First up are The Four Eagles of Birmingham, Alabama. The group was formed in 1938 and still sings in old quartet tradition. Beautiful close harmonies with only small hints of the pyrotechnics of the hard gospel quartets. The Four Eagle Gospel Singers (started in 1938 at the U.S. Steel Plant in Fairfield, Alabama). Joe Watson has been the lead singer of The Four Eagle Gospel Singers since 1946.
You want the rawest of red meat? The dynamic harmonizing of these four ladies is all you could ever need in authentic, down home gospel quartet singing. Originally named in tribute to Dorothy Love Coates' vocal backing group, these ladies originally came together in 1974 to perform mainly in their own area, where black gospel music has a rich tradition. This tape was recorded at a live church concert, where their deceptively casual-sounding style displays years of honing their now devastating technique. The 12 songs include some that display slowly simmering emotion, powerful though always controlled. There are none of the sometimes disturbing excesses associated with the genre. Other tracks step out with aggression: "Jesus On The Mainline", the Ry Cooder classic, gives a good example of the GHs in full flow. Red-hot stuff from seasoned practitioners, that brings the joy of genuine gospel singing back home again.
