Digging up more nuggets

A couple of entries ago, I said that I'd talk about some other people, and I plan on saluting some very special people to me here real soon!

But first, another tale of my continuing gospel music journey.

Regular readers to this corner of the web will know that I spend a lot of time listening to older gospel recordings. That is not merely because I prefer the older music(which I do)...but also because the songs I heard on those recordings have helped shape my life and faith...and do to this day!

And every once in a while, I rediscover old records that bless me anew when I hear them.

Recently I posted on rediscovering the Couriers' classic "Joy, Joy"...a song I had been familiar with for decades, but until I started playing it again often lately, never fully appreciated the musical masterwork that it was...and still is! I now appreciate its' special place in the overall history of gospel music more than ever...not to mention that I get more out of the great message it has for its' audience than I did before as well!

Evidently I'm not the only one uncovering hidden "nuggets" from old Couriers recordings...one of the better songs on the new Collingsworth Family album is their remake of Neil Enloe's classic "He's More Than Just A Swear Word".

That great aong originally appeared on the Couriers' 1972 album "Town And Country"...but its' timeless message is as relevant in 2007 as it was 35 years ago.

And the Collingsworth Family joins other elite gospel groups such as the Downings and the Blackwood Brothers in recording it...I haven't heard their version yet, but knowing how good they are, I can only imagine that they do a bang-up job on it...I'm sure that Neil would be proud if he heard it.

Anyway, I was in a mood to hear some quiet, well-crafted songs of praise and worship to God...so I combed through my stack of old Courier LPs.

One I kept bypassing in such searches was "The Couriers Sing Folk"(Tempo 7519)...I just never thought I'd care to hear it for that purpose...though I remember it as being a very good, accomplished, "quiet" album.

But this night was different...knowing that it began with two classic Enloe songs("Potter, Vessel, Oil[one of my favorites by Neil], and "Look Up"[originally done in 1966 by the Couriers Quartet]), I figured it would be a good start to get me in a worshipful mood.

Boy, did it! After those two songs, the rest of the album grabbed my spirit...and embraced my soul!

The musical fest began with Wayne Walters' "Twelve Men", a story song about the lives of the twelve disciples, and segued into a folk version of the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed Be Thy Name", featuring a Dave Kyllonen lead vocal.

Then came a song I had heard incessantly at church youth meetings ever since my earliest Christian days, which never moved me much in those days. But when I heard the Couriers do "Alleluia", their arrangement of it was so moving, I finally got into the spirit of the song.

"Alleluia" was never really intended to be done by professional singers, but the Couriers' version showed what good professional singers could do with that type of song. It also reminded me anew why many in the 1970s considered the Couriers a favorite of Christian youth, although in the ensuing years, I had forgotten why that was so. Now I knew again why they had such wide demographic appeal in the 1970s.

The next song blew me away. I always like songs adapted directly from the Bible, and the "Love Theme"(written by Paul Johnson, ex-husband of Kathie Lee Gifford)was exquisite in its' beauty(taken as it is from 1 Corinithians 13), and the Couriers(featuting tenor Duane Nicholson)interpreted the eloquently written lyrics with dignity and sensitivity. It's one of those songs that reduces me to tears each time I hear it.

That was followed by another Wayne Walters(the subject of a fine article on the SGN main page written by his daughter Becky)classic, "John The Baptist"(which Dave, Duane, and Neil still feature in their appearances today-in fact, you can watch them do it on a YouTube video)...this charming song was a good change of pace in the album.

Next was a mellow ballad, "He Turned The Water Into Wine", featuring Enloe(a master interpreter of lyrics). It calmly led into "Somebody Died For You", another strong folk-type ballad.

The album(and my wonderful experience)concluded with "Jesus Is Saying", a song featuring a recitation by Kyllonen on the importance of prayer(followed in the song by a prayer from the Rev. K himself). That was an appropriate closing prayer to a night of glorious worship in song, thanks to the Couriers of 1973.

