Best of Proverb & Gospel Corner Records 1959-1969

Another priceless Gospel collection from OUR Gospel friend, Unky Cliff.

By Bob Marovich

"Gospel music has had many multi-taskers, chief among them the late Brother Henderson of Los Angeles, California.

In the late 1950s, Sylvester C. “Duke” Henderson forsook his R&B singing career, hung up his rock and roll shoes, and plunged headlong into sacred music. He ran the popular All Gospel Record Store in L.A., hosted his own gospel music radio show on 50,000 watt XERB, wrote and published songs, promoted concerts, and headed up two record labels: Proverb and Gospel Corner.

Despite Henderson’s prolific activity, no commercial reissues have given him his propers until now. Best of Proverb & Gospel Corner Records: 1959-1969, from Per Notini’s NarroWay Records out of Sweden, is a 52-track survey of Henderson’s rich roster of artists, many of whom were West Coast favorites. One, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, went on to conquer the world.

The two-disc set starts, appropriately, with one of the earliest recorded appearances by the Clouds. “Jesus Is Real,” circa 1959, showcases Joe Ligon on lead, shouting sandpaper rough even back then. It is followed by the Pilgrim Travelers, arguably the label’s biggest signing, and by then led by James Wafer but without the storied Specialty lineup. “When I’m Gone” demonstrates the same hard singing as the Clouds’ track, even though the Travelers were best known for their walking rhythm and low-key tight harmonies. On the other hand, the Travelers’ take on Dorsey’s “Peace in the Valley” is evocative of its 1940s and 1950s work for Specialty.

What distinguishes this set, and Henderson’s musical ears, is the variety of sacred styles it contains. While heavy on male quartet, as that appeared to be Henderson’s sweet spot, there is a choir (Watts Community Choir), a lining hymn (Rev. W. E. Jasper), rhythmic jubilee singing (Victory Five of Sacramento), a Cleophus Robinson-Josephine James-y duet (Prince Dixon and Sis. Walter Paige), and topical songs (Prince Dixon, Madame Nellie Robinson, and Henderson himself). As gospel artists today often say about their albums: there’s something here for everyone.

The musical accompaniment on Proverb and Gospel Corner singles gets progressively more psychedelic as time winds on. Prince Dixon’s “Keep On Fighting” includes trebly electric guitar riffs. The organ on Dixon’s memorial to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (“April 4, 1968”) gives this Brother Will Hairston-esque treatment a decidedly pop tinge. The same peppy organ (not a churchy B3 by any stretch) propels the Fabulous Ohio Wonders’ “Why Should I Feel” and on the Victory Five’s Golden Gate Quartet-style “John.”

Special gems are a very early Chambers Brothers track, “Just a Little More Faith,” a 180-degree difference in sound from their 1967 hit, “Time Has Come Today.” “Hold Me in Your Arms” by the Mighty Sons of Fort Worth, Texas, is rendered in the classic vocal harmony group style. The Sweet Singing Cavaliers’ “Hold Me” is electrifying, possibly their best cut ever. Brother Henderson’s first dip in the baptismal pool, the rare 1955 “I Made Up My Mind,” sung with a group called the Spiritual Lambs, is available here, possibly for the first time on CD.

Although male dominated, the set does include the distaff Page-Ettes and the Nu-Lite Gospel Singers of Kansas City, the latter giving “Lot’s Wife” and “You’ve Been So Good” strong readings. Henderson’s mother, Helen, formerly with the Simmons-Akers Singers, is represented as a soloist on the fine “He’s a Light,” written by Akers and recorded sometime prior to Proverb’s founding. The mixed voice Watts Community Choir offers a youthful sound on “Keep On Keeping On” and “He Aint’ Heavy.” Sister Walter Paige of the Page-Ettes, Madame Nellie Robinson, and Lady Bird are also among the female soloists.

The entire production is crystal clear, thanks in large part to Henderson’s production talents but also to Notini’s flair for reproduction. The informative illustrated liner notes give the enthusiast as much knowledge about Henderson as exists, depicting an entrepreneur who made a living by giving the little guy a chance. A must for gospel music fans who revel in the pop-infused traditional gospel of the 1960s before it became contemporary."

Sallie and Cora Martin - Just A Little Talk With Jesus

The final (for now) post of the Gospel Friend series so generously provided by our favorite Unky Cliff.
 
