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Members: Duane Nicholson (tenor), Neil Enloe (lead), Dave Kyllonen (baritone/bass).

Song List: One Nation Over God; From a Star to Stripes; Statue of Liberty; Statue on the Rock, Joshua; Whose God is Alive?; The Place of Prayer; Loaves and Fishes; Country Church; I Just Don’t Get It; Father’s House; Immortal, Invincible, Almighty God; He Has Forgiven Me.

Available From: Artist.

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For nearly 50 years, Dave Kyllonen, Duane Nicholson, and Neil Enloe toured as the Couriers. Several years ago, they retired and passed the name along to a new generation of Couriers (now performing as a duo). But several years after their retirement, they felt led to start performing together again, so adopted the group name “Dave, Duane and Neil.”

Several years ago, they released their only CD since their reuniting, One Nation Over God.

The project starts with the “God & Country Trilogy.” The first song is a new composition from Neil Enloe, “One Nation Over God,” discussing how a “small, yet very vocal sector of Americans” seek to remove God from our culture and place our country over Him. The second and third songs on the trilogy, also penned by Enloe, are the familiar classics “From a Star to Stripes” and “Statue of Liberty.” Though the project was produced by Phil Armenia, master producer Lari Goss was brought in to do the orchestral arrangements for the God & Country Trilogy, and the trilogy bears his signature touch.

Other than the title track, the project has two other recent compositions from the pen of Neil Enloe, “Loaves and Fishes” and “I Just Don’t Get It.” Producer Phil Armenia, Marie Armenia, Mike Hammer, Daryl K. Williams and John Darin Rowsey, Tim Enloe, and Toni Jolene Clay also contributed songs.

This project will primarily be of interest to Couriers fans, but it will also serve as a good introduction to their music for anyone unfamiliar with their classic recordings.

Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Members: Mike Franklin (tenor), Jonathan Sawrie (lead), Jeremy Raines (baritone), Gerald Williams (bass).

Song List: Give the World a Smile; God is Great, Good, and Merciful; How Great Thou Art; Sing Me A Song About Jesus; Somewhere Someday; Pray; Faith in My Savior; Gonna Get My Sins Forgiven; Dying to Know You; You Must Have that True Religion; UFO; Listen; Over the Moon; Settled In the Promised Land.

Available From: Artist.

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This project was originally recorded about ten years ago and was first released on VHS. This project, since reissued on DVD, is worth revisiting for a number of reasons. One of them, obviously, is the project’s historical significance to the group, marking the group’s 50-year milestone since Smiling Joe Roper took over management of what at the time was a Stamps-Baxter group and renamed it the Melody Boys. That year, 16-year-old bass singer Gerald Williams joined the group as its bass singer.

Another reason is that the lineup that recorded this project—tenor Mike Franklin, lead/pianist Jonathan Sawrie, baritone Jeremy Raines, and bass Gerald Williams—is frequently named as the group’s best lineup.

Though the DVD was clearly recorded in and transferred from an analog format, the visual production value on the original product is quite solid. There are a number of camera angles for wide shots and closeups. (The credits seem to indicate there were four steady cameras and one roving camera.) All the shots, even the audience shots, are well-lit.

One artifact of the VHS-to-DVD conversion is that the project is not split into song-by-song chapters. Perhaps this could be rectified if the project goes into further pressings.

The program alternated between piano-only accompaniment, songs with soundtracks, and acapella numbers.

Interviews with current and former Melody Boys members are interspersed with the songs. A clip from Rex Parnell highlighting his favorite Joe Roper song as “Somewhere Someday” introduced the current lineup’s rendition of the song. Gerald Williams introduces “Pray” by explaining how challenging it was for the original group to learn. Several other previous and (then) current members introduce songs and share highlights from their Melody Boys years.

Toward the end of the project, a number of past Melody Boys came on stage and sang a half-dozen songs. This footage, plus the interviews with (then) current and past members, makes the project worth the purchase price for this if for no other reason.

This project is a worthwhile addition to the library of any fan of classic male quartet singing.

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.8 stars (of 5)

Members: Mike Franklin (tenor), Ryan Seaton (lead), Jeremy Raines (baritone), Gerald Williams (bass).

Song List: Forty Days and Forty Nights; Oh But It’s Wonderful Being a Child of the King; He Bought My Soul at Calvary; My Journey to the Sky; A Wonderful Love; Lead Me in the Everlasting Way; I Call it Home; I’ve Got that Feeling; Celebration; Still One Nation Under God.

Available From: Artist.

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Ernie Haase & Signature Sound has maintained the same vocal lineup for six years. The last change to their lineup was in 2003,when Ryan Seaton left the Melody Boys to join them. Seaton was with the Melody Boys Quartet for less than a year before getting the opportunity to sing with his hero, Ernie Haase, but during that time he did appear on one Melody Boys Quartet CD, A Wonderful Love.