Yes, it pays to dig through those nuggets sometimes...you never know what Jesus might want to say to you.

Once more, with feeling

Once again, congratulations to my friend Daniel Mount.

I got my copy of the October Singing News today, and I saw that Ken Kirksey gave Daniel's new book, "The Faith Of America's Presidents", a very favorable review.

As I wrote earlier here, I only saw the book once, and didn't really read it in detail, but merely scanned through it, but judging from Kirksey's comments, I would likely enjoy the book once I DID read it. I get weary of my well-meaning brethren who try to rewrite the history of our country, and make our early Presidents people they clearly were not. Daniel's book(according to Kirksey)avoids these errors of analysis, and is worth a good read to all interested in that sort of reading. I DID notice that Daniel's book is highly annotated, and it's apparent a lot of research went into his content. Way to go, Daniel!

I would also like to thank the SN's West Coast correspondent, Dennis Zimmerman(of the Watchmen Quartet of Chino)for mentioning our radio program on KMJ in his tribute to the late Bob Jones.

Our show began after Don Smith and his new quartet(in 1947), the Gospelaires, got what WAS Jones' time on the station. I think a 60-year lifespan would make us the longest running continuous gospel music radio program still going, you think? If anyone knows of an older program, please tell me! Anyway, thanks to our good friend Dennis for the mention.

Credentials?

Tonight is one of those nights, so bear with me on this entry.

When I think of all the other fine people who maintain blogs like this one, I wonder sometimes just how I fit in as an observer of gospel music, which I've loved long before I loved the real gospel!

After all, unlike some of my colleagues, I'm not an artist(nor have I been...nor even played one on TV!). I've never been a professional singer, though I've sung in public, and with a variety of groups and choirs(even once in a barbershop quartet!).

Nor am I an instrumentalist, though there was a time in my life I had some skill on some instruments.. Nor have I ever run a recording session for an album, though in my day job I've had a LOT of experience in using recording equipment.

Finally, although I've had a bit of formal musical training, I've not received any musical certification nor any degrees in music. At least one of the above items has been achieved by the vast majority of the people writing blogs on gospel music. So what qualifies me to have a space to write my opinions on gospel music?

I'm going to be bold here...I'm as qualified as anyone to write a blog on gospel music. What makes me say that?

Well...being a mostly verbal person my entire life, and being a professional communicator for over 25 years, I can write well(at least I think I do)...and evidently the people who run this website agree, since they entrust me with their monthly history articles. And since they do that, they must believe that I am reasonably well versed in gospel music history.

And because of that, I think I have a pretty fair understanding of where gospel music has been, and as such can anticipate trends on where it may be going...and assuming the above is true, I can express my observations on that with some degree of credibility.

And since I was a professional record collector for several years in the 1970s and 1980s, and during that time amassed a large number of gospel quartet recordings(of ALL kinds), I think I have a good historical perspective on how the gospel music business(and its' styles)developed.

And finally, since I have been a fan of this music since(roughly)the age of 9, and have been responsible for programming the longest running gospel radio program on commercial radio in the country, I think I have a pretty good idea of what other gospel fans enjoy most in their music.

I hope this entry didn't sound too vain, self-conscious, or defensive...I don't mean it to be. It's just that after today, I needed to remind myself why I belong here. Thanks for bearing with me...next time I promise to focus on other people!:-)

Happy birthday!

Over in another corner of the web, it's a festive occasion.

My friend Daniel Mount celebrated the first anniversary of his very successful blog today(9/18). Both Daniel and his blog have come a mighty long way since then.

My first recollection of Daniel was on a gospel music message board...I was absolutely amazed that someone his age(20 at the time, if I'm not mistaken)would have such a love and interest in the history of gospel quartet music! But he did(and still does), and because of his unending curiosity, he reminded me of myself at that same age. You see, I was the weird guy in my church and at college because I liked all that gospel quartet stuff...and eschewed the fashionable pop music of the day. I haven't changed a bit in 29 years...in that respect!

