The Best Of King Gospel Various Artists (King)

£12.56

Genre:
Gospel
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCHD 873

We have been delving into the vaults of King Records for well over 10 years now, covering most of the key Americana musical genres. Now at last we take a look at its gospel catalogue and there is no better place to start than with the BEST OF KING GOSPEL.

The expert Opal Louis Nations has selected four tracks each by the leading King gospel groups: the Spirit Of Memphis Quartet, Swan's Silvertone Singers (later the Swan Silvertones), the Nightingales (later the Sensational Nightingales), the Trumpeteers, the Four Internes, and the Cumberland River Singers. These quartet recordings were cut in Gospel's Golden Age, between 1949 and 1953.

In his notes, Nations describes how King boss Syd Nathan dipped his toes gingerly into the spiritual waters after spotting the vast potential for race and hillbilly records from his Cincinnati, Ohio outpost. As the 1940s advanced, Nathan must have been impressed by the success of his fellow independent record men with gospel music, but in the early 50s the market became so competitive that he took a backward step.

While Nathan was involved seriously in gospel, he accepted only the best. Take the quality lead singing of Claude Jeter with the Swans' and Jet Bledsoe with the Spirit Of Memphis. In particular, Bledsoe tears up the house on the 1952 live recording of Lord Jesus. A real highlight is the Cumberland River Singers' heartfelt rendition of I Wonder Who Cares, an anguished plea to congregations to fill empty church pews in the troubled era of the Korean War. The Atomic Telephone is another period gem.

The harmonies of all the groups will delight gospel and, yes, doowop fans everywhere. The sound, from the original masters, is superb.

Opal Louis Nations ends his notes with a personal sermon, which speaks for itself: 'Let us hope, with your help, that this long awaited collection sells well enough to warrant further explorations into the treasures of the mighty King gospel catalogue.'

By John Broven

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview It's All Right Now - The Four Internes

  • 02 Preview The Atomic Telephone - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet

  • 03 Preview Toll The Bell - Swan's Silvertone Singers

  • 04 Preview My Life Is In His Hands - The Nightingales

  • 05 Preview Nobody's Fault But Mine - The Trumpeteers

  • 06 Preview Live So God Can Use You - Swan's Silvertone Singers

  • 07 Preview Who Is Your Friend - The Trumpeteers

  • 08 Preview Jesus Is A Rock - The Cumberland River Singers

  • 09 Preview All Aboard - Swan's Silvertone Singers

  • 10 Preview Seek And Ye Shall Find - The Nightingales

  • 11 Preview Workin' Till The Day Is Done - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet

  • 12 Preview Something Within Me - The Nightingales

  • 13 Preview I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map - The Four Internes

  • 14 Preview I Wonder Who Cares - The Cumberland River Singers

  • 15 Preview In That Great Reunion - The Four Internes

  • 16 Preview Lay Down My Heavy Burden - The Trumpeteers

  • 17 Preview It's A Highway To Heaven - The Nightingales

  • 18 Preview I'm Too Close To Heaven - The Cumberland River Singers

  • 19 Preview Going Back To Jesus - The Four Internes

  • 20 Preview Long Ago (The Old Account) - Swan's Silvertone Singers

  • 21 Preview Where Shall I Go - The Trumpeteers

  • 22 Preview That Awful Day - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet

  • 23 Preview Jesus Is All The World (To Me) - The Cumberland River Singers

  • 24 Preview Lord Jesus Parts 1 & 2 - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet

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