Ah, the perks

I have now been writing the SG History 101 articles for Southern Gospel News for nearly three years, and I have to say, as enjoyable as the actual writing of the articles is for me(and I love discussing my[and your]gospel music heroes), almost as enjoyable for me is the preparation for each article.

It was during the preparation for my first real article(on the Couriers), that I was able to establish two of the most significant friendships in my life, those of former Couriers Neil Enloe and Duane Nicholson, and those friendships have gone far beyond the mere writing of an article...they are blessings in my life which I am thankful for daily.

And it was during the research for my article on the Downings that I discovered what wonderful people Ann Downing and Laurie Winton are, and I am proud to call them friends now as well.

And likewise with my article on the Goss Brothers...it was great to get to know Roni Goss, and a distinct honor for me to interview Lari Goss on the phone for more than an hour to get the essence of what made the Goss Brothers so special in the history of gospel music. I've not spoken to them in some time, but both Roni and Lari should know how much I value them and the time they chose to spend with me.

Deon and Susan Unthank never told me about those fringe benefits, but I'm very thankful for them...and it has been an honor and privilege to share the stories of all these great singers and people with all of you. I look forward to continuing to do it.

Today, as I was finishing up my research for my coming article, I had the privilege of speaking on the phone with Ed Hill, the man who organized(and re-organized)the Prophets Quartet...what a delight to speak to such a classy, well-spoken gentleman.

Ed is in the midst of preparing an album of the new Prophets, and has other people and places he must tend to, but he courteously spent some 20 minutes on the phone with me, discussing my subject, the Prophets, and other names in the gospel music business we both knew.

I don't know this from experience, but I can't imagine another part of the music business where the artists are so available and transparent, and willing to share themselves and their stories with virtual strangers.

But as I said, some of them have become some of my best friends.

One thing's for sure...I wouldn't mind talking to Ed Hill again...he is a credit to gospel music...as are all the singers that I have been blessed enough to become friends with over the years.

So, thank you, Deon...thank you, Susan...thank you, Neil...and Duane...and Ann...and Laurie...and Roni and Lari.

And thank you, Ed Hill, for today.

But most of all, thank You, Lord!:-)

Off to a flying start

A month ago, I saluted my former boss at the radio station where I work. I also expressed the feeling that his successor would have his work cut out for him, inasmuch as my former boss did a lot for me and our station.

Turns out, it doesn't look like I have anything to be concerned about...our new leader is doing just fine so far, thank you.

Skip Essick came to KMJ after being the General Manager for the Grand Rapids cluster of stations owned by the largest radio ownership group in America...and he obviously had the qualifications to run even a station of our noble heritage.

Understandably, it takes time to get one's arms around a station as large and venerable as ours...and Skip is still in the learning process, by his own admission.

But I know of no one who could have made a smoother transition into our operation.

And Skip has done it right from the get-go. He didn't come in with the arrogance of someone with a notion that he could immediately make us a better operation. He observed, he listened, and he spent time with us and got to know us...and got to know Fresno....and he is still picking up things today(but very quickly).

He is finally starting to make subtle changes to make us better sounding...slowly, one piece at a time.

And Skip has great people skills. He is an exceptional listener, and he is learning(through us, and listening to our work)just what has made KMJ tick...and be successful for over 80 years.

And he is also an exceptional voice talent...unlike John Broeske, he has no intentions of being a regular on-air presence on our station...yet the promos he has cut for our shows and such are as professional as they come. He makes us sound good!

This week, he was on our main talk show in the middle of the day, taking calls and suggestions from our listeners, who got to see Skip as we do, as a regular, dedicated family man, eager to keep KMJ a broadcast success.

I think he'll fit in just fine.

Skip is on his way back to Grand Rapids, to move his furniture and belongings to Fresno, and finally settle down in his new home. I have a feeling he'll be around for quite some time.

Skip Essick, good job. I'm happy you are my new boss, and I'm glad to help you do great radio.

Of memories

I got my new copy of the Singing News today.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the National Quartet Convention, there are some special articles and recollections...including a nice sketch of the current NQC board by regular contributor Roy Pauley.

