Singing News posts first Weekly Chart

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 27, 2012 in News | 2 comments

Last September, Singing News announced the launch of a weekly radio chart. That chart launched today and is here (subscriber-only link).

The Kingdom Heirs kick off the chart in the #1 spot with “Tell Me Why.” It seems that much of the rest of this top 10 chart, though, is filled with fairly new singles; several are recently released, and four of the ten did not appear on last week’s chart. Could this chart ultimately play a role in cycling singles through more quickly?

3:1 CD Review: Steve Ladd (Steve Ladd)

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 27, 2012 in 3+1, CD Reviews | 0 comments

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1. Vocal Performance: Steve Ladd’s voice is more versatile than most. With Gold City, he was able to pull off everything from “When He Blessed My Soul” to “Preach the Word” to “When Jesus Saves.” This enables him to pull off the project’s progressive arrangements.

2. Production Quality: This isn’t a cheap, quickly assembled table project. Care and attention is evident in the song selection and arrangements.

3. “A Love that Wouldn’t Die”: After the first nine songs, Dianne Wilkinson’s name is about the last you would expect to pop up in the credits for the closing tenth track. Yet this quartet song, previously recorded by Integrity/Triumphant Quartet, morphs with with surprising ease into a progressive Southern Gospel song in Ladd’s hands.

:1. One thing I would change: Style: This isn’t the “About the Cross” or the “Preach the Word” Steve Ladd. It’s the “When Jesus Saves” Steve Ladd.

Guest Post: Ernie Haase and Signature Sound Concert Review (Portland, Oregon)

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 26, 2012 in Concert Reviews | 19 comments

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Ellen Gerig, known to those who love Southern Gospel videos on YouTube as “Psalm of Praise.” After she sent several links to song videos from a Signature Sound concert last week, I asked if she would consider writing a review to accompany the videos. She graciously obliged!

Videos

• Stand By Me
• Moving Up To Gloryland
• You are Welcome Here
• I’ve Been Here Before
• Sometimes I Wonder – featuring Doug Anderson
• Every Time
• The Old Rugged Cross / Love Carried the Cross
• The Bible Told Me So
• I Thirst
• God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
• Any Other Man
• Reason Enough
• Beulah Land – featuring Wayne Haun

Concert Review

When Ian Owens stepped out on stage for the first time with Ernie, Devin, and Doug on January 21, 2011, in Portland, Oregon, I was privileged to be there.

I was also privileged to hear them in the same venue a year later on January 20, 2012.

But it wasn’t without a bit of dis-incentive on the way! I was barely into the 70+-mile journey when, on I-5, a truck in the other lane kicked up some pieces of metal. They thankfully weren’t “heavy metal”, but I was not able to swerve or slow down due to traffic and had to just go with the blows. The battle scar from that encounter was the new paint on my bumper getting scraped and gouged down through to the subsurface. Then as I was rounding about the last street corner before arriving at the church, there must have been an object in the travel lane that I hit. I felt a little sidewise jolt to the car and heard a disconcerting “pop”. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the car behind me stop at the same location where I had felt the jolt, and then pull off at a curb cut (one that I had missed, or I would have pulled off there, also). Apparently they had either seen or encountered the same mysterious object that I had! As we were only a block or so from the church and the doors had opened already, I decided it would be more prudent to just go on to the church. Where the jolt had occurred was four lanes intersecting four lanes, with dividers in the middle, etc., so it would have taken a considerable amount of time to go back and find a place to park and investigate further. Anyway, after arriving at the church I discovered that a panel in front of the passenger-side rear tire was broken and had a bolt missing. Inspection of the offending street corner after the concert revealed nothing out of the ordinary, but whatever had been there had probably long since been removed.

When we walked into the church, the balcony was not open for concert-goers, much to my disappointment—and surprise. Last year even the balcony had been filled to nearly overflowing. I usually prefer a front-row balcony seat in large churches for better visibility. But in a couple minutes the offending rope on the stairway was removed, and my friend and I had prime front-row balcony seating!

The balcony never came close to being filled, however, and it was obvious that the crowd was not as big as it had been the year before. However, western Oregon was just emerging from one of the biggest floods in years, and the Columbia River Gorge (one of two primary routes into Portland from the east) was coping with snow, ice, and freezing rain—I-84 through the Gorge having been closed at least part of the day due to those very factors, and almost preventing Ernie Haase & Signature Sound from getting into town! In fact, their concert the night before in Pasco, Washington, had been canceled due to weather complications. I imagine that there were some people who would have been at the concert but were dealing with flooding aftermath, or perhaps couldn’t even get into town safely if they were coming in from the east.