A Wonderful Love features the classic arrangements and tight harmonies that distinguish the Melody Boys sound. Ryan Seaton fit the sound well, both in the quartet harmony parts of the project and on his solos, “Lead Me in the Everlasting Way” and “I Just Call it Home.” The latter song is the same one the Prophets cut on their re-debut project last year; even though the song’s writer, Paul Jackson, sang it on the Prophets project, Seaton’s rendition here seems to fit the song better. The simple piano-led arrangement fits the lyric well.

Of course, Seaton’s features weren’t the only highlights of the project. (Before any MBQs fans complain about the first two paragraphs being devoted to a lead singer who stayed less than a year, let me just mention that knowing that one of Southern Gospel’s most popular lead singers  had been with the MBQ was one of the first things that interested me in the group.)

Group manager and bass singer Gerald Williams delivers a particularly pleasant rendition of “He Bought My Soul at Calvary.” Other project highlights include “Celebration” and an original Dianne Wilkinson song, “Oh But It’s Wonderful, Being a Child of the King.”

Fans of classic Southern Gospel—and fans of Ryan Seaton’s later work—will find much to like in this pleasant collection of new and old songs with the Melody Boys’ classic tight harmony male quartet sound.

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Song List: Pilgrim Song; O Happy Day; This Little Light of Mine; Be Still and Know; Sweeter as the Days Go By; Gotta Go Back; If it Wasn’t For Your Love; Gonna Walk; A Bridge You Cannot Burn; Heaven’s Jubilee.

Available From: Label.

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Poet Voices recorded Pilgrim Song in 1999, at the peak of their popularity, three years before their retirement. This project’s lineup was tenor Dale Brock, lead Phil Cross, baritone Donny Henderson, and bass Tim Duncan. Though the CD is out of print, it was recently digitally re-issued by Crossroads.

Since there is no group photo on the cover, and there was a change at the bass spot (David Jordan leaving and Tim Duncan coming on board) , there was some question over Jordan or Duncan was the bass singer on this project. It’s unmistakably Duncan’s voice on “Sweeter as the Days go By,” but a friend more familiar with David Jordan’s voice thought it sounded like him on “Oh Happy Day.” I emailed Phil Cross asking which bass sang on this project, and he replied that it was Tim Duncan.

The project is a mixture of new and classic songs. Of the new songs, probably the best is the title track, “Pilgrim Songs,” with “Be Still and Know” (not the hymn) not too far behind. Another memorable track, though not entirely for musical reasons, is “A Bridge You Cannot Burn.” It starts with a clip from “Jesus Built a Bridge,” the song that put Poet Voices on the map in Southern Gospel. The lyrics focus on the doctrine of eternal security, a controversial enough doctrine that most Southern Gospel songs avoid anything more than a passing reference.

The most memorable rendition of a classic song on the project is the acapella rendition of “Oh Happy Day.” The arrangement, turning the song into a quartet song, is one I have only heard recorded by Poet Voices and, several decades earlier, by the Florida Boys. I am not certain whether the Florida Boys came up with the arrangement or whether it predates them. (Do any of you know?)

“Sweeter as the Days Go By,” featuring Tim Duncan, is also particularly nicely done.

This project stands up well to the test of time and is still quite enjoyable today.

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.92 stars (of 5)

Song List: Don’t You Want to Go to Heaven?; The Lowest Valley; Remind Me Dear Lord; Cast the First Stone; Master’s Bouquet; Carry Me; Father’s Blacksmith; Hold Fast to the Right; God Sent an Angel; I’m Gonna Move; Look What God Gave Me; How Great Thou Art.

Available From: Label.

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Over the last year or so, Crossroads has reissued digital versions of a large chunk of the Isaacs’ back catalog. One of the best ways to become familiar with a group’s back catalog is to listen to a live concert, to find out how they staged some of their best songs from that era. So Mountain Praise is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the Isaacs’ sound nearly a decade and a half ago.

In 1995, the group’s lineup consisted of siblings Sonya, Becky, and Ben Isaacs, their parents Joe and Lily, and a live band. Joe emceed the programs.

The group’s harmonies were just as tight then as they are now; the project starts off with a stellar acapella track, “Don’t You Wanna Go to Heaven.” Other highlights from the project include a guest appearance by Porter Waggoner on “Master’s Bouquet,” and renditions of “Carry Me” and “How Great Thou Art.”

Fans of the Isaacs’ sound will find that it has changed little over the last fifteen years. If you like them now, you will love this live recording. And if you aren’t familiar with their sound now, this project is as good as any other to introduce yourself to one of Southern Gospel’s most popular family groups.

