A1. Trials, Troubles, Tribulations 2:47 A2. When I Can Read My Titles Clear 2:19 A3. Born To Serve The Lord 2:17 A4. Chow Time 2:29 A5. Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party 3:41 A6. Do You Call That Religion? 2:02 A7. The Cabin In The Valley 2:18 A8. Give Me Just A Little More Time 1:52
B1. I See God In Everything 2:21 B2. House Of Gold 1:53 B3. Aint No Grave Can Hold My Body Down 3:08 B4. Raggin' The Wires 2:16 B5. The Early Bird Always Gets The Worm 2:37 B6. John The Baptist 3:06 B7. I'm Glory Bound 2:35 B8. The Parting Hand 2:37
Bonus 1. Black Mountain Rag Bonus 2. Jennie Jenkins
Acoustic Guitar, Baritone Vocals - E.C. Ball Accordian, Backing Vocals - Orna Ball Edited By - Mark Wilson Mastered By - Toby Mountain Recorded By - Bruce Kaplan, R.N. Drevo
'Estil Cortez Ball [1913-1978] was first recorded by John Lomax in 1937 for The Library of Congress. JL's son Alan Lomax would record Ball & others in 1941 & 1959, and this would encourage many folk and bluegrass musicians to follow suit, see John Cohen & Mike Seeger. E.C. Ball had a prolific songbook of hymns, country gospel, ballads, blues, instrumentals, and comic songs. His day job would find him working in a service station or driving a school bus and he grandly looked the part. With his wife Orna, Ball was the unquestionable interpreter of the white folk spiritual. He was raised and buried in Rugby, Grayson County, Virginia'
one of the most enduring & endearing sacred & secular singing couples, first met by mine ears on alan lomax's superlative sounds of the south box, pon which they're predominantly represented. these tunes just radiate purity & understated beauty. included are a couple bonus tracks too; jennie jenkins has to be heard to be believed cuz there aint no words (or if there are, i can't confidently convey em :) 320 bits of benevolent bliss
01. I'm Crying Holy Unto The Lord 02. There's A Leak In This Old Building 03. Send Down That Rain 04. There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down 05. Talk About Jesus 06. I'm Just A Stranger Here-The Cumberland Five 07. Thank You Jesus 08. I Want To Rest 09. You've Got To Move 10. Farther On 11. Jesus Is The Rock 12. Little David, Play On Your Harp 13. There's A Higher Power 14. Holy, Holy, Holy (That's All Right) 15. Dip Your Finger In The Water (And Cool My Thumb) 16. Do You Want To Shout 17. Those Prayers And Words Still Guide Me 18. My Crucified One 19. The Old Fireside 20. Fare You Well 21. I Want To Go To Heaven 22. You Took The Wrong Road Again 23. Stop That Train
'Brother Claude Ely recorded some of the most powerful & emotional Gospel songs ever made. Known sometimes as the Gospel Ranger, Ely spent nearly thirty years as a minister in the Appalachian heartland of eastern Kentucky, east Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and eventually to a migrant community in suburban Cincinnati.
His early efforts on the King label-recorded during Kentucky mountain religious services-preserve some excellent and spontaneous music from the white Holiness and Pentecostal traditions. Claude Ely was born in a mountain homestead some five miles from Pennington Gap, Virginia in a hollow called Pucketts Creek, VA.
At 12, physicians diagnosed him as suffering from tuberculosis, which they believed terminal, but he subsequently recovered. However, during his illness, he began to play musical instruments, although he had no prior experience. Ely subsequently worked as a coal miner and served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Afterwards, he returned home, had a conversion experience and worked in the mines until 1949, when he received a call to preach.
For the next sixteen years Brother Claude conducted numerous revivals and pastored churches in such mountain towns as Grundy, Virginia and Cumberland, Kentucky. During his pastorate at the Free Pentecostal Church of God in Cumberland, he recorded two sessions for King Records, the first apparently taken from a remote broadcast in the church to a radio station in Whitesburg, Kentucky, on October 12, 1953 and the second from a recording made at a revival meeting in the local Letcher County Courthouse the following June.