I knew no one at that time who could help me refine and cultivate my love and curiosity for the music...so I had to just buy the records, read the few books then available on the subject, and just absorb all that to become an authority on the music. It wasn't until I joined the Southern Gospel News message boards and hooked up with the likes of John Crenshaw, Dean Adkins, Cliff Cerce, and many of the genre's artists that I got to know through various means that I got to have a modicum of ready working knowledge of the history of this genre.

Daniel is more fortunate...he got to network with all of us right away, in addition to many other people who have taught him much about the inner workings of the gospel music business. And in the past year, he has used what he has learned and applied his natural curiosity and writing skill to produce one of the better gospel music blogs out there. He is usually able to post something interesting every day...no mean feat indeed! I wish I had the energy and time to devote to this blog the energy and time Daniel devotes to his. When anyone asks me who to read in the world of gospel music bloggers, Daniel's name is among the select few I recommend to each and every person who asks.

His blog is truly interactive...he tries to avoid negativity, emphasizing his positive feelings about this wonderful genre of music, and never fails to acknowledge those who support and encourage him. There are two or three blogs out there that I recommend to anyone proposing to undertake doing one themselves, and Daniel's is definitely one of those.

In addition to all that, Daniel is a gracious, polite, humble young man who is a good witness of his faith. He is also a published author, a songwriter, and a man of many talents indeed.

So it's with great delight and pleasure that I salute my friend Daniel Mount, on the first anniversary of one of the best gospel music blogs out there!

What did I miss?

Well, the 50th National Quartet Convention is now history...and once again, I couldn't attend myself to catch all the excitement(and everything else there).

I did, however, read several reports from people who were there...thanks, folks, for sharing your impressions.

And I even got to get a look at some of the other fine people who write blogs about gospel music...thanks, Daniel and Aaron, for taking and sharing the pictures I saw.

As expected, the reactions and impressions of the various commentators were varied...due to tastes and their respective expectations of each artist(and event). From those, I gathered that each artist performed as most expected, pleasing their fans, and earning at least polite attention from their detractors. Maybe detractors is not quite the proper word, but by that I simply mean those who are not fans of that particular artist.

So what can I comment on, since I was not there to take it in myself?

One item that has come up in discussions about the convention is Les Beasley's official announcement during the Florida Boys' official farewell set that that venerable name has been sold to promoter Charlie Waller, who is going to put a new Florida Boys Quartet on the road with all new members, including himself.

Now I don't know how often Waller intends to work with the group, nor do I know his long term vision for what this group is to be. So from here for now, my jury is out on this new group of Florida Boys...the only two in the announced group I am familiar with as performers are baritone Buddy Burton, a longtime gospel trouper and a most talented singer and performer...and the young pianist Joshua Pope, who has dazzled fans at Waller's Grand Old Gospel Reunion and elsewhere with his amazing skills.

Again, I don't know how this group will sound...or what their plans are for appearances and such. The only misgiving I have about this new group is their taking the name of one of the most venerable and established groups in gospel history. Not that there's anything wrong with doing that per se, but adopting the Florida Boys name will cause many fans to make comparisons between Waller's group and the old group, and that can put undue pressure and expectations on a new group. Even if one forgets about the name and listens to Waller's group on its' own merits, it will be extremely difficult for fans to hear them, and notice their name, and not make comparisons to their favorite version of the Florida Boys of the past. That will make it tough for Waller's quartet to be accepted by some gospel fans, no doubt.

I will not comment here on the relative propriety of a new group taking on a familiar name...there are too many issues involved in that to do a brief analysis of that phenomenon in this space. As I said above, for now, I will suspend any qualitative judgments on Waller's new quartet until I've heard enough of them to form an informed opinion. I can only wish them a lot of luck for now, because they're going to need it.

But I conclude this post by saying that I wish I could have been there(again), to meet some of my favorite people...and hear some of the best gospel singers(and songs)in the world.