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Song List: I Shall Be at Home With Jesus; A Borrowed Tomb; His Blood is On My Soul; God Knows My Heart; Amazing Grace Recitation; Oh What a Friend; I Prayed for You; Do You Know How it Feels; Someday; I Can Almost Hear the Trumpet.

Available from: Crossroads.

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The McKameys released With Feeling Live in 1992; after several years of being out of print, Crossroads recently re-issued it digitally.

After the opening song, “I Shall Be at Home with Jesus,” Peg McKamey Bean began talking about her mother’s passing and introduced the song “A Borrowed Tomb.” Interestingly, while many groups start slower and build to an emotional peak later in the night, she was in high gear by the end of the second song, particularly on the encore.

After the song, Reuben Bean intoduced and sang “His Blood is On My Soul.” By changing topics and emcees, the McKameys were able to move to a more medium gear for the next several songs.

After a medium-tempo convention song, “Oh What a Friend,” the group shifted back into high gear with “I Prayed For You.” They sustained this through the final three songs, “Do You Know How it Feels,” “Someday,” and “I Can Almost Hear the Trumpet.”

Unlike other groups whose classic projects I’ve reviewed recently, the McKameys have kept the same sound (largely thanks to keeping the same vocalists) since this project was released. If you like today’s McKameys, this project is a must-have addition to your collection.

Rating: 3.5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.4 stars (of 5)

Song List: Family of God (Squire Parsons); Then Came the Morning (Won By One); Get All Excited (Talley Trio); The Longer I Serve Him (Perry Sisters); I Just Feel Like Something Good is About to Happen (Isaacs); Because He Lives (Kingdom Heirs); I Will Serve Thee (Kirk Talley); Something Beautiful (The Trio); He Touched Me (Kingsmen); God Gave the Song (Anthony Burger).

Available from: Crossroads.

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A Tribute to the Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither was originally released in 1999. It was recently re-issued as part of Crossroads’ initiative to reissue out-of-print recordings digitally.

The project features artists from a fairly wide spectrum within Southern Gospel, with several soloists, male quartets, family groups, and trios. Probably the two strongest songs on the project are Won By One’s “Then Came the Morning,” featuring Clayton Inman, and the Kingdom Heirs’ “Because He Lives” (featuring Arthur Rice).

The Talley Trio and The Trio (Anthony, Kirk and Ivan) turn in smooth harmonies on “Get All Excited” and “Something Beautiful,” respectively.

Three soloists appear: Anthony Burger does an instrumental rendition of “God Gave the Song,” Squite Parsons sings “Family of God,” and Kirk Talley sings “I Will Serve Thee.” (Oddly, “I Will Serve Thee” is placed right before The Trio’s “Something Beautiful.”)

Though this project will not likely go down as the best collection of Gaither songs ever released (there have been several), it does have several strong performances and is an enjoyable project.

Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Song List: The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn; He’s Sending Miracles; Visions of Heaven; They Shall Walk With Me in White; Wherever the Wind Blows; God Still Answers Prayers; Daddy’s Home; Over in the Gloryland; In the Name of Jesus; Rain & Shine; Bend in the River; When Jesus Passes By; God’s Amazing Grace.

Available from: Crossroads.

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Live From the Alabama Theatre was originally released in 1994 and has been out of print for several years. Crossroads recently re-issued it digitally.

The album kicks off with a 49-second acapella chorus, “The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn.” Two mid-tempo ballads follow; “He’s Sending Miracles” features Karen Peck Gooch and “Visions of Heaven” features Karen’s sister Susan on the solo with some nice harmonies on the chorus. It builds to a power ending before a quick transition to the project’s first uptempo song, “They Shall Walk With Me in White.”

After singing the solo on “Wherever the Wind Blows,” Karen Peck introduced “God Still Answers Prayers” by telling how her father had passed away the previous year. After talking further about her father’s passing, she started “Daddy’s Home” by singing the chorus acapella. The band and the rest of the group came in for the rest of the song.

The recording seems to have been originally mastered for tape release, as the applause between tracks fades out between “Daddy’s Home” and back in before the next track, “Over in the Gloryland.” That uptempo song gets the second half off to a strong start.

The next song, “In the Name of Jesus,” is tenor/lead singer Eric Morris’s first feature on the project. “Rain & Shine” was a fun, uptempo Cajun-style number that had been a recent radio hit for the group. The group followed it with one of their earliest big songs, “Bend in the River.”

Eric Morris introduced and was featured on the album’s final song, “God’s Amazing Grace.”

This project was recorded in the days when Karen Peck and New River toured with a live band. It is used to full advantage on songs like “Visions of Heaven” and “They Shall Walk with Me in White”—they have an energy that soundtracks can’t quite capture.

Fans of the current group lineup will enjoy this trip back in time. Southern Gospel fans who prefer less orchestration than the current lineup uses will also like this live project. Sound clips are available here.

