Jerry Martin Takes On Celine Dion

No, this isn’t a SG version of “Celebrity Death Match”, but over at Musicscribe David Murray has posted a recording of Jerry Martin singing Dion’s “All By Myself.”  Wow.  Head over and give it a listen.  I agree with David, it’s interesting to see SG singers step outside the comfort zone of Southern Gospel and try some different things.

Hidden Gems: Oak Ridge Boys – “Beyond The Shadow Of A Doubt”

First of all, I will apologize for my lack of posting lately.  My family and I are in the process of buying a new home, which is taking up a lot of my former blogging time.  We close in about a month on our new home, so my blogging time is going to be sporadic between now and then.  I’ve got some things in the works, I just haven’t had the time to devote to them that I’d like.  Stick with me, I’ll do my best to keep things going, and of course anything major that comes down the pipe I’ll be sure to post and comment on, but the weeks following NQC are typically fairly slow anyways.

This gem comes from the Oak Ridge Boys 1973 LP Street Gospel LP, which was the last full album to feature Willie Wynn as the tenor, along with Duane Allen on lead, William Lee Golden on baritone, and Richard Sterban on bass.  William Golden has the lead on the song, with Duane Allen switching down to the baritone part.  The verses are done in a syncopated rhythm with a progressive (for the era) feel.  The chorus smooths out the rhythm to a typical SG feel complete with the entrance of a banjo.  Golden sings the verses solo, with the rest of the quartet entering for the chorus.  Folks who are only familiar with the Oaks from their country days or their Gaither appearances will be surprised by Golden’s upper range that is displayed on this song, as he sings the song in a typical lead range.  The second chorus is repeated before a tag that has the other members of the quartet chanting “Right now” and inverting the harmony up a couple times while Golden ad libs variations of “He’s here right now…”  Buried as the last track on side 1 of the LP, this song could be overlooked very easily, but it’s performed very well, and is a very enjoyable tune.  This would make a great cut on a table project, and Gold City or Triumphant could do very well with it, with Daniel Riley or Scotty Inman taking Golden’s verses.  I’d love to hear someone bring it back.

Karen Peck Gooch Named President of SGMA

According to the Singing News story here, Karen Peck Gooch was named as the new President of the SGMA.  Karen brings a wealth of SG experience to the table, and she’s done rather well managing her own group, to put it mildly.  She initially built a following fairly quickly for KP&NR, and continually climbed up the SG ladder.  Several SN awards, #1s, and Grammy nominations later, I’d say she has established her leadership qualities quite well.  It’s mentioned in the press release that she is the first female President of the SGMA.  That’s an honor worthy of mentioning, and also a bit amusing since SG is seen as such an extremely conservative industry.  Best wishes to Karen in her new role, here’s to great success.

The SG Blog World Grows Again

Jeff Foster has started a Southern Gospel blog.  His review of Legacy 5′s Just Stand is well worth the read.  Welcome Jeff!

NQC ’09 Buzzworthy Artist

I did a similar post to this last year, but it’s worthwhile to see which artist that may have previously been unheralded or even unknown generated the most buzz at NQC.  From the outside looking in as I am, it seems to me that Tim Riley with Gold City and GC’s resurgence has created the most buzz, but I’d be interested to hear from others of you who were there.  Who would you consider this year’s most buzzworthy or potential breakout artist from NQC?

Review: Paid In Full – No Trace Of Rain

This is the latest major label release from Paid In Full.  Personnel on this recording are Brock White, Tenor, Lance Moore, Lead, and Bradley Littlejohn, Baritone.

Tracks:

