Feed Your Ears

[Luigi]

Here's Tammy Wynette singing about country singers singing Gospel songs. It's called "Jesus Send a Song." It was written by Mark Lowry. A lot of country songs include references to other country songs or singers, and this one does that. It's a light piece of music, but I like it. 

 

[Luigi]

Tom Prasado-Rao was born in Ethiopia to parents of Indian parents. He was raised in Washington, DC. He was a successful sing, songwriter, and music teacher. He battled cancer the last five years, and died on June 19th, 2024 at the age of 66. He has a warm voice and a restrained guitar style. He was actually Muslim, of the Rumi branch. But in this song, he asks "Was Jesus a Sailor?" It's a slow, contemplative song. 

 

[Luigi]

Darrell Webb is a current-generation bluegrass musician. He's been in a number of other people's bands and founded his own, too - The Darrell Webb Band. This is "False Idols." It's not all that new or different in terms of sound or style, but today's first reading and the psalm are about false idols, and I like Webb's chorus line about "it's not their fault that we become disciples." 

 

[Luigi]

^ Thanks, Joachin! I appreciate the feedback! ^
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Zella Jackson Price was mentored by Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, both featured in the documentary "Say Amen, Somebody!" Price sang "I'm His Child." But this rendition is by Amber Riley who played Mercedes in "Glee." This is from Season Six, Episode Twelve. It's a very simple song, but that lets the voice take center stage, and it's uplifting. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2024 by Luigi

[Luigi]

Iris DeMent is the 14th - and youngest - child of a Pentecostal family. She didn't release her first album until 1992; age 31 is rather late to start a recording career, but she has continued steadily since then, in the folk-country-roots genre. On her first album, she recorded the old Gospel standard, "Higher Ground." But what makes it interesting is that her mother, Flora Mae, actually sings lead, with Iris singing harmony. That's a pretty gutsy move for a first album. Flora Mae's voice shows her age - she was 74 when she recorded this - but she gives it a straightforward treatment and hits all the notes. Iris speaks a very short introduction before the song begins. 

 

[Luigi]

That theme of 'higher ground' shows up pretty frequently in Gospel music. One of the verses in "Swing Down, Sweet Chariot" by the Staple Singers mentions it, and Flora Mae & Iris Dement sang about it yesterday. So here are The Bullock Brothers with their 6+ minute rendition. Their father was Singing Walter from North Carolina, The Bullock Brothers are his six sons (only two of the original singers are still with the group) who started singing as a group in 1950, and their sons started a group in 1967 called - appropriately enough - The Sons. The Bullock Brothers have a very smooth, calm sound - relaxing, and perhaps bordering on meditative. 

 

[Luigi]

Fontella Bass singing "All of My Burdens," which I often refer to as "Ain't That Good News?" After the news of the day, I think we could all use some Good News. BTW, this songs features some righteous sax playing as well as singing. 

 

[Luigi]

Little Richard (real name Richard Penniman) is considered The Architect of Rock & Roll. He started recording in 1955 and was immediately successful. But from '57 to '63, he abandoned rock & roll and recorded Gospel music - at least three albums of a dozen songs each. This is "Joy Joy Joy (Down in My Heart)" from 1962, produced by Quincy Jones. It's a traditional song, maybe part of the "spirituals" repertoire. Ray Repp recorded a version of it in the immediate post-Vatican-Two era and it was sung in Catholic churches all across the nation. I think it's still used as a Sunday School song in lots of denominations. 

 

Edited July 15, 2024 by Luigi

[Luigi]

I posted a song by Keith Green previously. Here's another of his, called "To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice," which fits with the first reading today for the feast of St. Bonaventure. The lyrics are not all taken straight from the Bible, and it's always a little dangerous to put one's own words into the mouth of a prophet, or God. But he does make make the point. 

 

[Luigi]

This is the Swanee Quintet singing "Jesus Is a Rock (in a Weary Land)." It's got that steady 'walking beat' and the lyrics are really just a collection of standard phrases that developed in the spirituals era. One thing that makes it interesting is that the lead singer sings like Sam Cooke - his voice isn't similar, but his phrasings, grace notes, etc. are similar. 

 

[Luigi]

This is Emmylou Harris singing with Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, and some others. The song is "Jordan." It doesn't have anything to do with today's readings, I just like it a lot! The musicians - listed below the video - are/were some of the best in Nashville. 

 

[Luigi]

This is The Byrds singing the classic "Turn Turn Turn" - words from Ecclesiastes (except last line), music by Pete Seeger. Mid-Sixties. 

 

[Luigi]

This is Clara Ward and the Famous Ward Singers, of Philadelphia, with "Time Is Winding Up." It starts with the chorus twice and then the verses come in. It's a variation on "Turn! Turn! Turn" taken from Ecclesiastes, although I don't know which was written first. Ward was a gifted singer and arranger, but she also established a booking agency for Gospel groups, helping to build the business end of Gospel music. She was quite a force in Gospel music even though she died at age 48. 

 

[Luigi]

Mattie Johnson and the Stars of Faith sing "Give Me a Little More Time to Pray." This is a high-energy number. 

 

[Luigi]

Ira and Charlie Louvin were known professionally as The Louvin Brothers. They were from Tennessee, and they had a string of hits - both Gospel and pop - in the Fifties into the Sixties. Ira was a troubled soul - married four times, shot by one of his wives when he tried to strangle her with a telephone cord, hard drink, given to fits of anger, etc. But they had a very pure sound; Ira had an impossible high clear tenor voice, and Charlie sang what's called "close harmony" with him. This is "I Just Steal Away and Pray," which has been recorded by any number of other groups since it was originally issued - it's pretty much a standard in country Gospel these days. 

 

[Luigi]

Here's Mahalia Jackson with a slow Gospel number, "In the Upper Room." 

 

[Luigi]

The Jackson Southernaires are no relation to the Jackson Five. These guys are from Jackson, MS. They started recording in the 1960s. I've been posting songs about prayer this week, and "Prayer Changes Things" sticks with that theme. They have a very traditional Gospel sound. 

 

[Luigi]

This is another men's Gospel group from Jackson, MS, The Williams Brothers. They're singing "Pray on, My Child." The Staples Singers also recorded this song - they do a more stripped down version than the Williams Brothers, who use more instruments and a back-up choir. 

 

[Luigi]

Here's another from Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes with some good advice for us - "Stop! Take a Little Time to Pray." 

 

 

[Luigi]

I've previously posted another song by the O'Neal Twins. This one is "Lord, Help Me Stay Prayed Up." It's an energetic number. Everyone knows the concept of being "caught up" with work, the laundry, the bills, etc., and I like the idea that the concept can be applied to prayer.