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.

We have taken nominations of the best single-song Cathedrals performances on YouTube, and voted to determine the top 25. The results are in; after 566 votes (though each voter could cast five votes if desired), the results are in! There was a six-way tie for the final three slots, so I cast a tie-breaking vote by picking one song with the final lineup, and one each with the Tremble and Clark lineups (both crucial  since it was their only representation on the playlist).

1. Boundless Love (denoting era by tenor—Funderburk) 10.25% (58 votes)
2. I’ve Just Started Living (Funderburk) 10.07% (57 votes)
3. Oh, What a Savior (Haase) 8.83% (50 votes)
4. Somebody Touched Me (Funderburk) 8.83% (50 votes)
5. I Know a Man Who Can (Talley) 7.07% (40 votes)
6. Step Into the Water (Talley) 7.07% (40 votes)
7. We Shall See Jesus (Funderburk) 6.71% (38 votes)
8. Wedding Music (Haase) 6.54% (37 votes)
9. We Shall See Jesus (Haase) 6.01% (34 votes)
10. This Old House (professional recording) (Funderburk) 2.83% (16 votes)
11. Trying to Get a Glimpse (Haase) 2.47% (14 votes)
12. Then Came the Morning (Funderburk) 2.3% (13 votes)
13. Land of Living (Funderburk) 2.12% (12 votes)
14. Canaanland is Just in Sight (Haase) 1.94% (11 votes)
15. Heavenly Parade (Funderburk) 1.94% (11 votes)
16. I Can See the Hand (Funderburk) 1.94% (11 votes)
17. Suppertime (Haase) 1.94% (11 votes)
18. Blood Washed Band (Funderburk) 1.41% (8 votes)
19. My Lord Will Send a Moses (Talley) 1.41% (8 votes)
20. I Want to See Jesus (Haase) 1.41% (8 votes)
21. Jesus Saves (at Billy Graham crusade) (Haase) 0.88% (5 votes)
22. Oh, Come Along (Haase) 0.88% (5 votes)
23. Death Has Died (Haase) 0.71% (4 votes)
24. Even Winds Whisper His Name (Tremble)  0.71%  (4 votes)
25. This Old House (Clark, with Koker) 0.71% (4 votes)

So, if you’re somewhat new to the Cathedrals, set aside an evening—1 hour 38 minutes 56 seconds, to be precise—and prepare to discover why many Southern Gospel fans consider them the finest group to ever grace a stage. You can watch all 25 here:

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.

We recently took nominations for the best single-song Cathedrals performances on YouTube; we sought 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. Now it’s time to vote! Which five are most deserving of a place in the top twenty-five?

(A list with links is after the poll and the break; click through to the full post to see it.)

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?

Last week, we took nominations for today’s Essential 25 entry on the Blackwood Brothers. Here are the twenty-five videos we would use to introduce someone to the group:

It proved to be easiest to break down eras by bass singer.

• (Smith) – Getting Ready to Leave This World (reunion performance) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etDCHZj2rkU
• (Lyles) – He Bought My Soul – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NMXcsvcCAY
• (Sumner) – 1955 Dixie Lily TV Show (Theme, Pay As You Go, Wonderful, Keys to the Kingdom, Soul Spangled Banner, How About Your Heart) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_50UrxbHBtI
• (Sumner) – 1958 TV Show Part 1 (Never, No Tears in Heaven, I’m Happy and Free, Inside the Gate, I Don’t Mind) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otdb5TwYUNI
• (Sumner) – 1958 TV Show Part 2 (His Hands, He’s All I Need, I’m Bound For that City, Jesus is Mine, Wonderful Savior) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ4CmBm4v3g
• (Sumner) – Crossing Chilly Jordan – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbI9JPKMbHY
• (Sumner) – Somebody Loves Me (with Parris cameo) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zkv3Xg4-uA
• (Sumner) – Pablo – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn8aywLsBdk
• (Sumner) – Old Country Church – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevuMmp5lzQ
• (Sumner) – Aloha Time – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gphVqAs7Kg
• (Hall) – How Big is God – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni7d7HLLL3g
• (Hall) – How Great Thou Art (from Sing a Song for Heaven’s Sake) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0sdY9uKaA0
• (Parris) – Zion’s Hill – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZBI4bMvPxU
• (Parris) – I’ll Meet You in the Morning – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4B-T_QQOw
• (Parris) – Rainbow of Love (reunion) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hijetxHDtFs
• (Parris) – Camping in Canaan’s Land – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zglJaheZoTQ
• (Parris) – Old Country Church – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcyT03-kkYs
• (Turner) – Learning to Lean – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzPb1VTkr90
• (Stringer) – The Man Upstairs – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-bgdmsBwHg
• (Byrd) – I Get Happy – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc0sp17_gWI
• (Byrd) – Feelin’ Mighty Fine – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym0JUWbVVyk
• (Byrd) – Old Country Church – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x-g-5a1cvY
• (Byrd) – More About Jesus – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaS2StXhwvk
• (Byrd) – Daddy Sang Bass – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsNws0hf2Us
• (Byrd) – 75th Anniversary Medley – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOnv0V4j2-g