Maybe next time...

Far from the madding crowds

I know...as a blogger who specializes in writing about gospel music, my thoughts should be focused on its' biggest annual event,. the National Quartet Convention...finishing up tonight in Louisville.

But I can't help it...my gospel music thoughts are elsewhere today...far, far from Louisville.

My good friends Dave, Duane, and Neil(aka the "original" Couriers)are finishing up a two-week stint in Alaska...singing tomorrow at the North Pole(!)and in Fairbanks.

Alaska is hardly a "hotbed" for anything....let alone "southern" gospel music. It's hard to get farther north than the North Pole!

Yet when those three men, along with Don Baldwin and Eddie Reece, left Bible college in 1958 to enter the world of gospel music, they were determined to fulfill their calling of taking the gospel via music anywhere they were told to go. Now sure, as the Couriers, they were regulars for years at the NQC, and they're quite familiar with what that event can do for an artist in terms of fame and exposure among their peers and the fans. They know all about it...but here they are, each of them in the 70-year old age neighborhood, and when many of their peers are either retired from singing alrogether or at the NQC taking all the "gospel glitz" in(whatever THAT would be), they're out there in one of the farthest corners of the earth, carrying the message they were entrusted with carrying over 50 years ago to people who never get to see that kind of singing any other way, some longtime fans, some not.

They may have passed the name on to a new group of men, but I assure you...Dave, Duane, and Neil continue to be true Couriers.

Now I've never been lucky enough to attend the NQC. But I have attended most of the Western conventions here in California...and I'm throughly familiar with conventions and their atmosphere...and I enjoy them, as well as the fellowship I get at those events. I'm looking forward to next year's Western convention already...and it's still eight months away!

But having been blessed to hear Dave, Duane, and Neil in person...and to know them as people, and know their hearts...I can't help but think of them during this NQC week, as they once again faithfully fulfill their calling they first answered some 50+ years ago, in the farthest reaches of our 49th state.

Yeah, I'm a different sort of blogger...but that's me.

Angels in strange places

God surely does have His ways.

Today started out being a day like any other...up at the crack of dawn, my walk, a hurried breakfast, then off to work.

Once I got there, disturbing news was waiting for me. That news kept me in a funk all morning, and only the professionalism that God imbued me with got me through the first half of the day.

Then came the afternoon...although it was payday, my check wasn't as big as I'd hoped it would be...which made my bill paying rounds after work a bit painful for my spirit. It's a lousy feeling to spend a good chunk of your paycheck right after you got it...especially when you know there are more bills to pay in the coming days.

And still, the news I thought I had recieved in the morning was still lingering in my mind...I knew what I should be doing with it...but my spirits were too down for me to do what I knew I should do. I must have been a real joy(not!)to the people I was seeing this afternoon.

But a smile from an employee of my bank(in the midst of my grouchiest moment)started me back in the right direction...how could I be surly to such a warm, caring person? As I left the bank, I thanked the employee for enduring me at my worst.

Then it was off to a restaurant for dinner...I was still in my blue mood...but I knew that good food would help.

And it did...but I had no idea what was coming during my meal. A waitress(not the one waiting on me)came by to me, and asked me if I was OK...my first thought when someone asks me that is, "Uh oh, why is she asking me THAT? Do I look sick or something?"

And I did ask her that...but she said with a smile, "No, I just wanted to make sure you were being taken care of...", and I knew right away Who sent her my way.

A few minutes later, I got her aside and thanked her for her concern, and told her how much it meant to me that she would come by on a day like today was, and simply ask if I was OK...with no ulterior motive, and no strings attached. I told her that I recognized her as an angel sent by God to show me how much He cared for me...and that made her smile again.

Smiles are infectous...when I saw hers, I burst into one of my own...how touched I was that this sweet young lady, who was just doing what she felt was her duty in seeing to it that one of the restaurant's customers was doing OK, would act so caring and Christlike in so doing. It just goes to show that you never know where Jesus might show up...and I really felt like the "least of these" today...and she came at the right time for me.

