Judging from the recent discussion on the blog, at least a few people are enjoying the gospel posts. So I will continue in that direction.
"I Want to Know" is another of the most important short-lived gospel releases on the Acrobat label - the complete recordings of Brother Cecil Shaw. True, records would indicate that there were another 11 songs recorded. But they have never seen the light of day, and it seems that nobody is planning to open up the Peacock vaults any time soon.
Despite making relatively few recordings, Brother Cecil Shaw was an important figure in gospel history, one of the key figures in the great transition in gospel quartet singing from Jubilee to hard and "shout" gospel. Two of the pioneers in that transition have been featured in previous posts on this blog: R.H. Harris with the Soul Stirrers and Silas Steele, who is featured on the Spirit of Memphis collection. Some other key figures did not make any recordings at all. For Brother Cecil Shaw, we are lucky to have these 18 tracks
I will not go into any biographic details here since I can refer you to a fantastic comprehensive essay on Brother Cecil Shaw written by Opal Lee Nations that can be downloaded here: http://www.opalnations.com/files/Brother_Cecil_Shaw_Blues_Rhythm_198_April_2005.pdf
Opal Lee Nations notes that Brother Cecil Shaw was one of the few singers who could go toe to toe with Archie Brownlee and Julius Cheeks on the program. In fact, he reports an event in this essay where Archie Brownlee and the Blind Boys refused to perform after a tremendous opening set from Brother Cecil Shaw.
On these recordings, you can hear a resemblance in vocal approach and dynamics between Brother Cecil Shaw and Archie Brownlee. Although Archie Brownlee started recording at any earlier date than Brother Cecil Shaw, whose first recordings date from 1952, the latter was very much active in the 1940s. Brother Cecil Shaw may have therefore been a strong influence on Brownlee. Opal Lee Nations also notes that the most famous Blind Boys song that features Archie Brownlee, My Father, was actually based on the Brother Cecil Shaw song, Jesus Be My Keeper. The Blind Boys covered several other Brother Cecil Shaw compositions as well.
11 comments:
https://rapidshare.com/files/1235700003/I Want To Know (MP3).zip
I would assume that the Peacock vaults are in the possession of MCA which does not bode well for that material unless someone decides to lease it from them to publish it - maybe JSP or someone like that will one day go there - all the reissue labels are digging deeper and deeper into obscure material wherever they find it so there is some hope.
KC - I don't think that JSP gets any access to vaults, at least not any more. They have become one of the many European labels that exploits EU copyright laws for reissues, and just "pirates" whatever is out there. Fantasy had possession of the Specialty vaults for their legit reissues, and found almost as much previously unreleased material as previously released. MCA has kept the Duke-Peacock vault under lock and key for decades now, and the incentives to open them are even less now than before. Any legit release is bound to be legally bootlegged in Europe as soon as it hits the market. So I don't have much hope that we will get to hear what is lying in the Duke-Peacock vaults any time soon.
Having been raised Irish Catholic, I would be unaccustomed to hearing so much passion and emotion in an expression of faith were I not a fan of secular forms of African-American music and the singers of those genres who had their origins in the churches. I am not religious now but when I hear this music I can understand well why so many looked forward to attending church and participating in the feverish celebration instigated by gospel singers and a fiery sermon What a release the music must have been from the burdens of day to day secular life. As a result of this and other like postings, I am belatedly developing an appreciation for gospel if only because I hear strong echoes of singers like Brother Cecil Shaw in early James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and so many others. What a great voice and what raw strength and beauty is Cecil Shaw's use of it.
Thanks for this Pres. I do enjoy gospel, especially welcome have been the more "obscure" artists posted here lately. Brother Shaw is unknown to me, but that's the beauty of blogs like this; finding new artists.
Feilimid - Thank you for your comments and welcome to the blog. There still are sanctified churches that can rock your soul in that manner. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time in Nigeria. There are Nigerian denominations that achieve an amazing degree of spiritual energy through music. I attend every Sunday that I am around. :)
I didn't know Brother Cecil Shaw before but after listening to these recordings he certainly rivals the great Archie Brownlee. Thanks.
http://www.embedupload.com/?d=7CCQCBAUY2
@ Preslives - any chance you could please elaborate a bit on the earlier reference to EU copyright laws being exploited for reissues? Thank you.
There is now talk of changes in law here that may force open the vaults of the major houses - essentially a clause that says if you do not re-issue it yourself you are required to give others who will do it access - you still pay a license fee and all the other normal revenue streams to artist, publisher, etc. - there seems to be proof that there is still enough profit to be made to entice these small re-issue houses.
Since the time we began this conversation I have seen plenty of evidence that access to re-masterable sources is becoming more the norm already, even with Duke material (Junior Parker) - I don't think it will be too long before even the Peacock Gospel vaults will be opened for proper reissues.
I am one of those weirdos who are fascinated by the history of copyright legislation. Now that all members of the World Trade Organisation are required to be signatories to the Berne Convention of 1886 - even the foot-dragging US, who finally got with the programme more than 100 years later - I am just really curious to know what 'loopholes' exist in Euro-Law that apparently don't exist across the American side of the pond.
The only big difference I am aware of (call it a 'loophole' if you wish) is in the way moral rights are regarded in the US. While moral rights are the very foundation of European copyright, in the US they seem to be regarded almost like socialism.
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