It wasn’t until several days after the concert that there was mention made of my writing a review—so I was not even making any particular mental notes. I was more focused on (no pun intended) simply enjoying the evening, and grabbing some photos and videos by which to remember and relive the concert, and to share with my friends. Those of you who know me know that my powers of recollection of recent events and of chronology are not always the most stellar!

From my balcony vantage point I saw Ernie doing some meeting and greeting in the crowd on the ground floor level before the concert—a genuine smile and handshake and a few words with different individuals who were seated reachably near the aisle. The other members may have been doing that also, but as I wasn’t truly taking notes, I do not recall if that was the case or not. I also know that even the band members were available at the product table after the concert; this is one group that is available to their fans.

The usual pre-concert, in-audience product pitch/sales took place, also—this is the third time that I recall EH&SS selling pre-packaged four-item bundles for $20 directly to the seated crowd. I think the bundle consisted of one DVD and three CDs, but as I was busying myself otherwise during the pitch, I don’t recall for sure. Since these items are generally not their newest releases, I have either most or all of them already so do not avail myself of the special. But it seems to be an effective sales maneuver, and I would imagine that it also helps to keep the shopping crowd down to a manageable size at the product table at intermission and after the concert. They ARE popular, after all!

One of the first songs (maybe it WAS the first?) they sang was “Stand By Me”—one of the (if not THE) first big hit(s) for EH&SS. This was originally a song that Tim Duncan (former bass for the group) had “owned”, but now Ian has integrated well enough and has shown himself capable of filling some pretty big shoes—and did a very good job at holding down the bass line. There has been a lot of naysaying and negative commentary about the most recent personnel change in the group—and although Ian is not Tim, he brings a lot of good qualities to the stage. My opinion is that Ian is fully capable, sounds great, and is doing a wonderful job. I am not as thoroughly analytical as many of the active commenters here; I tend to simply know what I like and what I don’t like. And I like Ian. I also very much liked Tim. No two singers are going to sound alike, and “life happens”—including the inevitable personnel changes.

A few songs from the Cathedrals’ vault were pulled out, and I thoroughly enjoyed those. Last year’s tour featured songs that had been mainstreamed by the Cathedrals, and I truly hope those never are relegated to the archives. The Cathedrals knew good songs and set the standard in many ways for southern gospel as we know it today. It is a good thing—and an honor to the Cathedrals—for them to be emulated.

Their multi-talented producer and keyboardist, Wayne Haun, was featured on a couple songs, also.

I enjoyed everything that was sung, but there are two standouts in my mind. The first is the nearly-acappella rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”. Wayne Haun joined in to help create some particularly full and pleasing harmonies at the end. The second was the driving “Any Other Man”. The tempo wasn’t so fast, but the passion and the compelling guitar draws one in. I had seen some commentary on a previous post here likening it to the sound of the Imperials in the 80s, I have to concur wholeheartedly. I loved that sound—and I love it now (in fact, it made me realize how I miss the Imperials of the 80s!!)… Some might call it rock—but it doesn’t strike me as being a truly rock song. The mostly-senior crowd in attendance loved it!

Yes, there was some of the always-debated “choreography” and non-mainstream-southern-gospel attire. This year the “look” was subdued in some ways from what EH&SS has portrayed in the past. The guys had donned matching dark suits and white shirts. The short ties that EH&SS fans have come to expect were present, but the ties were matching, solid, dark, and more narrow than I recall having seen in the past. Tie clips were worn very high on the tie. Black and white canvas Converse shoes were their footwear of choice. Given that I have never found a dress shoe for myself and my funky feet that is comfortable—not even flats–I value comfort over style any day, and unconventional stage footwear doesn’t bother me if I think it looks comfortable for the wearer! And that those Converse looked! I believe that EH&SS does not intend to be the same as every other quartet out there, and that is their prerogative. I do have a feeling that as Ernie gets a few more years under his belt, there may be a bit of an evolution of clothing and choreography toward the conservative. And personally, the choreography and attire “twists” are basically neither here nor there with me. At times they can be distracting, but not so much so that I can’t enjoy the concert! I think I simply find it more intriguing than anything.