Pauley's opinion piece this month, by the way, is a thoughtful piece on current gospel quartets, including a short commentary on Ernie Haase and SSQ, in which his eventual conclusions about them echo mine(good quartet, the stage antics are a possible distraction but if one listens past them, one can hear why SSQ is so successful...and Pauley is quick to concede that they ARE successful).

There is also a nice piece on a California quartet that my co-host on our radio program enjoys very much(they are friends of hers), the Revised Standard Version.

But this is NOT a review of this month's issue...just some thoughts on what I saw there.

I was taken in particular by some reminiscing about the Blackwood Brothers, who were the principal movers behind the NQC(in particular bass singer JD Sumner). The looks back were from the children of Sumner, James Blackwood, RW Blackwood, and Cecil Blackwood. I was touched by the charming look back at these dedicated men from the memories of their children.

It was nice to hear what Mark Blackwood had to say about his father, Cecil(who has been so villified by many, and not completely without justification)...Mark speaks fondly of Cecil's kind nature, which I personally experienced often in the three or four times I saw him face to face. Cecil was always friendly and kind to me.

As was Sumner...who I met only a half dozen times, when he was still with the Masters V and later with the revitalized Stamps. Sumner was always warm and solicitous with me...I could tell that he was a genuine and humble man, in spite of his onstage schtick. I remember when I saw him with the Stamps in 1989, and he took Don Smith, me, and my mother on a tour of his bus. Sumner was one of my gospel heroes, and he lived up to everything I thought him to be in the times I met him.

Then there was James Blackwood...what a man! I must have seen James a grand total of a dozen times in my life, the first in 1975 when he joined the Blackwood Brothers for a homecoming for Don Smith's Gospelaires in Fresno. I bought his autobiography and he signed it for me, and spent several minutes in conversation with me, giving this 17-year old gospel music enthusiast(and new Christian)all the attention I could want, in spite of the fact that scores of people crowded around him all the while.

I didn't see James again for seven years. By that time I was living in Southern California, and he was again with the Blackwood Brothers at El Camino College. I was utterly amazed when he saw me...he greeted me with a friendly, "Hi, John...how have you been?"

My jaw had to be picked up off the floor of that auditorium. James Blackwood must have met over a milllion people in his lifetime by that point....but somehow, he remembered the name of a guy from Fresno he hadn't seen in seven years! If I needed any reason to be a fan of James for life(and I didn't), he gave me one! I would see James several more times between then and his passing, and he never forgot me or my name! You never replace people like James Blackwood, JD Sumner, London Parris, or the many other gospel singers I met and befriended...they come along but once, and they must be cherished while they're here...and afterward.

My first top ten list

Well, having commented on Daniel Mount's various Cathedral Quartet top ten lists, I think it's high time I came up with one of my own...not necessarily by popular demand(no one asked me, after all)...but because I can, and it might be fun, too(for some).

I've decided to hold off(for now)on the subjects of my favorite quartets, and songs(that might ire some people, and I don't want to do that...yet!:-)).

My first list will resemble Daniel's, in that I will do one on my favorite group(which should keep me on relatively safe ground).

But since there weren't ten different versions of the Couriers, I have to make this a list of something that illustrious group did ten of.

Thus...my list of top ten albums by the Couriers(needless to say, comments are welcome)...in my own order.

1. NOTHING BUT...THE GOSPEL TRUTH(Warner Bros. 1514, 1963)-The album that put the Couriers on the map in the world of gospel music. Other artists had respected the Couriers for a few years by this time, but with the daring(for the time), almost "worldly" arrrangements, this ground breaking album shook the gospel world....especially since the relatively straight laced, conservatively styled Couriers did this kind of album instead of more famous groups like the Blackwoods or the Statesmen. Even 44 years after its' release, the album still sounds fresh and modern. Not to mention(are you listening, Daniel?)that groups like the Cathedral Quartet would borrow the album's string and orchestral arrangements for themselves in a mere two years.

