Brandon made an interesting comment in our joint review of Pillars Of Faith that I have pondered recently. Here’s the quote:
What makes the quality of this project even more amazing is that it is the first mainline project recorded by the group with Steve Lacey. How often do you hear a group’s first project with a new singer and afterwards think, “They’re still getting used to each other. They’ll work on their blend and be better the next time”? I doubt many people had that thought when this project was released.
This made me wonder if I could think of other albums that had the same effect. Gold City actually strikes twice with these type of projects, as I think Renewed, the first album post Parker and Free, was just as solid. It was a drastic change, but the sound was already there. In fact, as I’ve said before, I think Jay Parrack’s voice had a better tone on that album than on any subsequent album.
I’ve come up with one other album, and that was the Kingdom Heirs’ Going On With The Song. The first album after Sutton, Bennett, and Stice left, and it picked up right where the previous group had left off. Other than that, I’ve struggled to come up with any others. This isn’t to say that there aren’t moments on other albums, like “Oh What A Savior” and “Climbing Higher and Higher” on Haase’s debut with the Cats, but I can’t think of many entire albums that didn’t make you think “OK, they have some work to do, but they will be fine.”
Can any of you come up with some others?
One recent one that comes to mind is the Perrys’ Look No Further. It erased any doubts in my mind as to whether Joseph Habedank could hold down lead and whether Nick Trammell could do the baritone part.
Good call Daniel, can’t believe I didn’t come up with that one. Look No Further is as good as previous albums by the Perrys.
Well,let’s not forget Mark Trammell Trio’s album, Once upon a Cross. Since this was the first release w/Dustin…they proved that Dustin fit the bill.
Actually, their first release with Dustin was one year earlier, “Journey Thus Far.” Both JTF, a table project, and Once Upon a Cross are excellent albums. Together, the two left no doubt in my mind that the current lineup is top-notch.
I’d say David Phelp’s first project with the GVB (”Still The Greatest Story Ever Told”
proved that they had the perfect combo to launch the “stratosphere” group. I know that at least one of the songs (and probably more) had been originally recorded with Jonathan Pierce (the track for “New Star Shining” was used on the “Joy To The World” video two years before the final project was released). My favorite song from that project is “Hand Of Sweet Release.” They sounded as tight as ever on that project.
Obviously, they are always exceptions. I completely agree with all of the one’s mentioned above.
Wes, I’m not sure, but didn’t the Kingdom Heirs release a budget project (”Sing It Again”
before “Going On With The Song”?
That was supposed to be a closing ), not a smiley face…
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Cathedrals’ “Distinctively,” before Danny started spending less time at the top of his range, and Gold City’s “First Class” CD, which just felt rushed with the addition of Steve Ladd.
“Hand Of Sweet Release” is a phenominal song. I could listen to it all year long. That whole Christmas project is something that demands your ears through the whole year.
I don’t agree with this, but some people could surley nominate “Revival” from Gold City in this blog dicussion. I’m actually surised it wasn’t mentioned earlier.
There is just something strange about the whole project “First Class”. I can’t put it into words, but “rushed” is a good enough description, if not the “tip of the iceberg” when describing it. I don’t know, it’s just………strange.
“It’s Settled” was the beginning of what would become some of the most popular years for Palmetto State Quartet and their music.
Looking back, I just realized that in 2 above instances that the introduction of Aaron McCune into a group was a major influence on those “debut” projects.
“Chatanooga Live” was a superb project to showcase the ability of the Kingsmen with the inclusion of Ernie Phillips.
[...] must-read post comes from Wes Burke’s Burke’s Brainwork blog. The post, Debut Projects after Group Changes, has sparked an interesting discussion. Check it [...]
RE: Gold City’s First Class
Work began on the project before Jay Parrack decided to leave the road. Gold City had posted pictures from the studio of the guys, including Jay, laying down vocals for the project. So, the project was arranged with Jay in mind.
Also, Tim was planning to retire before the project was even released. If you remember, Gold City posted pictures of the project’s photo shoot. In some pictures, you could see an extra member. Turned out that it was Tim’s successor, Bill Lawrence.
It makes you think that they wanted to get the project out so Tim could come off the road.
“Revival” is a good choice as well. Very well-done project.
This is pure speculation, but “First Class” almost sounds like a rough mix, which is entirely possible if Jay Parrack had already finished the album before he left; they would’ve had to go back to the original studio mixes and remove Jay, add Steve, then remaster the entire project. Given Cathedral Records’ downfall at the time, they may have denied the extra budget to give the album a proper mixdown and mastering at that point.
The album was finished but I don’t think was duplicated yet. When Jay Parrack left Gold City, the tenor I was singing in a quartet with at the time was/is good friends with him. Jay told him when he left that they gave him a copy of First Class with him on it. I’d love to have a copy of that as a collector!
I have always wondered if they were far enough along on “First Class” to have a mix of the project with Jay. I would also love to hear that.
[...] maybe non-existent, recordings Wes has a post with several comments that is well worth checking out. During the course of the comments, Gold [...]
Iguess my age is showing. My thoughts turned to 2 records..oops, I mean projects from long ago. The Oak Ridge Boys first recording without Willie Wynn with Joe Bonsall which featured “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” and the Blackwood Brothers first album with London Parris titled “Heavenly Harmony”.Both of were similar to the Gold City release in that not a lot of rehearsal time ensued prior to the sessions. You probably have my copies of both those albums, Wes. Take a listen to “Zion’s Hill” on the Heavenly Harmony album…oops, I mean project. Excellent blend on the trio parts with Bill Shaw, James Blackwood, and Cecil Blackwood. London nails the low bass notes with a nice use of vibrato in his lower register.I was lucky enough to hear them perform this song in Charleston, WV many years ago and it still is high on my memory list. There is a pretty good You Tube video of this group singing Zion’s Hill from the old Porter Wagoner TV show….Good discussions on this subject….Makes me feel good that there is so much interest in keeping the quality of SG music high!!
Wes’s Dad
Another thing to ponder, did Gold City attempt to recut the tenor vocals during the timeframe when Dan Keeton was filling in, or did the completley wait to touch it untill Steve was hired?
I agree with Kyle that it does have some sonic quallities that make it sound like a rough mix. Not bad, but with enough slight vocal clashes to make those who are critically listening think that it was rushed, which indeed it seems like it was.