According to J.D. Jarvis, who was present, Ely initially had some reservations about commercially recording in a studio, but finally decided to permit cutting the material in an actual service and put them on disc. A total of fifteen numbers were recorded at both services although only eight appeared on single releases, but their uniqueness has long impressed folklorists and students of Appalachian religious traditions. Brother Claude’s rendition of songs like Holy, Holy, Holy (That’s All Right), There’s A Leak In This Old Building and especially There Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down are outstanding and the latter number went on to become something of a standard in the Gospel field.
Claude Ely continued not only to conduct revivals and Gospel sings, but also to minister churches. In 1962 and in 1968, he again recorded for King, but this time in a more conventional studio setting. Meanwhile his pastorate took him to Charity Tabernacle in Newport, Kentucky-within the Cincinnati metropolitan area-where he spent the last thirteen years of his life.
Not long after his last session at King, Brother Claude recorded an album at Rusty York’s Jewel studio, backed by local Gospel musicians such as Dennis Hensley, Phil Miles, Herschel Lively, J.D. Jarvis and Herman Crisp. He released it on his own Gold Star label. Ely suffered a heart attack in September 1977, but seemingly recovered. At that time, he began to tape many of his own unrecorded compositions for preservation. This proved to be a wise move because he suffered a fatal heart attack the following May and died during a service at his church.
His daughter assembled an album and a sermon from these home recordings and they were released on Dennis Hensley’s Jordan label in 1979. Several latter-day Appalachian Gospel singers trace varying influences to Brother Claude and his music, including Robert Akers, Tommy Crank, Joe Freeman and J.D. Jarvis.
Interest in his music persists and in 1993, the British label Ace released a compact disc containing his entire 1953 and 1954 sessions, including the talking, sermonettes and unreleased cuts, as well as a few of his numbers from 1962." ~ Ivan M. Tribe
dunno what it is about recordings from appalachia, but immediately upon hearing these fervent tunes, my pupils seem to dilate & i feel like i drank a dram of the most potent moonshine. dip yer finger in the water, dear children, & bear witness as this compelling sequence of sanctified sermons & holiness hollers psycho-activate the naturally occurring chemicals yer meristem. surely this is the white man's krunk & definitely receives my highest imaginable recommendation. on a related note, the divine revelators at dust-to-digital hath recently unfurled a promising page-turner penned by bro claude's nephew, macel ely 2 [hisself an ordained minister], that comes correct with an accompanying polycarb coaster of mysterious recordings. methinks they should really float us a copy fer review :)
A1. Lighty Singers of Estill, SC - In the Morning When the Trumpet Sound A2. Evangelist Loretta Myles - Jesus Will Never Say No A3. Abraham Brothers - Spirit of the Lord A4. Golden Tones of Savannah, GA - I Will Answer When the Roll Is Called A5. White Family of Savannah, GA - I've Been in the Storm So Long A6. Brother Theotis Taylor - Somebody's Gone
B1. Piney Grove Spiritual Singers - Get Back Satan B2. Five Stars of Harmony[Jacksonville, GA] - If I Could Just Hold Out Until Tomorrow B3. Abraham Brothers - Pray While You Have a Chance B4. The True-Tone Singers - Don't Let It Be Said Too Late B5. Lighty Singers of Estill, SC - Serve the Lord B6. White Family of Savannah, GA - Don't Wait on Tomorrow's Sun
'This nicely compiled vinyl set on Mississippi features numbers from soul awakening gospel that's stripped down souful and with a profoundly soaring spirit – beautiful stuff recorded and issued by Waymon Jones, proprietor of Savannah, GA's Gusman Record Shop and issued as 45s & LPs on the Pitch and Gusman labels! It features recordings from the early 60s to late 70s, culled from the same great reservoir of material that spawned Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum 3CD compilation.' - crusty