When I got home, I went online...then spent a whole lot of time in prayer...then took a walk to go get something to snack on for the evening. I live next door to a fire station, and as I was almost home, one of the firemen there, who never fails to give me a cheerful greeting when he sees me on my morning walk, greeted me cheerily again...and then he too asked if I was OK.

I'm not one of those people that reflexively says "fine" if I'm not feeling that way...so when I told him how I was really feeling, a compassionate smile crossed his face, and then he reached out and gave me a hug...and told me that anytime I needed to talk to someone, to just come by and see him. Again, I knew Who sent this friendly fireman...and I affirmed that to him...and he gave me a brisk "Amen!" and hugged me one more time. Another angel where I least expected one.

Suddenly, my day was turning out much better than how it started. When I got back online, I found that the news I had thought was so disturbing this morning was really good news for me.

Finally, I got a nice e-card from a new dear friend...who updated me on what was going on in her life, which was something I had been praying about all week. I thought the intial news was bad there, too...but her clarification reminded me Who was truly in charge.

Why do so many of us do that? When we know that our God is in charge, and will never let us out of His sight, and will always take care of us, why do we get carried away sometimes, and act as if He's not paying attention? Of course He is...and I know it!

I'm glad he showed me His love for me through His angels disguised as a waitress, a fireman, and a close friend.

Thank you, Lord...it was a GOOD day today! And I know that You'll straighten out this other stuff, so I'm not worried anymore.

My turn: The Couriers that never were

I noticed that my friend Daniel Mount isn't above appropriating other people's ideas into his own fine blog. If you read his latest post at his blog(southerngospelblog.com), you'll see he borrowed an idea based on another blogger's concept of listing the best all-time vocalists of various groups by part into a sort of "ultimate quartet". Daniel's twist on this idea is to list people that would have fit into a particular quartet and sounded good, but who were never actually in that group...kind of like "the X quartet that never was"...which is a fascinating concept as well.

Since I've not been shy of late in shamelessly borrowing concepts from Daniel, I'll do it again this time. I will list a prototypical version of a quartet myself, based on Daniel's criteria mostly, with a twist(you'll see it when you see my list).

The quartet I'm picking, not surprisingly, is the Couriers Quartet, a classic group I'm more familiar with than most. I will name a prototypical Couriers Quartet based on Daniel's criteria...mostly consisting of singers who never sang with the original Couriers, but who would best reproduce the sound and feeling of the actual group itself. The list is first, with an explanation of my selections below.

Tenor-Larry Ford
Lead-Neil Enloe
Baritone-Mark Trammell
Bass-Tim Beitzel

The tenor is a relatively easy choice. Duane Nicholson was characterized by a big, full, semi-operatic tenor sound. His voice was the focal point of the original Couriers' sound. The only tenors I could think of that are even capable of duplicating the effect Duane's singing and presence on audiences are Larry Ford and Bill Shaw. Ford, who sang with the Dixie Echoes and the James Blackwood Quartet, is the best choice of the two, for he is also a preacher(like Duane), and has a similar vocal style to Duane in his heyday. Plus, he is a longtime friend of the Couriers. Thus, Larry Ford is my tenor in this revamped Couriers Quartet.

Now, I know my lead is a ringer...since Neil actually WAS the lead for the Couriers from the time they left Bible college up to when they retired(both times). But try as I may, I could not think of anyone who could recreate Neil in voice quality or sound, and who would fit the concept of the Couriers as he could. And so, since it's my list, I'm going to put Neil back in his own quartet where he belongs. Surely Neil's most versatile voice, plus his relaxed stage manner and his songwriting, make him a difficult person to replace in ANY group I could come up with.

