Comments on: Quote of the Day

By: Quaid

Quaid — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:36:14 +0000

Great points everyone.

By: Ben Harris

Ben Harris — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:02:08 +0000

I do not believe that anyone needs to define the line, as the SG audience does that quite well for all of us. The concept here is to not to do away with progressive SG, but rather instead explore the concepts of what much of our core audience does not support it. There are certainly SG fans who do very much support a more progressive style of music, the disconnect comes when one weighs those totals against the totals of the majority of the core audience. And Susan, I agree with your statement about SG labels. Calling them “vanity labels” is a great term to describe exactly where we are at in SG Music as a whole. I worked for many years with true labels like RCA, MCA. Warner Brothers, and oters, and I can guarantee you SG does not have ANY labels that are any where close to those in terms of how to do business.

By: Susan Unthank

Susan Unthank — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:17:05 +0000

We need to distinguish between a label “deal” and a vanity label that records anyone with the money. Unfortunately, in our genre both are considered labels, when that really couldn’t be further from the truth.

There should be vanity labels for the artists who travel, sing and need product to sell but are not quite ready for a “label” deal, or for those who want to be independent of a label. But, the industry needs to recognize the difference.

Unfortunately, where the cut should be made is in radio play, and it just isn’t being done. We have countless radio stations that use “pay to play” or base their airplay on a three month old chart, or they play mostly “oldies.” Radio needs to step up!
Radio and Sales should be the gate keeper of quality.

By: Seaton

Seaton — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:27:54 +0000

Where do you draw the line between progressive and traditional? Many of today’s top groups would be thrown out of most of you all’s equation because they may not be traditional enough. From what I am reading groups like Gold City, Dove Brothers, Hoppers, Talley Trio, Booth Brothers, Gaither Vocal Band, Greenes, etc. would not make the cut because of their non-traditional arrangements.

Are they traditional enough, are they not? We could run in circles all day trying to answer that question. Let the music be the music and the chips fall where they may as far as who is successful and who is not.

By: chachere

chachere — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:36:56 +0000

“The problem is this, in SG money is tight, thus labels and radio promotion people will take virtualy anyone’s money regardless of talent level. They do that to survive. But it is very short sighted.”

Thank you Ben, thats what I was meaning in my first comment. I wasn’t being cynical, you just phrased it better than I. In fact, you’re saying everything I’m thinking! Keep up the great work!

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:22:05 +0000

You said, they “should continue doing what God wants them to do. I just don’t think they should be presented as the professional in our genre.”

Put that way, I could hardly disagree. Good point!

By: Ben Harris

Ben Harris — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:56:10 +0000

As to fruitbearing, those not so talented can still have a place in work of the Kingdom. My opinion, and it is just that, my opinion, is that those less than super talented people should continue doing what God wants them to do. I just don’t think they should be presented as the professional in our genre. It stunts growth overall in SG, and keeps us from growing our base. It also bothers me from this one point. If we are to do this for God, should it not be the very best we can do? Take for example the people who work the audio for church services. Most know very little about mixing music. Would ask one of these church audio people to record and mix your next CD? Of course not, it is not their profession. But they are doing a needed work in the church, and their service is very valuable in that capacity. It is the same thing. Ok, I have gone far too long.

By: Ben Harris

Ben Harris — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:49:23 +0000

No Daniel they should not necessarily quit, that was not what I said. They should not be presented to the world as the best Southern Gospel has to offer. IN other words, labels, radio, and radio promoters should be willing to say no to those not ready for prime time. Is it a judgment call? Yes, very much so. Very much like the secular labels and secular radio have done for years. Every day of the world someone in Nashville gets turned down for a label deal because someone thought they were not ready, or not talented enough. Could they be wrong once in a while? Of course. But, still those decisions are the firewall between the fans and the not so talented struggling artists. Unless Southern Gospel begins to do the same thing, we doom ourselves. The problem is this, in SG money is tight, thus labels and radio promotion people will take virtualy anyone’s money regardless of talent level. They do that to survive. But it is very short sighted. If we were to raise the bar to the point it needs to be, the end result would be a far healthier genre. Yes, maybe at the cost of losing a few artists to national attention and also many radio promotion companies. But the end result would be an artists base that was truly professional, and worthy of the status of professional. It is not a matter of should we do it, it is a matter of we must do it to survive! Some fans could find themselves very disappointed, for their favorite group might not make it. Lets face it, fans on a regular basis embrace people based on mnay things other than true musical talent. But to grow our base beyond where we are currently at, some line in the sand needs to be made, and that line will be just like secular in scope, it will be flawed by human opinion. I did some work way back on the 1st recording of an artist that I never thought would make it, and I was very wrong….Randy Travis. Thankfully people far wiser than I saw through the rawness of Randy’s talent level at the time, and saw an artist waiting to be made. SG must get to that place.

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:09:40 +0000

Ben–interesting observation about “non fruit bearing.” If someone who can’t stay on pitch but is quite sincere is winning souls to Christ, are they fruit bearing? Should they be told to quit?

There has to be a good balance somewhere.

By: Ben Harris

Ben Harris — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:50:32 +0000

Labels and radio both clamour for progressive music, and it is a never ending circle as one pushes the other for more and more progressive music, while the core audience turns it off more and more every day. We have had contact with churches where people have told us, “We don’t have SG groups for they are too country, too rock and roll, or too untalented”. Take your pick. If we do not get our collective ducks in a row, we will lose what little audience we have. The reality of pushing for more youth in our genre, drives the core audience away. Why can we not strive for great music, well arranged, well written and well performed within the confines of what our core audience wants to hear? We do not need, nor should we be clonjes of each other, and in fact, if we try to simply be the best we can be, we will all be remarkably different yet still familar to the core audience. We also need to be far more stringent on what we call the professional. Just because I can show up in a bus with 4 other guys and sing gospel music, that does not prove that I am worthy to be held up to the world as professional. SG radio and SG labels have a very bad habit of presenting the worst we have as the professionals in our genre. Somewhere this has got to stop, and if it means Ben Harris is weeded out, so be it. When we cut the dead and non fruit bearing from the tree, the whole tree becomes more healthy. When will SG get serious about the industry and the ministry and do the right thing?