Ernie Haase’s vocals had never impressed me much in his Cathedrals days, nor in the early days of EH&SS. He tended to flat way too often. I’ll admit, however, that I have an ear that is probably hyper-tuned to hear such things. But it made some of his singing difficult to listen to—including up to the first of the two “Vintage” recordings that were made (I’ve not heard the second one, so cannot speak for it, however). However, Ernie has been improving his game—and I am very pleased to say that there was nothing difficult for me to listen to pitch-wise last Friday night! Those guys have a tight, professional sound that I could listen to a lot!

Many groups need to take a lesson from EH&SS; they have the audience clap along on 2 and 4! Imagine that! It seems that most groups have the clap-alongs on 1 and 3 (even some of my very favorite groups that should know better ), which is boring and miserable for me. And on the rare song that is in ¾ time, EH&SS have the clap-alongs on the 2 and 3. MAJOR kudos for that!!! That elevates them a star right there!

My recommendation is to go hear Ernie and the guys if you have the opportunity. It will set you back a bit financially; they bring a full band (four members) and stage backdrops and lighting. So, if you are expecting a freewill offering and/or a subdued presentation it might not be for you—but if you want to hear some mighty good singing and don’t mind a professional presentation that doesn’t remain strictly within the confines of conservative southern gospel, and you can part with a bit of cash (this concert was $25), then by all means go!

The Cathedrals’ Essential 25: Nominations

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 25, 2012 in Essential 25 | 33 comments

The Essential 25 series was inspired by our Southern Gospel 101 post, where we collectively compiled the 101 videos we would use to introduce a newcomer to Southern Gospel. The Essential 25 is a group-specific list of the YouTube performances we would use to introduce a newcomer to the group.

This week, let’s compile nominations of Cathedrals videos. We’ll probably wait a few days, perhaps until early next week, before whittling down the list and posting a final list, to allow plenty of time for research.

The idea is to both find representatives of major eras in the group’s history and to discover those moments that capture what made the group great and got us to love them.

What are your favorite Cathedrals videos on YouTube?

Gerald Williams’ Melody Boys Quartet to retire

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 24, 2012 in Changes | 17 comments

Gerald Williams’ Melody Boys Quartet just announced that they will retire on December 31, 2012. A press release sent to SouthernGospelBlog.com states:

The Melody Boys Quartet (TMBQ), one of America’s longest operating male quartets in gospel music, makes their official retirement announcement, effective New Year’s Eve, 2012.

Says Gerald Williams, who began his position as bass singer for TMBQ in 1949 at the age of 16, “We know there is a time and a season for all things. This is the right time. 63 years is a good season.”

TMBQ’s heritage goes all the way back to the late 1930s when they performed three live radio programs daily as well as a healthy concert schedule. They were gospel music pioneers when they were the first gospel music group in Arkansas to move into the, then young, television market.

They were among the groups that performed at the first National Quartet Convention in 1957. At the death of owner, manager and bass vocalist, Herschel Foshee in 1949, pianist and song writer, ‘Smilin’ Joe Roper reorganized the group as The Melody Boys Quartet and introduced a new, young bass singer to the nation. Gerald Williams, a Southern Gospel Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole’ Gospel Living Legend now enters his 63rd year as a professional vocalist.

Generation after generation of fans that love quartet music have labeled TMBQ’s sound as a touch of the past and a taste of the future. Quality sound and ministry integrity, tastefully mixed with family entertainment, is TMBQ’s trademark.

Beginning in March, TMBQ will embark on their ‘Exit 63’ Tour, which will run through the end of 2012. Mike Franklin, first tenor with TMBQ for over 19 years says, “We are still booking dates for this, our final year. If you’ve ever considered having The Melody Boys Quartet at your gospel sing or your church, now is the time to schedule.”

To book TMBQ for their ‘Exit 63’ Tour, contact Gayla at 214-957-3669 or email booking@themelodyboysquartet.com or visit www.themelodyboysquartet.com.

Williams has always run his group with class, and giving the fans a full year to say goodbye is just the latest case in point. Perhaps they have never been the most popular group in the genre, but they have always fielded a high-quality group and filled their own niche.

There is presently no word on whether there will be a farewell CD recording.