A1. Ephram Carter and his Fife & Drum Band - Sorrow, Come Pass Me Around A2. Willard Artis 'Blind Pete' Burrell - Do Remember Me A3. Babe Stovall - The Ship Is At The Landing A4. Annie Lee & Oscar Crawford - You Don't Know What The Lord Has Done For Me A5. Rev. Rubin Lacey - Talk About A Child That Do Love Jesus A6. Robert 'Nighthawk' Johnson - Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down A7. Dorothy Lee, Norma Jean & Shirley Marie Johnson - You Got To Give An Account A8. Katie Mae Young - By The Grace Of My Lord, I've Come A Long Way A9. Eddie Lee 'Mustright' Jones - My Sun Don't Never Go Down
B1. Robert 'Nighthawk' Johnson - Climbing High Mountains B2. Chester Davis; Compton Jones; Furry Lewis - Glory, Glory Hallelujah B3. Willard Artis 'Blind Pete' Burrell - A Little Talk With Jesus Makes It Right B4. Pattie Rosemon - I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say B5. Babe Stovall - When The Circle Be Unbroken B6. Napoleon Strickland - Motherless Children B7. Willard Artis 'Blind Pete' Burrell - I Shall Not Be Moved
recorded by David Evans 1969-70
'Among my more treasured possessions is a general survey of black rural religious singing, which David Evans produced. It is called Sorrow Come Pass Me Around, and in terms of superb it is completely off the scale. If nobody has had the foresight to re-issue that LP, and you happen to see it in some expensive second-hand vinyl catalogue, do not pause to worry about how you are going to raise the asking price. Once you have the disc home and on your turntable, all qualms about the bank you so rashly decided to stick up, will be utterly dissipated.' Fred McCormick, Mustrad
an extremely inspired bit of sharing today, to compensate for yesterdays boycott. what we have here are simply the most superb post-war spirituals ever collected onto a piece of wax, period. in fact, my boy Benny is in the process of trying to re-issue this lp on his new label & gave me the green light to spread the word here in the hope of making it more of a reality. he feels confident that once folks hear it, they'll likely feel compelled to own the beautiful platter when it becomes available. a seemingly progressive ideology, but one that this bloggy is founded upon. faith! an all killer no filler sequence of prayers, recorded in southern Georgia, Mississippi & Louisiana by David Evans betwixt 1969-70. my favourite tunes are prolly the cuts from the songster blues traditionalists who accompany themselves on guitar; Blind Pete Burrell, Babe Stovall & Bobby Nighthawk. the first two cats keep it really sweet & uplifting but Robert Nighthawk flips the script & turns the hymns into evocatively mournful dirges. the accapellas & drum n' fife workouts are just as compelling as everythang else. 100% real, ruff n' tumble devotional gospelarian gold. we've listened to this record more than any other this year. 320 benevolent blessings
A1. Snooks Eaglin - Down By The Riverside A2. Butch Cage, Willie Thomas & crowd - When I See The Blood A3. Della Williams - Motherless Children A4. New Orleans Street Gospel Singers - I Will Be Your God A5. Otis Webster - In My Saviours Care A6. Charles Henderson, Butch Cage, Willie Thomas & crowd - Jesus On The Main Line
B1. Rev. Pearly Brown - If I Never See You Anymore B2. Andy Mosely, George Williams & Hogman Maxey - I Know I Got Religion B3. Otis Webster - This Little Light Of Mine B4. Angola Quartet - Be With Me Jesus B5. Robert Pete Williams - I'm Glad My Mother Teached Me How To Pray B6. Rev. Pearly Brown - Nobody's Fault But Mine B7. Butch Cage, Willie Thomas & crowd - If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
recorded by Harry Oster between 1958-62
here goes a kind of companion to the previously posted Country Knee Grow Jam Sesh, featuring a few of the same artists doing gospel numbers exclusively. another seemingly forgotten collection of sounds salvaged from the abyss by some gracious sole. godspeed!
