Classics Corner: Oak Ridge Boys – Performance
May 18, 2012 14 Comments
Released in 1972 at the height of the Oak Ridge Boys’ popularity in Southern Gospel music, this is a live album made up mostly of songs from the International LP. Personnel on this album are Willie Wynn – Tenor, Duane Allen – Lead, William Lee Golden – Baritone, Noel Fox – Bass, Tommy Fairchild – Piano, Mark Ellerbee – Drums, Don Breland – Bass Guitar.
Tracks:
- Jesus Walked All The Way – This is a uptempo tune that really gets the concert started off right. There’s a nice trio with Allen, Golden, and Fox on the second verse before Wynn takes the lead on the chorus. Noel Fox really shines on his step out line in the chorus. A repeat of the chorus after a key change and tag end a short, but great track.
- The Coming Of The Lord – This is another great track. It’s a more midtempo cut that features Noel Fox on the first verse before Duane Allen takes the melody on the chorus. Fox had a terrific bass voice, with smoothness and range both. William Golden sings the second verse. There’s a key change that if my ears don’t deceive me goes up a whole step instead of the more typical half step and a repeat of the chorus leading to a tag. Paid In Full did a really nice cover of this song a few years back that was pretty true to the Oaks’ arrangement here.
- The Holy Hills Of Heaven Call Me – This one will likely make it into my “Definitives” series as Duane Allen and the rest of the quartet really shine on this Dottie Rambo classic. It’s always interesting to hear recordings of these classic songs from when they were new. It’s a tremendous performance, and I love the walking bass guitar line on the beginning of the second verse. Classic Oak Ridge Boys.
- He Did It All For Me – This may be my favorite ballad done by the Oak Ridge Boys. After group vocals on the first verse, the key modulates up, the tempo slows and Duane Allen proceeds to sing the absolute fire out of the second verse. The key changes again and Willie Wynn takes the melody leading into the chorus. Duane and Willie trade off the melody and build to a high power tag. After a testimony from Duane, they encore the song starting with the second verse. Wow. A true highlight of the album.
- Heaven – The second side of the LP starts off with this classic tune. I love the way Duane Allen introduces this song by saying “We might not do it too good, but we don’t know it too loud yet.” There is a scorching hot piano introduction from Tommy Fairchild that is one of my all time favorite intros. Allen takes the melody with the other 3 vocals arranged like a male trio behind Allen’s ad libbed lead vocal. Fairchild gets a chance to repeat his intro work as a break in the middle of the song. This song is the early 70s Oaks in their comfort zone, and this song packs quite a punch.
- You’ll Never Walk Alone – It’s amazing how long this song stayed a part of the Oaks’ repertoire, as this was the title cut to an early 60s Skylite album from the group. In fact, Willie Wynn is the only vocalist on this version who also recorded the previous version. Duane Allen again takes the lead and it’s a very nice performance of the inspirational classic.
- I Wish We’d All Been Ready – Larry Norman’s classic song that was one of the first hits in what would later become Contemporary Christian Music gets covered here by the Oaks. It’s a unique performance in that the Oaks’ drummer, Mark Ellerbee, lends his lead vocals to the song, with fairly sparse backing vocals from the rest of the quartet on the last chorus. Ellerbee’s vocal style lends itself very well to this song. It was obviously a hit with the audience.
- Jesus Is Coming Soon – In what will be another “Definitive” performance, Duane Allen launches straight into his solo second verse on what was a monster hit for the group around this time, and it’s obvious by the crowd’s reaction. There’s a different rhythm on this performance of the song, that I’ve never heard duplicated, but is absolutely the best instrumental arrangement I’ve ever heard of the song. Willie Wynn shatters glass on the ending of the song. It’s only about a minute of actual singing time, but wow, what a performance in a concentrated performance.
- I Know – Another current monster smash for the group at the time, the album closes out with one of the group’s best known songs. Duane Allen has a hard time getting the song started from the crowd response to the first line. The crowd goes wild for the song and again the group has to encore it. It’s a great way to end the concert.