2. DEDICATED TO THE HYMNS(Hymntone 3082, 1962)-No better straight quartet-singing album of traditional hymns was ever recorded. Bryan Jones' piano stylings bring out the beauty of these classic hymns perfectly...and the quartet's singing is reverent and inspired.

3. HONORING JESUS(Hymntone 3086, 1964)-The finest of the recordings made with my favorite Couriers' lineup(Nicholson/Enloe/Baldwin/Kyllonen/LD Young), this forgotten classic features great songs and arrangements by Young and inspired vocals from every member of the quartet, including Young. Kyllonen sang his best bass on this album.

4. THE SENSATIONAL SOUNDING COURIERS QUARTET(Canaan 9608, 1965)-The final album with Don Baldwin and LD Young, strong new songs are combined with older classics and sung as well as the Couriers could sing them, which is pretty darned good.

5. CROSS COUNTRY CONCERT(Hymntone 7147, 1966)-Some say the finest Couriers Quartet lineup was this one, with Phil Enloe on baritone rather than Baldwin. This album features exquisitely smooth singing by this ensemble(most notably on the beautiful "He's Life"), several Neil Enloe classics("Give Me Jesus", "Look Up", "I Will Live For Jesus"), and solid production from Don Baldwin.

6. SING UNTO THE LORD(Canaan 9620, 1965)-The first album with the lineup in #5(plus 17-year old Eddie Hawks on piano), some of the quartet's finest singing is found on this hard-to-find album.

7. WE'VE GOTTA SING(Warner Bros. 1547, 1964)-Their second Warner's classic, and their first with LD Young on piano(Young wrote 8 of the album's 12 songs), it is not as musically daring as NBTGT, but each song has a unique instrumental feature to hook onto. A fine album of quartet style singing in 1964.

8. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO JOURNEY ALONE(Hymntone 3084, 1962)-Don Baldwin's favorite album he did with the quartet, and also notable for including two early Bill Gaither songs("Oh For A Faith" and "Lovest Thou Me"), making the Couriers one of the first groups to record Gaither material. It also includes Neil Enloe's first recorded song, "Oh Lord" and is augmented by Ben and Brock Speer on bass and guitar, and noted session ace Jerry Byrd on steel guitar.

9. THE LORD'S PRAYER(Hymntone 3083, 1962)-Recorded at the same time as #8, it is nearly as good. The standout is Duane Nicholson's stirring reading of "The Lord's Prayer".

10. SWEET AND SHOUTING SPIRITUALS(Paradise 1005, 1970)-my favorite album of the group as a trio(Nicholson/Enloe/Kyllonen), it features the backing of the London Symphony Orchestra(16 years before the celebrated use of that organization by the Cathedrals), several more Neil Enloe classics(he was really coming on as a songwriter at that time), and the highlight is the closest thing to a mission statement song ever done by a gospel group, an adaptation of an old hymn("The Vision")with a recitation written by Enloe and delivered flawlessly by the Rev. Kyllonen. The song epitomizes the Couriers as no other song could epitomize a group...it is very moving.

I know...9 out of 10 are quartet albums...what can I say? I liked the quartet...and even though the trio was the version of the group that really made it big...the quartet deserves more recognition for being one of gospel's all time great quartets than it's gotten(though it DOES have a great reputation among the most knowledgable gospel fans).

One of my pet peeves(Pt. 1)

First, let me explain what I intend to make a regular semi-feature here in my little corner of the web.

When I was doing talk shows, one topic I used that always generated instant response was to ask the listeners to share their pet peeves with me. Now we all have those little things that are not important in the grand scheme of life...you don't need these things to be different to live a fulfilling life, but all the same, when you encounter them, they simply DRIVE YOU CRAZY! You can't stand to encounter them in any way, shape, or form. I did this to enable my listeners to vent and get their frustrations out...and it not only did that, but it was entertaining, and illuminating for me! I learned so much about people and how they react to things.

So to learn a little more about me, from time to time, I'll share a few of my own with you. And needless to say, you can share some of yours back, if you choose. Hope this is fun for all of you.

