Comments on: Canaan Records Returning?

By: John

John — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:09:39 +0000

When I first read Deon’s comment, I thought he was being serious!

By: John

John — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:08:31 +0000

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:44:34 +0000

Phil – I hope so! I also hope they’d make them available as digital downloads.

GospelHog – I’ve heard about him. I’m too much of a newcomer to remember him personally.

By: GospelHog

GospelHog — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:37:39 +0000

Does anyone remember Marvin Norcross?

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 06:53:24 +0000

I am curious as to if they still own the masters to the old Canaan projects and would release them on CDs?

By: Deon Unthank

Deon Unthank — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:08:54 +0000

Hey, John, I say that Canaan Records was “one” of the premier labels back then. With groups like the Happy Goodmans, the Florida Boys, the Couriers, the Harvesters, the LeFevres, and yes even the Tall Men Quartet, they were at least on par with Skylite, Sing, and HeartWarming Records.

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 13:24:19 +0000

Okay. Thanks for the clarification!

By: John

John — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:53:23 +0000

Thanks Daniel for your nice words.

Oh! Were the Oak Ridge Boys REALLY the Oak Ridge Boys when Hamill was in the group? LOL! Sorry. Just a little sarcastic comment there. . .

You are correct that the Oak Ridge Boys “Together With the Harvesters” was released on the Canaan label. It’s a nice album. However, like several of the earliest Canaan albums, this is a reissued project first released on Arthur Smith’s Festival label. It was reissued when the Harvesters Quartet moved to Canaan for their final two albums.

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:24:39 +0000

John, I love it when you stop by and comment! It’s always a unique and informative perspective.

Incidentally–and I only bring this up since you’re the master of SG trivia–the Oak Ridge Boys do have an entry in the Canaan Discography, if I’m not mistaken – Together With the Harvesters (CAS-9625).

By: John

John — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:30:35 +0000

You wrote:
“Of course, in the old days, it was Southern Gospel’s premier label, featuring names like the Cathedrals, the Florida Boys, the Happy Goodmans, the Kingsmen, the Inspirations, and pretty nearly anybody who was anybody.”

So I suppose the stable of artists from Skylite and Heart Warming were chopped liver? Let’s see. . . that would include the Speer Family, Oak Ridge Boys, Imperials, Blackwood Brothers, Rambos, Downings, Statesmen (although they did have one CD on Canaan in the 90s), Gaithers, JD & the Stamps, Masters V, and perhaps the best two albums ever released by your beloved Cathedrals.

If I were placing artists on a scale, I’d say that “pretty nearly anybody that was anybody” weren’t necessarily recording on the Canaan label.

Did they have a good group of artists? Yes. “Southern gospel’s premier label in the old days”? Nope. I just don’t buy it.