01 - Just as well get ready, you got to die; Climbing high mountains, tryin` to get home 02 - Monologue on accidents 03 - Boll weevil 04 - Delia 05 - Dying crapshooter`s blues 06 - Will Fox 07 - I got to cross the River Jordan 08 - Monologue on old songs; Old time religion, Amen 09 - Amazing grace 10 - Monologue on history of the blues, life as maker of records; himself 11 - King Edward blues 12 - Murderer`s home blues 13 - Kill-it-Kid rag 14 - Chainey 15 - I got to cross de River o`Jordan [excerpt]
'Blind Willie McTell's 'Tryin’ To Get Home' presents what must be one of the most historic recordings in African-American history. The result of this encounter in Atlanta, Georgia, was a recorded interview which captured a close insight into the life and music of one of the greatest Country Blues names to have been commercially recorded. Presented here in their entirety is a fascinating insight into the man who inspired among others Allman Brothers, Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan. Blind Willie discusses his life, recording career and the history behind his music. Twelve excellent performances including blues, spirituals, ballads and rags can be heard. His skills as a 12-string guitarist, including some beautiful bottleneck / slide guitar, underline his reputation as being one of the finest musicians from Georgia. The history of these Library of Congress, Archive of American Folk Song, recordings is rooted in a visit made by John and Ruby Lomax to Atlanta, Georgia during November 1940. It is reported that Ruby spotted a 'Negro man with a guitar' entertaining at a pig n whistle stand. Stopping their car to enquire, they discovered that the individual was Blind Willie McTell who had recorded for Victor, Columbia and Decca. The Lomaxes gave him a lift back to their hotel and the totally blind McTell astounded them by giving accurate directions from the map etched on his memory. Despite having been involved in a minor motoring accident the previous night, he agreed to return the following day to sing and reminisce for them. The next morning in their hotel room he "sang and played his 12-string guitar vigorously for two hours", forty or so minutes of which were committed to tape.' ~ press
by request. hopefully mctell needs no introduction. most of these tunes are totally superb & unlike the rest of his recorded catalogue in that he got to stretch out a bit & sing some olde thyme hymns. a very illuminating & utterly essential session recorded by John Lomax for the benefit of the Library of Congress in Washington, & you too. a 320 rip
my buddy Uncle Diss dropped dis fine slab late last year at his pearlesque spot, You Can Get Wit Diss. due to lack of readership interaction, it seems he's considering hangin up the blogging game altogther & who could blame him if he aint feelin appreciated, yknow? :) bottom line is, this album smokes & i guess it was recently repressed by Light in the Attic w/ extra trax er sumptin. go grab the real mccoy & maybe testify in his comment box if the spirit should move you. hmmm & while you're there, ya prolly won't wanna miss reverend barrett's 2nd lp, I Found the Answer from 1973 either. sweet baby jesus
A1 Evil World A2 Rap On A3 Walking On A4 Speak To Me A5 Leave Something Worthwhile A6 Heaven Help Us All
B1 Don't Let Me Fall B2 This World Is Moving Too Fast B3 True Love Is Hard To Find B4 Free At Last B5 Goodbye World
Original recordings from 1971 to 1975. Tracks A1, A5, A6, B3 and B5 previously unreleased. hype: 'super obscure gospel funk album from Texas based band The Relatives, brought together by veteran Gospel singer Gean West in 1971, their sound bridges the gap between traditional Gospel, Soul and Psychedelia. Over a span of four years, The Relatives recorded three obscure 45’s and a session with legendary North Texas engineer Phil York. These powerful, genre-busting recordings stand up alongside the best Group Soul and Funk recordings of the 1970’s—and give praise to the Lord like you’ve never heard before. This is a collection of all of The Relatives’ singles and five previously unreleased tracks for their first-ever full length release, 'Don’t Let Me Fall.' Fans of Numero's 'Good God Gospel' compilations will love this! Highly recommended!'
best believe the hype. the vox is raw, the grooves is smokin & the lyrics be memorable, quotable & totally on point. 'this world is movin too fast... thank gawd owlmighty i'm free at last'. utterly essential. 320k for yall bitrate braggers
Side A 01 there is a god somewhere 02 what is the name 03 rich man, poor man 04 can you say yeah 05 in my father's house
Side B 06 a man called jesus 07 one day in paradise 08 two wings 09 none greater than john 10 peter and john
Andrew Wartts, based in Bloomington, Illinois, recorded his landmark gospel album There Is A God Somewhere in the early 1980s and released it on the small Champ imprint based in Nashville, Tennessee. It took funk archivists years to discover this gem, but it’s a timely resurface. Wartts sound – a mixture of soulful, funky, melancholic yet celebratory exhortations to the Lord – belies the music’s age. In a time when most contemporary-leaning Gospel acts were moving towards the “boogie” sounds of then-pop stars such as Prince and Rick James, Wartts stood firm in his commitment to James Brown style funk. As an example, check out 'Peter And John,' a quirky riff on 'Give It Up, Turn It Loose.' Turning around neatly in 4/4, the rhythm section chooses to skirt, rather than emphasize, “the one.” The result is a slightly off putting, but wholly original entry into the Gospel-Funk archives. last post of the month, hope ya enjoy it. this one's sure to cure even the worst case of the mundaze. seriously superb bible story ear candy