By Bob Marovich

"Sallie Martin, the Mother of Gospel Music, paved the way for those who paved the way. A no-nonsense singer, group leader, choir director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Martin helped Thomas A. Dorsey sell his catalog of songs before going into business with Kenneth Morris in 1940 to form the Martin & Morris Music Studio.

It is in 1940, when Sallie was a member of the Martin & Morris Singers, where Just A Little Talk With Jesus, Gospel Friend’s superb twelve-year survey of Sallie Martin’s early classic recordings, begins. The 25 tracks represent the first commercially available compilation of most of Sallie’s earliest recordings.

The CD follows Sallie and her adopted daughter, Cora Brewer Martin, from their sweet singing days as part of the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers and their collaboration with the famous Echoes of Eden Choir from St. Paul Baptist Church of Los Angeles, to their duets for Capitol and Specialty Records. As such, the compilation is not only a joy to listen to, it is a mini gospel history lesson.

Although Sallie’s voice was not the most melodious pipe in the organ, she could sell a song with her honest-to-God delivery. Cora, on the other hand, was a quite gifted vocalist who so impressed Art Rupe of Specialty that he wanted her to go pop, just like Sister Wynona Carr. Cora refused, and that ended her association with Specialty Records.

There are many rare selections on the CD, including a mid-40s Martin & Morris disc that features the lively piano of Melva Williams and one of the handful of sides Sallie made for Aladdin Records with her Singers of Joy. The title track comes from a disc the group waxed with J. Earle Hines and the Goodwill Singers in 1948 for the predominantly white gospel Sacred label. All of the tracks were re-mastered from the original vinyl recordings. As usual, Per Notini and Jonas Bernholm of Gospel Friend spit shine them so the sound quality is clear."

Clara Ward - In Memory of Willa Ward-Royster

"Clara Ward and the Famous Ward Singers were gospel music pioneers who, alongside great voices like Mahalia Jackson and Rosetta Tharpe, were responsible for making gospel an internationally celebrated music. The ensemble initially included Clara Ward’s mother Gertrude Ward, her sister Willa Ward-Royster, and varying other singers including powerhouse Marion Williams. The second volume in a series highlighting the important contributions of the Famous Ward Singers, this compilation does not feature all of the greatest hits such as “Surely God is Able,” but includes some of their strongest recordings made during the height of the groups’ career from 1949 to 1958.

Released in memory of Willa Ward-Royster who passed in 2012, this album includes several songs by celebrated traditional gospel composers like William H. Brewster whose writing style and influence was instrumental to the group’s success. “I’m Climbing Higher and Higher,” written in Brewster’s iconic storytelling style, highlights the mid-tempo swing and group harmony and call and response that helped define the Famous Ward Singers. While this album is filled with technically skillful, yet powerful group performances such as “Come Ye Disconsolate,” it also includes some lesser-heard but just as moving solo performances by the group’s members. For instance, Marion Williams’ “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” with organ accompaniment highlights the range, vocal agility, and expressiveness that led to her being one of the most recognizable voices in traditional gospel music. Willa Ward-Royster’s smooth yet colorful voice is most prominent in an exciting rendition of “Glory, Glory Hallelujah.” And those more interested in the warm alto of Clara Ward will be enraptured by her rubato performance of “The Day is Past and Gone.”

In Memory showcases the versatility of the group as well as a sampling of sounds that transformed African American worship music during a pivotal period in the U.S. The CD comes with a booklet that outlines a brief history of the group as well as highlights each of the ensemble members that are included on the compilation."