I stopped at the local thrift store on Saturday. There are often few or no Southern Gospel records there, but this time I had several “finds”:

• He’s Wonderful – LeFevres (year?). The notes say Pierce LeFevre had just returned from the service; does this date it for anyone? This is really solid, enjoyable quartet singing. It seems to have a 50s feel.
• Pray Pray Pray for the U.S.A. – Wally Fowler and the Oak Ridge Quartet (year?). There is no group picture, so I have no idea as to when this was recorded or the personnel on the project. The project has a late 50s or (very) early 60s feel.
• Sweeter as the Days Go By – Prophets Quartet (year?). It seems to have a mid-60s feel. Does anyone know personnel or the year of recording?
• Listen to Those Smooth Weatherfords – Weatherfords (year?). This seems to be a post-Cathedral of Tomorrow lineup. It has a late 60s feel.
• Little Steve Sings Big – Steve (year?). Who was “Little Steve”? The liner notes indicate he appeared on the Gospel Singing Jubilee. I picked up the album because the Florida Boys were on the cover. Tommy Atwood’s tenor and Billy Todd’s glasses would seem to date it to the late 60s.
• In Hawaii - Rex Humbard and the Cathedral Singers (year?). I think this was after the Cathedral Quartet left Humbard’s ministry. An almost-quaint tidbit of history: The album is in a mailer envelope with five cents of postage.
• High and Easy – Coy Cook (year?). This was recorded between 1966 and 1969, since Coy Cook was with the Dixie Echoes at the time. Does anyone have a more precise date?
• Gloryland Train – Perry Sisters (1984). Diana Gillette wrote most of the songs on this Eddie Crook Company-released album.
• Steve Green – Steve Green (1984). This album could be said to be more Southern Gospel than (today’s) Gold City or Booth Brothers. If Green had any desire to return to this style, he could probably easily find a home on Southern Gospel radio—and a new fan base in a genre where legends are a more than just yesterday’s news.
• Enter Into the Joy of the Lord - Vernon Bowling, Joe Isaacs and the Sacred Bluegrass (year?). Yes, this is the Joe Isaacs, and Lily was also a group member. To help date the album, the group had been together for slightly over two years, and Lily had released a solo folk album on Columbia approximately ten years before. In a (retrospectively) almost quaint touch, Bowling and Isaacs printed their home phone numbers on the back for booking purposes. (It’s not worth tracking down the album for that, too, since even in the highly improbable event Isaacs hasn’t moved, I believe that area of Ohio has since changed area codes.)

Does anyone know any of the album information I’m missing?

Rating: 5 (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4.3 (of 5)

Song List: Give the World a Smile; Moses; Behold the Master Cometh; I’ll Pray For You; Mention the Name; In the Garden; Wicked Path of Sin; Beautiful Star of Bethlehem; What Did He Ever See In Me; First Step; Little is Much; The Son Will Rise.

Available from: Crossroads.

***

Georgia Live, released by the Kingsmen in 1995, has been out of print for several years. It was recently reissued digitally by Crossroads as part of a series of discounted reissues ($7.99 instead of the standard cost of $9.99 for a new digital album).

Like any good Kingsmen live project, Georgia Live kicks off with a convention song, in this case “Give the World a Smile.” After a decent mid-tempo song, “Moses,” Eldridge Fox was featured on the album’s first major highlight, “Behold the Master Cometh.” The song was inspired by a trip Fox took to the Holy Land, specifically when a backwoods Tennessee preacher read from John at Lazarus’ tomb.

After a string of several songs, “I’ll Pray for You” (featuring Jim Hamill), “Mention the Name” (featuring Chris Collins), and “In the Garden” (featuring Randy Miller), the Kingsmen Band sang a bluegrass arrangement of “Wicked Path of Sin.”

“Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” featured a classic Kingsmen slow-it-down and embellish-the-notes encore.

Tim Surrett sang “What did He Ever See in Me,” a song with a soundtrack. When introducing the song, Hamill emphasized how important live accompaniment was to him (and the Kingsmen style). This is somewhat interesting retrospectively, since today’s Kingsmen sing their entire program with soundtracks.

Another project highlight was Chris Collins’ rendition of “Little is Much,” using the same arrangement that Larry Ford (Homecoming Favorites, 1999) and Ernie Haase (Stand By Me Live, 2004) have used. I’m not entirely sure whether this particular arrangement originated with the Kingsmen or even earlier. (Do any of you know the arrangement’s history?)

The project closes with an uptempo convention song, “The Son Will Rise.”

While I have most of the Kingsmen’s classic live albums from the 70s and 80s, I hadn’t been as familiar with their 1990s sound. While this project may not be quite as good as Big & Live, Live…Naturally, or Live at the University of Alabama, it is in the same ballpark, and it comes pretty close.