My first pet peeve I'll share has to do with radio talk shows...although you can extend this one to social interaction as well on occasion.

You've heard this...we all have. When someone calls a talk show, the first line out of either the host's or the guest's mouth is "How are you doing?"...which to far too many, has become merely a synonym for "hello"...and nothing else.
I know this because when I'm asked this, not knowing the current "code" of behavioral slang, I attempt to actually answer the question! And regardless of whether I say "fine", or "Not so good", the other party will invariably say "Good!" without thinking(or listening, as it were)...such less-than-scintillating dialogue, as a lover of words and expression, annoys and bores me! If you're one of those people I described, please...unless you really want to know how I am, don't ask me that question!

Now on talk shows, that question "How are you?" is a polite way of opening a conversation, perhaps, but as dialogue, it's simply a waste of time. Most of the time, no one in the audience cares how either the host or the caller is anyway, they wanr ro hear the actual discussion...and the awkward "How are you"s just seem to be a time wasting, delaying tactic that annoys a listener like me.

Once, during a show I was doing, and having to answer "How are you" from what seemed like 20 callers in a row, I finally said, "Look. For anyone who really wants to know...I AM FINE...TFN! The moment I cease to be fine, I will tell all of you...right here!"...then I continued the show, and callers enjoyed the way I deflected the obvious time wasting conversational tactic.

Another I don't like on talk shows(it happens on my station a lot), is after the conversation begins...and the caller goes on for a while with what he/she wanted to talk about, then, not hearing our polite host try to jump in, he/she will ask the incredibly dumb question..."Can you hear me?"

Look...if the host can't hear you, he'll tell you! If he starts talking to you, he(and we)can hear you! Stop wasting precious radio time!

There...I feel better! Does this annoy you, too? Does anything else? Talk to me!

I promise I'll assume you're fine...and not ask "How are you?":-)

A correction and a thought

I need, in the interest of the facts, to correct an observation I made in my last post here.

While discussing Daniel Mount's blog entry on his second favortie Cathedral Quartet, I alluded to a comment a reader there taking Daniel to task concerning his evaluation of the Cathedrals, and instead referring to the Statesmen as gospel music's "qunitessential quartet" instead.

Seeing that this person's name was Dean, and knowing that our friend Dean Adkins is one of the most eloquent and knowledgable spokepeople with regard to the Statesmen and gospel quartets, I assumed it was Professor Adkins who made the comment.

That is not correct...it was another Dean who posted that comment.

I still agree with it though.

Also, I notice that thus far there have been no comments on my latest observation here. Did I do THAT good a job in stating my case?:-)

If you all think so, I'm glad. But I never want to get a "big head" nor a false sense of security about my writing or the accuracy of my observations.

So talk to me, folks! You know the address....

My quartet is better than your quartet

I took notice of my friend Daniel Mount's recent posting on his blog the other day about his SECOND favorite version of the Cathedral Quartet.

Now when I first saw that, I reacted like many of you would...why the second favorite? What's next, your fifth favorite Cathedral Quartet?:-) But then I realized that Daniel is a passionate and devoted fan of the Cathedrals, and he thought his readers would be interested in his favorite iterations of his favorite group...especially since most of his readers, like him, cut their gospel music teeth on the Cathedrals. And since Daniel seems to be like me when discovering new gospel nuggets, it's understandable that he would want to pay proper tribute to a version of his favorite quartet.

But for some gospel music fans, especially those of us who harken back to an earlier era of gospel music, we don't share Daniel's unbridled enthusiasm for the Cathedral Quartet, especially the version he claims is his favorite and the best iteration of that fine group(the final one).

Now one rule I made for myself on the various gospel music message boards and in my writing here which I think I've followed for the most part is that I will never make comparisons between groups that put down any particular group. Music after all is a matter of taste, and despite those critics who claim that they can hold the various quartets to some kind of universal empirical standard, music is much more than just chords and notes and lyrics. Especially in gospel music, it is an experience of the heart...so the decision of what is good also must be based on how the music affects the individual listener.

