Please note that the mp3 files provided here are for personal use only. The files are transferred from original vinyl to the computer. The sound quality is kept to a minimum just in order to give you an impression how good the music really is.
Sound Files are only available for seven days.
With Goldenair(e)s from Cincinnati, Rocky Mount, Jackson, Richmond and a few we don't know yet where they came from, it's about time to sort them out and create as set of pages as we've done with the diferent groups of Flying Clouds, Golden Stars and Christian Harmonizers. The first one up are the Fantastic Goldenaires of Rocky Mount, North Carolina who later moved to Richmond, Virginia. The group was organized in 1967 in Rocky Mount and moved to Richmond in the second half of the 1970s. "Jesus Can Fix It For You" is taken from their 1980 debut album "A Gospel Celebration" on Ambient records out of Richmond, Virginia. It took them 27 years before they released another album, their self released CD 'Holding On'.
When Tommy Ellison passed away in January 2009 it was his wish that his group for many years, The Singing Stars, would continue traveling on the Gospel Highway. And so they do. From people who have seen the Singing Stars perform lately, I've heard that they are still one of the "hottest" and "hardest" quartets out on the circuit. Just watch the videoclips and you know that you will be in for something special when The Legendary Stars get on stage at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on March 28th. When you can't make it March 28th but still want to catch these real Legends check the Legendary Singing Stars My Space or one of the Going To A Program? links in the blogroll on the right for more upcoming dates.
In a previous blog entry on the Gospel Four I wrote that "they cut their first recordings for Messenger in the late seventies or early eighties". The bit about recording for Messenger is true, but it weren't their first releases. The Gospel Four had made its recording debut on D-Vine earlier on in the seventies. I've put everything in chronological order at The Gospel Four page that I've uploaded to the website about a week ago. "A Place In Heaven For Me" is from the last 45 released by the Gospel Four on Messenger.
I just got a message stating that long time member and major songwriter for the group, Major Roberson of the Pilgrim Jubilees passed away yesterday. His songwriting was and is always a pleasure to listen to. Major Roberson's lyrics brought and bring joy to my soul. "He Brought Joy To My Soul" is one of many songs he wrote for the Pilgrim Jubilees. R.I.P. Major Roberson
On March 8 it is International Women's Day. A good reason for having a 'women only' episode of Quartet Treasures. There are far less recordings made by women than by men. It will go too far for this blog to go into detail of all the reasons why women are underrepresented as recording artist. One thing is sure, it certainly wasn't because women weren't good enough or there weren't enough good female singers! Just listen to Mavis Staples, Inez Andrews, Lula Collins, Aretha Franklin, Mitty Collier, the Gerald Sisters, Dorothy Love Coates, Lucille Pope, Albertina Walker and Shirley Caesar to name just ten of the women you can listen to in the upcoming episode of Quartet Treasures. The new episode will go 'on air' tomorrow (Wednesday March 3) at The Quartet Spot. The episode will be repeated every Sunday and Wednesday for two weeks. You can check the Broadcast Schedule to see when it is on in your time zone.
In december 2007 I wrote that the Sensational Six of Memphis, Tennessee had releases on Designer, Messenger and Abec. To this list of labels we can add D-Vine. It's likely that they made their recording debut at Designer in 1971, then moved to D-Vine before joining Messenger in 1975/76. Their second release on D-Vine (208: The Lord Will Make A Way/Going Home Afterwhile) was re-released as Messenger 7001. Their final release was the live album "A New Walk" which was released on Abec in 1979.
Earlier this week I've uploaded the Church Door singles discography to the website. This Atlanta, Georgia based gospel label was started by Herb Lance assisted by Calvin Arnold. Both gentlemen were not only active in the gospel business. Calvin Arnold made about 10 45s as a secular artist in the sixties and seventies. Herb Lance never recorded himself but was involved as a producer with many R&B, Soul and Funk recording sessions in Atlanta. One of the groups that was recorded by Herb Lance and Calvin Arnold were the Related Six. The Related Six of Atlanta, Georgia was organized in 1961. The group is still active, has its own webpage and will perform at a program in Atlanta, Sunday March 14. From their webpage I'm getting the impression that they've recently made a new CD. The group released two 45s on Church Door in the early seventies. As far as I know no other recordings were made by them in the seventies or eighties.
Still going strong, that's probably one of the best ways to describe the CD Clarence Fountain and Sam Butler released in 2009. "Steping Up And Stepping Out" is the first release by Clarence Fountain, the only still living original member of the Blind Boys of Alabama, after he has been unceremonously put aside by the current management of the group. Sam Butler who has been playing guitar and singing with Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama for decades, is at Fountain's side on this CD which they co-produced with Jim Tullio. It's a great production deserving and getting a 2010 Dove Award nomination for Best Traditional Gospel Album of the Year.
After watching the Holy Ghost Electric clip several times I started to wonder; Who is still active traveling up and down the Gospel Highway of the quartets that recorded back in the seventies? With most of the gospel programs and concerts only being promoted locally I thought it wouldn't be easy finding a lot of information on the internet. Luckily I found three websites with listings of gospel programs and concerts all over the USA. The 'problem' with these websites is that they depend on the willingness of programmers, promoters and organizers to send them flyers and posters of upcoming events. Not perfect, but better than nothing at all. The listing websites are: Reunion Ministry, Down Home Gospel and Gospel Concerts. One of the quartets that is still performing is the Sensational Aires of Lexington, North Carolina as you can see on the flyer. Back in July 2008 (reactivated the link) I wrote that "As far as I know the Sensational Aires made only one album". Eighteen months later and I know a lot more about the Sensational-Aires. They made at least three albums and released two 45s. Although I'm still not 100% convinced that we have their complete discography I've decided to create a page where you can find everything we know at the moment about the Sensational Aires of Lexington, North Carolina. Additions and corrections are highly appreciated. 'Let It Be' is taken from their second album; "Christ Is All" (Nasha LP002) which was released in the second half of the 1980s.
The Universal Jubileers was organized in 1958 by the Montgomery brothers Louis, Roosevelt and Alonzo who went north to Chicago from Mississippi in the 1950s. The group was named after their church the Universal Missionary Babptist Church, where all of the young men were members. The name of the group is sometimes spelled as Universal Jubilaires. They had a few 45s released on local and regional labels like Cuca. Their only album was released on the Chicago based HLF label. Their were, as far as we know, no 45s released by the Universal Jubileers on HLF. Their HLF album "We Are The Universal Jubileers" was released in 1977. "Jesus Is Real" is taken from that album. At the time of recording the group members were: Louis Montgomery (lead and manager), Alonzo Montgomery (lead), Milton Yarbrough (lead and fifth), James Barnett (baritone), Frank Dixon Sr. (tenor), Anthony Bowen (lead guitar), Henry Montgomery (bass guitar), James Wards Jr. (drums), Roosevelt Montgomery (speaker for the group).