Summary: While The Kingsmen are typically recognized as the kings (pun intended, of course) of the live album, when a list is made of the greatest Southern Gospel live albums of all time, this album deserves a spot in the top 10, if not the top 5. It’s an enthralling capture of one of the most popular groups in the history of the genre at the height of their popularity. The performances are all high energy, and the intensity is such that you don’t realize there are only 9 tracks on the album, or that “Jesus Is Coming Soon” is such an abbreviated version. The Oaks hook you in from the first few notes of “Jesus Walked All The Way”, and you don’t feel like you can hardly catch a breath until the final cutoff on the encore to “I Know.” One thing that I mentioned briefly in the comments on “Heaven” but that I wanted to be sure to highlight is Tommy Fairchild’s piano playing. He is an absolute wizard on the piano on this album, and displays just the right touch and the sense of when to “show out” with some nice piano licks and when to stay subdued and give the vocals the spotlight. This album would be SG Piano Accompaniment 101 Exhibit A. It really is a masterful job.
I looked long and hard for this album. Growing up listening to my dad’s LPs, he would always mention this “incredible live album from the Oak Ridge Boys called Performance” and said it had the best version of “Jesus Is Coming Soon” that he’d ever heard. He had a copy, but it had been lost or borrowed on a permanent basis long before I was old enough to listen to it. I was absolutely thrilled the day I finally located a copy as a college student, and I will never forget putting needle to vinyl for the first time after having heard so much about this LP growing up. All I can say is this: Dad was right.
About Wes Burke
This is one of my favorite records. I listened to this over and over as a kid.
A favorite of mine also. I remember seeing them do almost this same set.
This album, a copy of which I am thankful to own, contains a “recording oddity”: cue the key change on “The Coming Of The Lord”; the bass player (Breland) muffs the first few measures before finally hitting the groove in the new key. No criticism, as I make mistakes on the bass as well. I’m just surprised that it was left as is instead of being overdubbed.
Oh, what a nice surprise. This is quite possibly my favorite Oaks lp through 1973. The only one that might give competition is the Light album. It took me years to find this and I paid a pretty good penny when I did and the condition was not as high as I would like. I since found a better copy. I do think that the “in Concert” version of “King Jesus” beat most (if not all) of the songs here, but that is saying a lot.
I’ll try to touch on some of the things, but not as many as you did.
1. I can hear that piano intro as soon as I read the title.
2. Harper and Sterban (has / had) more cut than Noel, but Noel had a good range, great soulful voice, and could take leads that were in a higher range which gave them flexibility in arrangements and a more modern sound. Part of this I suspect is that Noel got weary of singing the bass part (he called it a support part), so they probably threw him more things like that. I do feel that Sterban was a good compromise between Harper and Fox. He was able to split the difference to some degree. He gave them still a bit of a modern sound and look, but more cut than Fox, however, he couldn’t do everything Fox did (nor could Fox do the same as Richard).
3. I had never heard this song until this record. I love the line “This house of flesh is but a prison, bars of bone hold my soul”. They do good dynamics on this one too.
4. This isn’t my absolute ballad, but a good one. I sang the Oaks arrangement (I notated it) within a quartet and played piano as well many years ago. Before even that, I did it as a solo and someone else played. This was all before I heard this live version. One thing that is interesting (if my ears or memory don’t deceive me) is that since they do the ending different and Willie takes the root,Duane took the third (which Willie had had). Golden stays on the fifth, but instead of doing it where he did, raises it an octave putting him on the G (I think) above middle C above Duane’s E over middle C.
5. I hadn’t heard this song and might not have heard it anywhere else (although Gaither I think wrote it and performed it with the Trio). This is my favorite cut on the LP. I tried to play that intro and can do aspects of it, but certainly not exact and certainly not anywhere close to Fairchild.
As I recall, Fox has the lead with WLG and Willie above him and Duane doing an echo / descant sort of thing (besides the solos) for the most part.
6. I much prefer this version of the tune (as I do most, if not all of the songs here in contrast to elsewhere).
7. I believe Mark, WLG and Duane are the only three who sing this. It is Willie and Fox free if I remember correctly.
8. I first heard this version on a compilation Benson put out. It is short, but great. I never cared for the studio version, thought the in concert one was great and much faster and then I heard this one. It isn’t as polished as the in concert version, shorter, faster and the tuning isn’t quite in G (it is a smidge high), but man what energy. Duane also changes his solo ending on the high root note instead of hitting it and coming back down as he had on the in concert one. I remember the guy who sold me my first copy telling me that Fox missed the slide (glissando) at the end. He said though that he gave them that rumble which is what people were looking for (noise on the bottom). I had wondered if that was there reason for the tuning being between keys. Basically trying to find the place closest to where Willie and Fox could be 4 octaves apart.