Singers and Political Endorsements

Posted by Daniel J. Mount on Jan 24, 2012 in Commentary | 66 comments

Does it matter when a singer you love publicly endorses a Presidential candidate? What is the impact of such an endorsement?

To accurately assess the impact, we would have to look at four groups of people: Those who already know they would disagree, those who already agree, those who haven’t decided yet, and those who don’t care about politics. Or perhaps we only have to look at three, since those who don’t care about politics often don’t care too much about the political inclinations of their favorite singers.

Let’s start with those who haven’t decided yet. If you are in these shoes, is an endorsement from a favorite Southern Gospel singer likely to impact your vote? I think that in most cases, like with most other endorsements, the answer is no. If a candidate starts picking up a steady stream of endorsements, it can create a sense of inevitability, but individual endorsements from individuals (no matter how prominent) rarely have a significant trajectory on the course of the race.

Moving on to those who disagree: Most singers who will endorse a Presidential candidate are already somewhat vocal about their political inclinations. Rarely does an endorsement come out of nowhere. Chances are these individuals already knew they disagreed with the singer’s political views, and chose to listen to his or her music despite those.

Finally, the impact on those already inclined to agree: While it might not impact their vote, it is quite likely to deepen their connection to the artist. The more common points of shared interest a fan has with a given artist, the more likely they are to move from being a casual fan to a committed fan. Of course, it’s not just politics: Shared interests in anything from hunting to movies to (especially in our genre) points of theological doctrine can have the same effect. 

One other point. Some artists can get away with this more easily than others. For example, an endorsement from a member of Ernie Haase & Signature Sound would more likely to hurt the group’s reach than deepen fan connections, given their on-stage seeker-friendly approach and their audience’s broad demographic. On the other hand, groups like Legacy Five and Greater Vision leave no question that they are primarily appealing to a conservative audience, making Scott Fowler’s 2008 support for Mike Huckabee and Chris Allman’s current support for Newt Gingrich (see here, with follow-up conversations with fans here) far safer moves.

Would a Southern Gospel artist’s endorsement impact your vote? And would it impact your view of the artist?

Garms Family Road Stories: Call the Elevator Man!

Posted by The Garms Family on Jan 23, 2012 in Commentary, Humor | 1 comment

Probably everyone who has hit the road singing Gospel music has picked up some memorable stories along the way. I asked Ben Garms of the Garms Family to share a few of theirs; here’s the first one.

My middle name should be “unique”.  Of course, most everyone in my family has a certain level of uniqueness about them, but I seemed to have acquired a special measure of …”uniqueness”.

The Fateful Elevator

There came a time (and it hasn’t been the only time, which the rest of the family can attest ) where this came out loud and clear. We were in Isle, Minnesota, unloading our equipment into the second-story sanctuary of the church. The church was almost a hundred years old, yet building maintenance had been kept up very well. They had at one time installed what I call a “lift” type elevator. It’s the kind which a platform is contained in a glass well. You look up, and you can see where you’re going, and you look down, and you can see where you came from. (Great for height-lovers like me…NOT!) It was one of my first encounters with such a device.

When we met the promoter, she had explained that we could use the elevator for our unloading purposes. About half-way through the process, I had a considerable load to take up to the sanctuary, and no one else was around to help me out. So, using my head, I thought, “Well, I’ll just use the elevator! Why haul it up some steep steps?” By the time I had the stuff in front of the elevator door, Leesha had shown up. I confided to her my plan, and she said, “Okay?”.  I loaded the things into the elevator, and looking around the cramped space, saw the button that made the thing go up, and gave it a push.

From here on, my memory fails me. All I remember was that I was halfway up the glass shaft, STUCK and going nowhere, with Leesha and the promoter staring at me. Some how, in some way, I had done something to cause this horrific situation. I think it had something to do with releasing the button, but I don’t know for sure. And with my great love for heights (NOT!), I was as comfortable as a fish in a fish bowl with a cat staring at it. I don’t even remember what I did to get moving again. By the time I was up to the second story, I had nine pairs of eyes staring at me! I do remember the urge to scream for help as loud as I could, but that wouldn’t have served any purpose other than to hurt my ears.

So, after I was out of the elevator, I made up for the muddle the best I could, by staying out of the elevator! The next time I had to use a “lift” type elevator, I made sure I followed all the instructions.

Submitted by Ben – ’cause he’s “Ben” there!