On the baritone, I'm putting a man who considers Neil to be one of his heroes(as do I)...a man who can blend with a quartet but could also take a strong lead in a song, much like Couriers Quartet baritones Don Baldwin and Phil Enloe, Mark Trammell. He too, exemplifies a "Courier" attitude in his work, and is the ultimate quartet men.

On Dave Kyllonen's bass part, I'm going with another ringer, the bass/baritone in the current Couriers, Tim Beitzel. When the current group adds a fourth part, Tim moves down to the bass part...where he does a creditable, Kyllonen-like job. And since Kyllonen''s sermons became integral parts of Courier concerts from about 1966 on, Beitzel, another ordained minister, could deliver a fine closing sermon to fittingly close a classic Couriers' concert.

Of course, there never will be a lineup to fully replace the real Couriers, and I suspect that Daniel will have the same problem when trying to create his new versions of his classic groups.

Thoughts from the void

This is one of those "blah" days, when nothing much is happening, and I'm honestly not sure what to do with my day...hence, the reference to the "void".

It's my day off from work, and I'm not able to do much else other than be on the internet, because it's three days before payday, and I'm not able to afford a trip out of town to see some friends that I would like to see.

And there's not much to do in the house, either...there are only so many of my many books that I can re-read...or only so many of my LPs or CDs to play again. And frankly, the TV and radio available to me at this time is not interesting to me in the least!

So I'm here, talking to you...and trying to formulate my thoughts as I type.

One thing I could share is that there aren't likely to be any more song lists anytime soon, because every time I post a list of songs that I'd like to see recorded anew by today's current gospel artists, it seems that someone is pointing out to me that those songs in question are BEING done, or have been done recently by someone.

And though I appreciate the help(and in most of those cases was already aware of those recordings...I'd just forgotten about them, that's all), it occurs ro me that the more I post about such things, the more apparent it becomes that I'm simply not as aware as I could be of what is being done nowadays, or even recently, in the gospel industry....a fact that I don't necessarily want many of my readers to know! Not, as I've been falsely accused of in the past, that I'm "lost in yesterday", but I admit I'm still more passionate and involved in a lot of my older recordings than I am in most of today's...something that I don't apologize for, by the way.

But what will I comment on today?

Well, the hot round of discussion on the blogs I check daily have to do with anonymity, in other words, is it better to put your name(and possibly your face as well)on your work...so that people who read it can "know" the person who's making these observations, or does it possibly make your work take on a more objective basis if you keep your name(and again, possibly face)out of it?

Defending the latter viewpoint is perhaps the best known of the so-called "anonymous" blogs, Doug Harrison(who really hasn't been anonymous for some time now), whose well-known blog is always lively, sometimes pedestrian, sometimes infuriating, but almost always entertaining and challenging. Doug seems to feel that to write a blog such as the one he does, the best tack is to be as unknown and unrecognizable as he can be.

On the other side are bloggers with a slightly different philosophy about what they do, such as Daniel Mount and David Bruce Murray, two fine gentlemen whose work I respect a great deal(I respect Doug, too). They have no qualms about being identified with their work...in fact, as Murray says in a comment on Doug's blog, he(and Mount) want to become better acquainted with the artists and the work they write about, and simply strive to write as intelligently and responsibly about the music(and its makers)that they write about. They don't mind being known, or being identified with the industry and its artists.

Where do I fall in these two camps?

Well, first of all, I have always resisted being identified in ANY "camps", preferring to be identified by my own work solely. Obviously, I have no problem with identifying my name(and my face)next to what I write(and Doug, I seriously doubt you have anything to fear at the NQC concerning any recognition...or any "ambush")...I don't mind at all being identified with my own opinions, whatever they may be. And inasmuch as they are my good friends, and have the reputations they do, I WANT to be identified with the Couriers(at least for what they represent!)...and any other artist that has earned personal and professional respect in the gospel music industry.

But I understand Doug's position as well...certainly it is harder to be an objective observer(or critic)when one is personally involved in some way with the people(and recordings)one is writing about. It is easier to make truly objective observations(positive or negative)if there is sufficient "space" between the observer and the issue.