9. This is better than the studio cut too.
Fairchild really shined on this LP in particular. Heaven alone should be required listening to pianists. but of course he did a variety of styles, textures, dynamics etc. I sort of think 1972 might be a little late on the release date, but could be wrong. I know this lp, the Stamps one with Richard and a Dottie Rambo one were all recorded the same night (in addition to the Three Nails presentation). Talk about some serious dough spent on that one.
Q-Man thanks for prompting me about this… I subscribe to Wes’s notifications when he writes a new post. I saw this on the blackberry one morning as I was getting ready and it made me smile.
This is THE BEST LIVE RECORDING EVER IMO!!!
I am trilled to know Terry Franklin also listened to this over and over growing up… This album made my dream gig playing for the OAKS!!! It REALLY turned me on to Gospel Music!!! Even until this day. I wish one of you audio files would burn this to a CD and include as a Bonus the Live version of KING JESUS with the 3 encores. As Phil says on Duck Dynasty says… I would be. “HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY”!!!
It has probably been 15-20 years since I have heard this and I am lucky enough to have 2 copies… 1 in VERY GOOD CONDITION I found at a Yard Sale and then the one I played OVER & OVER as a kid. Besides my formal percussion training this album and Elvis LIVE in Vegas was one of the BEST work outs you could have to play along to a record.
I say it has been that long since I heard it because I bet I can do the MC introduction VERY CLOSE to the record and was lucky enough to walk up to DA on vacation in the Bahamas in my early 20′s. I told him I was not going to TELL HIM I was a BIG FAN!!! I was going to prove it… I went in to this introduction and when I was finish I think Norah Lee and he both teared up… let’s see how close I am Wes can check me out, or anybody else that has a copy they can play and check… now don’t forget it has been probably 20 years…
The Gospel Music Association gives out Dove Awards for many different things every year and one of those things is the BEST MALE QUARTET in the Gospel Sing Field. That happens to be the fellows that we are fixing to bring out. I want you to get together and make them welcome here in their home city and make them feel good tonight… I am talkin’ about The Oak Ridge Boys from Nashville Tennesse Gospel Musics #1 Male Quartet!!….
Thanks Wes Lotsa GREAT MEMORIES!!!!
Close, Wade. Pretty impressive. Here is the actual introduction. I used CAPS for the corrections / additions.
The Gospel Music Association gives out Dove Awards for many different things every year and one of THE things is the best male quartet in the Gospel SingING Field. That happenED to be the fellows that we are fixing to bring out. WELL, I want you to LET’S get together and SHOW them HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE THEM here in their home city and make them feel good tonight… I am talkin’ about The Oak Ridge Boys from Nashville Tennessee, THE #1 Male Quartet!!….
Great album which reminds of the 7 or 8 times I saw the Oaks in concert between 72 and 75. Still remembered being surprised when Richard came out on stage with them in late 1973 in place of Noel who had been great with them (especially on Light album). Have never been able to determine exactly where the song “Heaven” originated. Album says Gaither arranged it but don’t know who wrote it. Thought it might be an old black gospel song but haven’t found a version.
It seems like I saw somewhere attributing the song “Heaven” to Andrae Crouch, but I could be wrong. I might try to research that some more.
Thanks Q-Man — I knew there were some phrases, even in the real intro, that did not exactly FLOW but that happens with HYPE sometimes!!! NOW… would you consider as a MINISTRY with a $20 Love Offering to burn that with KING JESUS and send that too me!?!?! Or any one who is an audiophile and really loves the Lord!!?!?!?
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Thanks to a VERY SPECIAL Friend who sent me MP3′s of this!! As a good SHARER I will pas them along to anybody who inboxes me at facebook account or loandr4u@yahoo.com!!!
THANKS!!!
I’m glad you got them, Wade. The CD I have is from the first lp I think. I hope to record and burn one from a better copy someday. Nonetheless, I was going to offer to send to you at some point. As far as the money, I wasn’t going to charge, but tell you if you really wanted to, to give to World Vision, Feed the Children or something.
Thanks Q-Man… Think I would probably give it to the local foster children organization who keep kids who’s families have been sent to prison!!! I am a HOMER that way!!! But still looking for King Jesus if anybody has it!!
I have seen Feed the Children and Operation Blessing trucks locally, so they do reach out locally, but yeah there are local charities on the front lines who deal more directly with local people.