For Daniel, the Cathedrals were his introduction to gospel quartet music. They won not only his ears but his heart, and I am the last one to pass judgment on the merits of the Cathedrals based on merely my own experience with them, and impose my standards on Daniel. The Cathedrals touched Daniel Mount, and inspired his life in a positive way...and isn't that what gospel music is supposed to do?

So although I don't quite share Daniel's glowing assessment of the Cathedrals(especially their final version), you won't see me putting them or Daniel's tastes down. It's not my place.

The group that brought me into gospel music as a fan was the Blackwood Brothers Quartet of the early 1960s...the version that had Bill Shaw, James and Cecil Blackwood, and JD Sumner...with first Jackie Marshall and then Wally Varner on piano. I thrilled to JD's singing, laughed at his humor and stage spirit, and also enjoyed the dignified and classy singing of Shaw and James Blackwood. To me, that epitomized what gospel quartet singing should be...and to coin a phrase, that version of the Blackwood Brothers was the group that "gave me a rainbow" for gospel quartet music.

Now the group that sealed the deal for me(as anyone who reads this blog regularly knows)was the Couriers, particularly their original quartet version. Their musical excellence and innovation, combined with their peerless personal witness, convinced this young Christian that it WAS possible to be a great quartet AND a great Christian. Not that the Blackwoods weren't, but it was a different sort of appeal to me.

Along the way, I grew to love and respect groups like the Statesmen, the Rebels, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Blue Ridge Quartet, the Harvesters, the Imperials, and countless more. Their exciting, energetic four-part harmony in praise of Christ never failed to stir my heart or my ears.

Now there are groups I like more than others. But I will endeavor not to build up one group by putting another down, nor will I engage in hyperbole that I can't possibly back up.

Therein lies my one gripe with Daniel's post. He, along with several of those who commented, tried to make the case that what the Cathedrals did on stage and record had not been equalled prior to their existence, nor has it been since.
While it's natural to be excited over one's favorite group, I don't think it's fair to make such observations without recognizing the accomplishments of the many other great quartets that existed before, alongside, and yes, after the Cathedrals. Just a cursory examination of the historical consensus indicates that other quartets had similar(if not greater)impact and influence to the Cathedrals, particularly, as Dean Adkins pointed out in his comments, the Statesmen( from whom the Cathedrals borrowed much, literally and figuratively)...who seem to hold the consensus opinion as to who the leading quartet of all time is.

I don't share that opinion, but I would be foolish to deny that that IS the consensus, whether I agree with it or not.

I have my own top tens, of my favorite quartets, and who I think are the best ever(they're two different lists, obviously)...and maybe in a future posting, I'll share them with you...and you can either applaud in agreement, or take me to task...right here in my corner of the web.

But as for now, enjoy your favorites. They undoubtedly deserve to be there...and no one has the right to deny you your privilege to like who you like...especially me!

Maybe someday Daniel will even list his favorite Cathedral Quartets, in order. That might be interesting to read.

Books to read

In this day of internet access almost everywhere, and e-mails and text messaging and the like, reading a book might seem almost passe or "old school" at best.

Nevertheless, there is nothing like reading a good book for enjoyment, cheap entertainment, or best of all...education and edification.

Education? John, are you some kind of boring, "nerd" type person?

Well...yes...sometimes, anyway. The fact that this blog is here and I write for the top southern gospel internet website proves that I spend more than my share of time online, but when I'm not online, the chances are excellent that you will find my face buried inside a book, doing my best to soak up the information I read on its' pages.

And much of what I've learned about gospel music over the last 40 years, I've learned from books.

Yes, my collection of 800+ gospel LPs has undoubtedly been of help in my learning as much about this wonderful music as I could. And the various concerts I've been blessed in my life to attend have been key as well.

But the books have brought the legends of gospel music to life to me in ways that, short of meeting every single person I read about, I could not have learned otherwise.

So I recommend that if you want to learn more about the gospel music I talk about here...go check out a good book about it.

Such as, John?