Reviewed by Raynetta Wiggins

The Gay Family - God Will Take Care Of You

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.
"Ask someone to name a female gospel group from Chicago,and he or she is likely to answer, “the Caravans.”  And that makes sense, as the Caravans were one of the most popular gospel groups of all time.
But before, during, and after the Caravans were the Gay Sisters of Chicago.  Evelyn, Mildred, and Geraldine Gay (their brother Donald joined them later) defied the prevailing stereotype of the Pentecostal singer by dressing in the finest clothing and infusing hymns and gospels with harmonies performed with sweetness, precision, and that straight-outta-Chicago lyric attack.
Thanks to Per Notini and Gospel Friend Records, a collection of classic Gay Family recordings from the 1940s to the 1970s are commercially available on CD for the first time.  God Will Take Care of You, named for the Gay Sisters’ first single and biggest hit, is a roughly chronological sampling of the family’s recordings for Savoy, Decca, Rush, Song Bird, PEA, B&F, Davis, and other labels.  The CD also includes their first, and extremely rare, single, “Just A Little Talk With Jesus,” recorded in 1948 for Dolphin’s of Hollywood.
If you, like me, have heard many of these recordings before, you will be pleased to listen to them cleanly remastered and without the snap, crackle, and pop of used vinyl.  What also struck me in hearing the 27 selections in sequence is just how dominant was the jazz influence on the Gay Family’s music.  From Mildred and Geraldine’s piano styling (Geraldine was referred to as the “Errol Garner of Gospel”) to Donald’s chesty baritone, the drive of urban jazz is evident throughout.  On “I’m a Soldier,” Evelyn plays the piano as if she took lessons from Arizona Dranes.  On tracks such as “So Glad I Know” and “Heavenly Home,” it is easy to imagine that Donald and Evelyn, respectively, could easily have become successful jazz and blues singers.
Among the musicians and singers assisting the Gay Family on various selections are Jessy Dixon and the Gospel Chimes, saxophonist Ben Branch, organist Willie Webb, and violinist William Petty.  Petty has been forgotten today, but in the 1940s and 1950s, he was quite popular among gospel and classical artists alike.
Robert Sacre’s liner notes, informed by a lengthy interview with Donald Gay, are fascinating and describe a circumstance in Geraldine’s life that took me by surprise when I first heard of it, but I won’t spoil it here.  You’ll have to read it for yourself.
God Will Take Care of You is a marvelous tribute to the Gay Sisters.  It will whet appetites to learn more about the group, and hear more of their music."
Five of Five Stars

South Carolina Gospel

The Gospel Friend series continues! Thanks again to Cliff for these rare discs.

"South Carolina Gospel", Gospel Friend CD, PN-1506:

"This is a CD of black quartet gospel (13 songs) by the Original Golden Stars of Greenwood, S.C., and solo singing with a choral group (13 songs), by the exciting lead voice of Reverend Norris Turner. Here is more than 76 minutes of soulful, vibrating gospel singing from the black southern church, recorded between 1958 and 1979.

The music was originally released on local South Carolina record labels like Pitch and HSE and was then exclusively distributed in the black community. It is now reissued, for the first time, for the benefit of gospel lovers all around the world. This has been possible after the producer's visit to South Carolina in 2005 and after almost five years of research, to which some of the leading authorities of the genre have helpfully contributed."

Bob Marovich, gospel DJ, author and editor at www.theblackgospelblog.com:
"The Golden Stars' high, tight harmonies, propelled by insistent electric guitar work ... are excellent examples of how gospel quartet's influence on pop music boomeranged in the late 50s and early 1960s to bestow its parent with the street-corner rawness of rock and soul ... What the 1970s tracks demonstrate, more than anything, ist that [Norris] Turner's voice remained amazingly vibrant after more than three decades on the gospel highway ... Notini's liner notes are fascinating and informative, assisted greatly by personal reminiscenses he collected while visiting [Reverend Norris] Turner and other members of the Original Golden Stars, such as Alphonso Devlin and Rev. George Devlin... Five of Five Stars.

Chris Smith, Blues & Rhythm reviews editor:
“...this is a splendid release ... the sort of record we used to buy long ago: outstanding music by artists one was unfamiliar with, accompanied by thoroughly researched, authoritative notes ... Everything on this release is very much worth hearing ... “.

Wings Over Jordan Choir - Trying To Get Ready

The WINGS OVER JORDAN CHOIR (WOJC), a prominent African American choir during the late 1930s and early 1940s, made broadcast history with the first independently produced national and international radio programs created by AFRICAN AMERICANS. The group made contributions to choral music and the improvement of race relations. The choir was founded in 1935 by the Rev. GLENN T. SETTLE , pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church on E. 30th and Scovill Ave. in Cleveland. Rev. Settle believed in using Negro spirituals to spread Christianity. He promoted establishing a radio program to address the Negro community and introduce the non-Negro to the Negro experience. In 1937, the ensemble performed weekly on the "Negro Hour" over RADIO station WGAR, a CBS affiliate. It soon became a hit.

