Win Thompkins & the StompersI May Be Hoppin’
Uncle Win’s Music, Inc. (2013)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
I May Be Hoppin’ by Winfred “Win” Thompkins & the Stompers tickles me. And that’s a good thing.
These guys have held on tighter to the 1960s gospel quartet style than most groups that say they do. Not only does the group have a superb bass singer and a pedal steel guitar, but Win Thompkins channels Rev. Claude Jeter of the Swan Silvertones when he lofts his high falsetto cries.
The musical nostalgia of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida’s Win Thompkins is not surprising. In the 1970s, the teenaged “Ambassador of Foot Stompin’ Gospel” and his brothers recorded as the Thompkinaires for Hoyt Sullivan’s HSE label.
The hip-slapping and hand-clapping on I May Be Hoppin’ begin with the opener, “I’ve Learned to Rest” and continue with the tongue-in-cheek peek at sometime Christians on “Buncha But Christians.” “Thunder in the Silence,” an ode to the importance of listening to that “still, small voice,” takes on a bluesy tone, as does “He’s Still Alive.”
The stomping referenced in the quartet’s name is most demonstrative on “Foot Stompin’ in the Field,” an evocation of the soul-freeing power of the outdoor revival. The antiphonal “Feed My Sheep” employs the rare ring shout rhythm and, as such, is the most striking and instantly memorable selection on the album.
The title track feels like a Williams Brothers story as the group sings about a church mother who needs a cane to walk but still manages to visit those less fortunate, declaring “I may be hoppin’, but I ain’t stoppin’.”
The production values of I May Be Hoppin’are decent, though I would love to hear the group with top-shelf engineering bolstering their sound. Nevertheless, the new release by Win Thompkins & the Stompers will put a smile on your face and a spring—or better yet, a stomp—in your step.
Four of Five Stars
Picks: “Foot Stompin’ in the Field,” “Feed My Sheep.”
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Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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Vote for Win Thompkins & The Stompers October 25, 2013 to November 8, 2013 for the Fan Favorite Quartet Group Category http://www.thestellarawards.com
Vote for Win Thompkins & The Stompers October 25, 2013 to November 8, 2013 for the Fan Favorite Quartet Group Category http://www.thestellarawards.com