farm life in the Sand Mountain region of northeast Alabama with family recollections and more than a dozen songs from the revered shape-note tradition.
I enthusiastically recommend these films for providing some visible social context to the music.
On a related note, I recently discovered a site called Folkstreams (perhaps some of you here know of it?), and was left wondering why I hadn't heard of it sooner. It's a goldmine of documentary films about American folk music and traditions, from Appalachian fiddle to NY graffiti, freely viewable as RealVideo or MPEG streams. As much of a revelation, in its own way, as the Ubuweb archives.
Here are two docs which are directly relevant to this thread, but there are probably others if you dig around (I paste from the descriptions):
A Singing Stream: A Black Family Chronicle
The story of a gifted African American family from the rural South. With interviews and stories, and scenes from daily life, reunions, gospel concerts, and church services, the film traces the history of the Landis family of Granville County, North Carolina, over the lifetime of its oldest surviving member, 86-year-old Mrs. Bertha M. Landis.
Sweet Is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait
Tells the story of the Woottens, one of the key singing families who have helped Sacred Harp music survive and flourish for more than 150 years. Producer/Folklorist Erin Kellen and Director Jim Carnes intertwine scenes of family gatherings, singing conventions, and farm life in the Sand Mountain region of northeast Alabama with family recollections and more than a dozen songs from the revered shape-note tradition.
I enthusiastically recommend these films for providing some visible social context to the music.
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user_1720
Agreed. That Sacred Harp album is beautiful. Some of the most soulful whitefolks i've ever clapped ears on.dala wrote:The Southern Journey 'Harp of 1000 Strings' and 'I Belong to this Band' comps are great.
Two current albums I like a lot are The Spiritualaires & Isiah Owens on Case Quarter.
And,although it's maybe a different variety of Gospel, 'Gaelic Psalms from Lewis' on the Scottish Tradition label is quite something-one side congregational singing and one side of two old dears recorded in their living room,singing unaccompanied.Great stuff.
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user_689
Washington Phillips could perhaps be mentioned, though not gospel in its truest form. Another old winner is a CD on Arhoolie (sp?) with Rev. Louis Overstreet and his Sons who do some wild r'n'b gospel.
If anyone wants a heart attack they can visit the Bear Family site and look at the cost of one of their boxes (they're pretty good looking though).
If anyone wants a heart attack they can visit the Bear Family site and look at the cost of one of their boxes (they're pretty good looking though).
Wonderful!P. Wretch wrote:I recently discovered a site called Folkstreams
Last edited by maRi on Tue May 19, 2009 12:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sinnin' Gospel
You really ought to check out the Swan Silvertones, one of the absolute greats and a big influence on Al Green. They have a ton of recordings and no bum stuff that I've heard. Their recordings for Specialty are the easiest to find. The Rev Green's gospel performances at his church in Memphis are some of the most jaw-dropping free music I've ever seen, by the way, though far as I know there's no recorded documentation of this.
A great comp if you can find it is Disturb My Soul: Gospel From The Chalice Label Chalice was the gospel arm of Stax - need I say more?
If you're suffering from a gospel jones, I recommend a peek at Pewburner Records' site: http://www.pewburner.com/" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
The Staple Singers and Soul Stirrers are well worth your time, too. Sister Rosetta Tharpe had great pipes and played shit-hot guitar, so hot that it bummed out a lot of the gospel audience.[/i]
A great comp if you can find it is Disturb My Soul: Gospel From The Chalice Label Chalice was the gospel arm of Stax - need I say more?
If you're suffering from a gospel jones, I recommend a peek at Pewburner Records' site: http://www.pewburner.com/" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
The Staple Singers and Soul Stirrers are well worth your time, too. Sister Rosetta Tharpe had great pipes and played shit-hot guitar, so hot that it bummed out a lot of the gospel audience.[/i]
I know there's a Sister Rosetta Tharpe Proper Box set. Don't know exactly how good it is since I haven't heard it. JUdging by the quality of the Proper boxes I do have it should be automatically reccommendable though.
think she was also renowned as a guitarist who was influential on a lot of secular artists.
Probably find out that Proper has a Gospel set too. If so that ought to be good.
Stevo
Np Campo Di Marte SEcondo Tempo
think she was also renowned as a guitarist who was influential on a lot of secular artists.
Probably find out that Proper has a Gospel set too. If so that ought to be good.
Stevo
Np Campo Di Marte SEcondo Tempo
shit, can't believe i had never heard swan silvertones. amazing. shit.
Is the Document label out of buisness? they have a shitload of stuff that sounds great, but a lot of seems to be outta print on amazon. haven't done much other research on it. Anyone heard much of that labels stuff?
and speaking of:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFVHo-OxWy0" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
Is the Document label out of buisness? they have a shitload of stuff that sounds great, but a lot of seems to be outta print on amazon. haven't done much other research on it. Anyone heard much of that labels stuff?
and speaking of:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFVHo-OxWy0" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;
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user_3091
Dave ? Document aren't out of business. Go to their website: a lot of their CDs are still available, but I think much of its back catalogue is now download-only. (I recently downloaded the two volumes of Gray & Whitter, which are out-of-print)
Document's "Early Gospel" CD is great. It's more bluesy than most blues singers in some ways. Certainly closer to the blues than what you'd traditionally think of as gospel.
Document's "Early Gospel" CD is great. It's more bluesy than most blues singers in some ways. Certainly closer to the blues than what you'd traditionally think of as gospel.