I guess I'm saying, there's room for everybody! And why does say, Baskin-Robbins emphasize the fact that they offer 31 kinds of ice cream, if the majority of people who eat ice cream prefer either chocolate or vanilla?

Maybe they do...and maybe most gospel fans cite either Signature Sound or the Statesmen as their favorite gospel quartets...but if you're writing a blog aiming for as many different types of readers as possible, why not throw some other groups' fans a bone once in a while as well? It only makes sense from a business standpoint.

And Baskin-Robbins knows that there are all kinds of people, and maybe, just maybe, they want something else once in a while besides either chocolate or vanilla, venerable flavors both...so they offer it. And they have survived long after other ice cream establishments have been forced to close their doors.

Simply put, all kinds of people, with all kinds of tastes and interests, are interested in reading about gospel music. And the great thing about the blogosphere is that we all have writers as diverse as Harrison, Mount, Murray, and yes, humble little ol' me to pick from(among many)for what they want to read and enjoy.

So anonymous..or otherwise...write on, folks!

Yet another list

This song list thing is getting kinda fun!

In my last installment, I borrowed an idea from Daniel Mount and offered a list of songs from the past that hadn't been heard in some time, in hopes that someone might take the hint and re-record them anew, I thank Daniel and my good friend Cliff Cerce for alerting me of versions of some of those songs that have been done recently.

I'm still waiting for someone to do "Do The Do's" though, just to prove the song existed...since the Rebels' very rare version of it in 1958, I don't think anyone else recorded it. Too bad, because it's a fun song.

This time, though, I'd like to submit some other older songs that ought to be heard again. The ones in my first list, though all gospel classics, were all on the "light" side...and although there is a place for those kinds of songs, the songs that touch me the most are the songs with the most profound messages, or expressions of the gospel or the Christian life itself.

Having said that, let's consider some more songs...with an artist I think would do a good job with each song.

1. WHERE NO ONE STANDS ALONE-Mosie Lister's mid-1950s classic song was recorded by Elvis Presley on his sole Grammy award winning album, his 1957 gospel classic "How Great Thou Art"...and it was done by the Statesmen and most of the other leading quartets of that era, but I've not heard it done in some time. It is a song with a great, comforting message...and somebody ought to sing it. Perhaps I'm unaware again of someone's recent version. SUGGESTED ARTIST: Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.

2. I CAN FEEL THE TOUCH OF HIS HAND-This JD Sumner song, written circa 1970, is considered by many to be the best and most enduring of his some 700+ compositions. Most of gospel music's top artists recorded it in the 1970s, and it's possible the Stamps still sing it now, after all these years. Somebody ought to revive it...Gold City, maybe?

3. SONGS THAT ANSWER QUESTIONS-People like to bring back Bill Gaither songs...and that's understandable, since Gaither may have arguably been the finest composer of Christian music in the 20th century. This 1970s song is one of my all-time favorite Gaither songs, with lyrics that cut through all the inter-Christian squabbling over picky doctrinal issues and emphasizing what is really important in our proclamation of the gospel. SUGGESTED ARTIST: The (new)Prophets Quartet.

4. THE JOY OF KNOWING JESUS-My favorite Neil Enloe song, it was recorded by almost every gospel quartet of the late 1960s and early 1970s, as it should have been. Let's hear this song again...and since the Inspirations did in in 1970, and they've been re-recording a lot of their early hits of late, I'd like them to give this song another go. I won't mind...and neither will Neil.

5. UNTIL YOU'VE KNOWN-This late 1960s Rusty Goodman composition is on a lyrical par with his more popular classic "Who Am I"(IMHO)and to my recollection, hasn't been recorded in a while. Let's hear the Perrys do it(if they didn't on their recent Goodman recollection album, which I don't have handy to check at the moment).

Again, feel free to correct, suggest, praise, or bury(so to speak!).

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