On 9 Jan. 1938 the group adopted the (Image)(Image) name Wings Over Jordan Choir and The Wings Over Jordan national broadcasting began. WOJC Choir, ca. 1940s. WRHS. performed a decade long series of weekly, sometimes daily, programs for CBS and WGAR exclusively. WOJC was the first full-time professional black choir in America. At its height, the choir performed before sold-out, non-segregated audiences in over 40 states, 5 European countries, Canada, and Mexico. During WORLD WAR II, under USO sponsorship, WOJC toured Army camps in Europe. WOJC's fame resulted in the publication of a songbook and record album, a movie contract, performances with major symphony orchestras, and an invitation to sing at the White House. The choir received numerous honors, including radio's prestigious Peabody Award.

Georgia Peach - Lord Let Me Be More Humble in This World

In 2005, the Swedish label Gospel Friend released Lord Let Me Be More Humble in This World, a 24-track sampling of records cut during the years 1930-1960 by the amazing Georgia Peach, a powerhouse Pentecostal singer whose career paralleled those of Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson. Although examples of her work have resurfaced on gospel collections originating from various countries, Lord Let Me Be More Humble in This World appears to have been the first digital-age album devoted exclusively to the works of Georgia Peach. It includes "Now Is the Needy Time" from her first recording session (which took place in December 1930), but somehow omits the most celebrated title from that date, "Stand by Me." Neither does it contain her 1932 rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In," although the flipside of that popular Banner record, "Who Is That Knocking?" is on the track list. On later recordings she is backed by vocal groups like the Reliable Jubilee Singers, the Harmonaires, and the Sky Light Singers. The tune selection, photographs, and historical data make this an uncommonly fine tribute to a ridiculously underappreciated artist. AMG

The Dixie Hummingbirds - Jesus Has Traveled This Road Before 1939-52

More from Cliff's Gospel Friend series gift.

Interestingly enough, even though I have an alleged 'complete' 1939-47 set of the Birds, there seems to be quite a bit here that I didn't have.

Marie Knight - Hallelujah What A Song

Part one of a 10 week series from Unky Cliff...the first 10 volumes of Gospel Friend issues! Gospel Friend is published by the same folks who brought us Route 66 Records, but here the obvious focus is rare Gospel.

Marie Knight (June 1, 1925 – August 30, 2009) was an American gospel and R&B singer.
She was born Marie Roach in Sanford, Florida but grew up in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a construction worker and the family were members of the Church of God in Christ.  She first toured as a singer in 1939 with Frances Robinson, an evangelist. She married preacher Albert Knight in 1941 but the union ended in divorce.
In 1946, she made her first recordings, for Signature Records, as a member of The Sunset Four.(aka.The Sunset Jubilee Singers) Shortly afterwards, Sister Rosetta Tharpe saw her singing at the Golden Gate Auditorium in Harlem, on a bill with Mahalia Jackson, and invited Knight to join her on tour. Tharpe recognized "something special" in Marie's contralto voice.
She continued to record and perform with Tharpe through the 1940s, sometimes acting out the parts of "the Saint and the Sinner", with Tharpe as the saint and Knight as the sinner. Among their successes were the songs "Beams of Heaven", "Didn't it Rain", and "Up Above My Head", recorded for Decca Records. "Up Above My Head", credited jointly to both singers, reached No. 6 on the US R&B chart at the end of 1948, and Knight's solo version of "Gospel Train" reached No. 9 on the R&B chart in 1949.
She left Tharpe to go solo around 1951, and put together a backing group, The Millionaires (Thomasina Stewart, Eleonore King and Roberta Jones), with whom she recorded the 1956 album Songs of the Gospel. She also began recording secular R&B music in the late 1950s, for various labels including Decca, Mercury, Baton, Okeh, Diamond and Addit. Her duet with Rex Garvin, credited as Marie & Rex, "I Can't Sit Down" released on the Carlton label, reached No. 94 on the pop chart in 1959. In the late 1950s she also toured Britain as a guest of Humphrey Lyttelton.
In 1961 she recorded the single "Come Tomorrow", which was later a hit for Manfred Mann. Knight's version of "Cry Me a River" reached No. 35 on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1965. She toured with Brook Benton, the Drifters, and Clyde McPhatter, and regularly reunited onstage with Rosetta Tharpe. She remained friends with Tharpe, and helped arrange her funeral in 1973. In 1975, having given up performing secular music, she recorded another gospel album, Marie Knight: Today.
In 2002, Knight made a comeback in the gospel world, recording for a tribute album to Tharpe. She also released a full-length album, Let Us Get Together, on her manager's label in 2007. She died in Harlem of complications from pneumonia, on August 30, 2009.