Gospel Music

“There’s a Leak in This Old Building”Brother Claude ElyKing 12821953Good thing for Elvis that Brother Claude Ely was already signed to Syd Nathan’s King Records, because if an unsigned Ely approached Sun’s Sam Phillips in 1953, Ely, not Elvis, may have become Sam’s Golden Boy, a “white man who can [...]

A press release from Faithday Press:(Hazel Crest, IL July 7, 2006) - As America's mainline Protestant churchesfight for survival, the nation's Pentecostal and Charismaticdenominations are experiencing rapid growth with no end in sight. Thispast spring, nearly fifty thousand worshippers traveled to the city of LosAngeles to celebrate the 1906 Azusa [...]

“Help Me to Stay Saved”Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson and the Spiritual VoicesFrom the album Just Being MeVerity Records 2006www.verityrecords.comYou can’t help but grin during old-style quartet redux specialist Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson’s tongue-in-cheek rant on “that’s what’s wrong with the church today." The song reminds me a little of Rev. Anderson Johnson's [...]

TBGB reported some time ago on the phoenix-like rise of George Jordan's "Jesus Can Work it Out." It went from gospel oldies favorite to megahit, courtesy of the ICEE Records' re-recording of Dr. Charles G. Hayes and the Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Warriors' 1980s version on Savoy, itself a cover [...]

Victorious PraiseDwayne LeePsalm 27 Records 2003www.dwayneleesings.comI am not certain whether Dwayne Lee, a young singer from Chicago’s Apostolic Church of God, was inspired by Walter Hawkins, but his crooning baritone and precision reading of a lyric are certainly reminiscent of vintage Hawkins.Victorious Praise, Dwayne Lee’s sophomore outing, features uncomplicated melodies [...]

“Lead Me to That Rock”CanaanitesGotham 6071949[Also available on Pewburner CD reissue PB597]“Lead Me to That Rock” is included on this list of gospel essentials not for its exceptional compositional quality – it’s a pretty standard 1940s a cappella quartet number – but because it features as lead vocalist the incomparable [...]

From a press release distributed through Malaco Music Group.MALACO MUSIC GROUP MOURNS THE PASSING OF ROY "MR. MALACO" WOOTENLos Angeles--Wednesday, June 21, 2006--The mighty Malaco Music Group regretfully announces the passing of it's legendary record promoter, marketing expert and truly devoted friend of the Gospel music industry, Roy "Mr. Malaco" [...]

TBGB received this message courtesy of Sheilah Belle and The Belle Report:It is with extreme sadness that we report the passing of Mr. “Malaco” Roy Wooten. We received the called here at The Belle Report around 9:40pm, Friday, June 16, 2006, that Mr. “Malaco” died just a few hours ago [...]

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In addition to jazz, blues, and dance music, Paramount released dozens of spiritual and sermon recordings during its short but prolific tenure.TBGB has heard that the specialist referred to below is none other than the "recording history detective" himself, Dick Spottswood. By LAWRENCE SUSSMANlsussman@journalsentinel.comPosted: June [...]

“Over My Head”Sounds of Blackness From the album UnitySLR Records 2005www.soundsofblackness.comIt’s hard to categorize Sounds of Blackness – and if there’s one thing we reviewers like to do, it’s categorize – because they have recorded just about every type of music borne and bred in the African American tradition in [...]