1. If The Truth Be Told – Nice midtempo number written by Patti Hawkins that has a very progressive edge to it.  In fact, it almost sounds like a current P&W type song.  The song starts in unison for the first verse, then the chorus is a mix of solo lines and unison until the voices split into harmony for the last line of the chorus.  The guys really have a smooth sound on this song.  I really enjoy this tune. 9.5/10
2. I Go To Jesus – Written by Lance Moore, this slow to midtempo tune is in 3/4 time that features Moore on the verses.  Stylistically this song is fairly country flavored.  It’s a nice contrast from the opening song, and the same smooth blend exists when the full trio enters on the choruses.  This song has a great message as well.  Solid song.  8/10
3. This Is The Day – This song is a collaboration between Lance Moore and Bradley Littlejohn.  It is a nice midtempo song that has a bit more of a progressive country feel.  Again, Lance sings the verses and does a fine job.  Moore really commands the lead spot well in the trio, and his performance on the second verse is particularly strong.  Another enjoyable song.  8.5/10
4. Praise Makes The Walls Come Down – Written by Kenna West, this is a very bluesy tune reminiscent of Gold City’s “He Said.”  Brock White, the newest member of the group, sings the verses on this song.  White has a country edge to his voice that really fits the style of this song well.  The other guys come in under White on the chorus as he keeps the melody.  This song would make a good radio cut.  8.5/10
5. Lead On – This song by Bradley Littlejohn and Dianne Wilkinson is very bluegrass sounding.  Bradley sings the verses and does a great job, he has a nice smooth voice.  The vocals on the chorus are exceptionally smooth.  This song would have fit on their Songs Of Faith table project from last year.  They do this style well.  8/10
6. My Soul Is Firmly Anchored – This song comes from the pens of Woody Wright and Bill Gaither.  It’s a typical midtempo Wright tune, with a bouncy progressive country feel to it.  For those who have wondered what Paid In Full would sound like as a quartet, this is your chance to hear it, as Gene McDonald lends his bass vocals to this song, including a bass solo feature on the second verse.  Let me tell you, it sounds GREAT!  This is one of the album highlights for me.  This is a really good song.  9/10
7. Waiting For The Morning – According to the group’s blog, this was the first song that Lance Moore wrote, and it is a good one.  This has a syncopated rhythm to it with a light country sound on the chorus.  Think of a more progressive Alabama type sound.  Nice lyrics, and an incredibly smooth arrangement on the chorus highlight the song.  This one is another of my favorites on the disc.  I like the staggered entrances on the tag to the song as well.  9.5/10
8. Light Doesn’t Make A Sound – This is an acoustic country ballad written by Woody Wright and sung by Bradley Littlejohn.  Littlejohn’s smooth baritone vocals really fit the feel of the song very well.  Some really nice group harmonies punctuate the chorus, and Bradley keeps the melody in the baritone range, with Moore and White stacked above him.  This is a nice song, very pretty, and has a great message as well about living what we proclaim.  Very nice song.  8.5/10
9. It Takes Faith – This song by Kenna West was originally recorded a few years ago by the Crist Family.  This version features a bit a bouncy guitar driven track.  Lance Moore sings the verses very well with great group vocals during the chorus.  A nice use of unison on the first line of the chorus helps to keep things interesting.  I think I prefer the Crists’ version, but these guys do a great job on the song as well.  8/10
10. Faith Moved A Mountain – Written by Cody Farrar, this mid to uptempo country flavored tune is sung by Brock White.  Again, White’s country sounding voice fits this song well.  As usual, the harmonies on the chorus are very smooth.  The arrangement on this song is a bit more country than what I like, but the performance is fine.  6.5/10
11. The Other Side – This Stephen Hill song is sung by Lance Moore.  This has a slow, deliberate feel to it.  It is almost a similar feel to a song like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in that the tempo is slow, but it’s not an anthemic or power ballad feel.  Moore really deserves greater recognition as a vocalist, he does a great job on this song.  There are some sparse background harmonies that come in on the second chorus that really highlight Moore’s vocals.  This is a really good song, and closes the album well.  8.5/10

Overall:  8.5 Paid In Full’s last major label release was in 2005, but this project has made it well worth the wait.  “If The Truth Be Told” showcases the group’s versatility and ability to handle a more progressive sound, while songs like “Faith Moved A Mountain” and “Lead On” hearken back to the mountain/bluegrass sound found on their table project from last year.  I wasn’t too terribly familiar with Paid In Full before participating in the joint review of said table project and then doing this review, but my mother in law is a big fan of theirs, so I was honored to be offered the opportunity to review this project for them.  Bradley, Lance, and Brock took their time with this album, and that care and meticulousness is quite evident in the final product.  The guest appearance of Gene McDonald is fantastic, and while there isn’t a song that will just bowl you over, there is not a single song on here that isn’t worth the listen.  It’s a very solid CD with strong writing, smooth harmonies, fine vocals and an all around feeling of enjoyment.  Paid In Full deserves congratulations for a job well done.

Legacy 5 Looking For A Tenor

Doug Harrison over at AVFL has confirmed with the Legacy 5 office that the group is looking for a tenor.  Frank Seamans will be staying until a replacement is found.  Please be in prayer for Legacy 5, Frank, and Frank Jr as well.

Gold City Thoughts

After seeing the videos for “In Time, On Time, Every Time” and “I’m Rich” that have already hit YouTube from NQC, and reading this very thought-provoking post from Brandon, here are my thoughts.  Tim Riley being back, even in a fill-in fashion, has brought excitement and that “Gold City sound” back to the group.  Roy Webb looks very good sitting in with the guys at NQC.  So, if Tim’s health permits, I would love to see Gold City bring him back, cut way back on their touring schedule, and offer the pianist job to Roy Webb.  If GC cut their appearances way back, that would still give Roy some time to work solo dates as well as GC dates.  The NQC clips are the best YouTube clips of Gold City in quite a while, and Chris Cooper is really impressing me with his solid tones and range.  I was thinking the other day that this year’s breakout NQC group could easily be Gold City, and currently they’ve created more buzz by far during the first two days of NQC than anyone else.

NQC Week: Pray For Jeremy Lile

DBM has a great roundup of the first night of NQC, and one of the first news items to come from the convention is that prayer is needed for Jeremy Lile and his family.  Jeff Chapman filled in for Jeremy last night, as Jeremy’s father is very ill, at the point of death.  Please remember Jeremy and his family in your prayers.

Ron Blackwood Quartet Signs With Homeland

The Ron Blackwood Quartet recently announced their signing with Homeland Records.  This comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Homeland artists, The Songfellows Quartet, welcomed Wayne Maynard Tony Peace and Harold Gilley to their group.  This means that John Rulapaugh, Josh Garner, Wayne Maynard, and Harold Gilley are all on Homeland’s roster.  That is a quartet that I’d love to hear in and of itself!  Maybe Homeland is finally starting to gather a little steam.  The next thing that I’d like to see announced is archival digital releases from Homeland, RiverSong, and HeartWarming, but as of now that is still at “dream on” status.