Well, I'll discuss a few books I either have or want to have that I think would be indispensable to any serious fan of gospel music. Sure, I may leave some good ones out. That's what your comments are for...to cover ground I might accidentally neglect, and to make this blog more worth reading!:-)

In no particular order, here are some noteworthy titles to peruse...

1) MURRAY'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC-this is fellow blogger and gospel music enthusiast, critic, and musician David Bruce Murray's one volume encyclopedia of the musci. This is the one book on this all-too-short list I don't have, and have yet to read fully. Nonetheless, knowing David's thoroughness and desire for accuracy, and his writing skills, and what little I've seen of the book already, I can recommend David's book to any gospel music enthusiast, or any aspiring gospel music enthusiast.

David's book attempts to cover the breadth of artists and styles involved in making our gospel music what it is today. And if you don't have the resources to buy a lot of old records, or to go to a number of libraries across the country, this one volume book is a good beginning to acquire a lot of general knowledge of gospel music and its history.

One of these days, I'll order my oen copy from David, or await a complimentary copy from David himself(are you reading this, David?)...but I fully intend to add his book to my collection of "must reads".

2)THE MUSIC MEN-Bob Terrell's masterful 1990 history of gospel quartet music from its' very earliest beginnings to its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. It is not so much a careful history book as it is an impressionistic look at gospel music through a number of its' most colorful and interestting performers. To me, the real value of the book is in the words of the singers Terrell focuses on throughout the book. There are a lot of great "inside" stories there from a lot of the most noteworthy gospel greats...and that makes for fun reading. There are some errors and factual omissions in the book...but for a birds-eye view of gospel music from some of its' all-time greats, it's hard to beat Terrell's book. I would call "The Music Men" a must have for gospel music fans. It's out of print...but if you can, find this book...and buy it! And enjoy it...if you love gospel music, I'm certain you will!

3)THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JD SUMNER-an autobiography of one of the true greats of gospel music, assisted by Terrell. During his life, Sumner was one of gospel music's most colorful and outspoken personalities, as well as one of its most innovative minds and outstanding leaders. His life story is consequently interesting enough, but his first hand tales of some of gospel music's more interesting events and his commentary on "Ministering and Entertaining" are must reads for gospel music fans, particularly those who want to read an eloquent expression of those views from one of the industry's true giants. This is a must have book for those who love gospel music...it's also out of print, but worth getting if you can find it.

4)ABOVE ALL-Kree Jack Racine's 1968 story of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet is much like Terrell's "Music Men"...there are lots of first person anecdotes that help tell the story of one of gospel' most illustrious and renowned artists. For a number of years, it was THE book to read if you wanted to know the true story of the Blackwood Brothers. Even now, the book remains one of gospel music's "must have" books.

5)THE JAMES BLACKWOOD STORY-as is this 1975 book, ghosted by Dan Martin. It is the story of the Blackwoods and their most famous member, told from first-hand recollections. I would say that this, too, is one of gospel music's "must have" books...as with most of the above titles, it is out of print...but worth finding...and worth getting.

6)CLOSE HARMONY-this 2000 book by James Goff is easily my favorite of the gospel music books I'm aware of. It is the most complete, researched, organized, and academic of the many books on gospel music. Goff writes not only from the background of a longtime gospel music fan, but from a broader historic and sociological base, and more than anyone else, writes about gospel music and its' place in American society over the years. The book goes in depth into the early history of gospel music with detailed analysis from a societal and eccelesiastical standpoint, giving equal time to gospel music's boom years(the 1940s and 1950s)and even going into the 1950s, 1960s, and the turbulent times of the 1970s onward until today, discussing in depth all of the issues gospel music has had to deal with through every era of its existence. For a serious, educated, and analytical look at the broad history of gospel music, I feel Goff's book has no equal....hence its cover endorsements from such diverse sources as Bill Gaither and Dolly Parton.

Again, I realize there are many other fine books I've overlooked. Maybe I can cover them in a future entry, or maybe you can touch on them in your comments. But I hope this list is a start for good gospel music reading for all of you.

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