The easiest way to divide eras was by bass singer; there’s a far more distinct division between Lyles and Sumner, and Sumner and Hall, than there is between the 1959 and 1960 or 1969 and 1970. As with other Essential 25 lists, selection was restricted by available footage; there is plentiful footage of the Sumner and current (Byrd) eras, some of Parris, and everything else is quite scarce—especially the Turner era.

You can watch all 25 on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D7DDE73D1B77F5DB

Or, you can even watch them right on this site:

The Essential 25 is a group-by-group series of the 25 YouTube videos we would choose to introduce someone to a group.

YouTube videos can be both a plus and a minus for a group. On the positive side, there is publicity; YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, second only to Google (its parent company) and larger than Bing, Yahoo!, and Ask. But on the negative side, it can detract from DVD sales, and whether the footage is ripped from a DVD or taken from a live concert performance, it can be in violation of copyright laws (unless necessary permissions are secured).

For that reason, with the possible exception of long-retired groups, this series will only feature artists whom SouthernGospelBlog.com has contacted and who have sanctioned the idea.

I recently emailed Jimmy Blackwood—son of James Blackwood and current lead singer/manager of the Blackwood Brothers—to see if he would be okay with a feature. He replied:

I read your blog on the 101 videos and I appreciate you including the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. I don’t mind fans using video cameras in the concerts. It is just the same to me as a snapshot camera. I don’t worry about any negative effect from internet posting of the videos and I don’t think there would be any realistic way to prevent it anyway. Isn’t there an old adage that says, “Any advertising is good advertising?”

Thanks for asking and I hope I have helped clear up our feelings about the rapidly changing technology issues.

We can link to both professionally recorded and amateur recordings here. For this entry, though, since the group has a 75+-year-history, the final selection will be more concerned with balance between eras/lineups than balance between professional and amateur videos.

If we have 35+ videos submitted, we can do a voting round; if we’re closer to 25, I may make a few simple editorial decisions to balance the list and just post it.

Which videos would you include?

You’ve nominated, you’ve voted, and now, the results are in! The twenty-five YouTube song performances we would use to introduce a newcomer to Booth Brothers music are:

1. He Saw It All – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LGTXiMLEAE
2. Look For Me At Jesus’ Feet – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5REsIEWNDI
3. His Grace is Sufficient – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0AGMo43q-U
4. Beyond the Cross – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBlkcj7jYrk
5. God Did It All – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCkg8twnsjs
6. Welcome to the Family – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfpIgVGwrMY
7. I’m Feeling Fine – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-q6rjIEuFk
8. Haven of Rest – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTn8Uq8eptM
9. Still Feelin’ Fine – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoJGlrhv5Do
10. Tears are a Language – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCU-UtO7Ke8
11. Castles in the Sand – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JbOczFPsbo
12. If We Never Meet Again – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpLjfcGords
13. Testify – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxI59ksNTZI
14. What Salvation’s Done For Me – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ6uy7bfJVs
15. I’m Forgiven – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LBtXjzSxIM
16. In Christ Alone – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JOwns5KlIo
17. I See Grace – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0tPhsyMPQ4
18. Night Before Easter – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV-kbSh-v7U
19. All Over the World – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Mzq0K1qcY
20. He Came To Me – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEi2d57-zHU
21. Stand (with the Crist Family) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUUTvhu8XPQ
22. River Keeps a’ Rollin – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFtarzU_ltI
23. I’ve Been Changed (with the Dixie Echoes) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQZ2Z-bzlf4
24. Over The Moon – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeudEXK1tmw
25. We Believe – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5agFfphysg

Here’s a link where you can play (or share) all 25 in one place: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AF606CF2098FB59A

Or watch all 25:

After eliminating duplicates, I had a thirteen-way tie to break for the last four spots. I chose a quintessential uptempo song (“The River Keeps A-Rollin’”) and ballad (“We Believe”). I also picked two songs from the 2007 Grand Ole Gospel Reunion, “I’ve Been Changed” and “Over the Moon,” since they show that the Booth Brothers don’t need the soundtracks and everything else that enhances modern performances to shine.

This round was fairly easy. The Booth Brothers are photogenic and videogenic (did I just coin a new term?), and great footage abounds. But are y’all up for a challenge next time around?

Earlier this week, we took nominations for the essential 25 Booth Brothers videos we’d use to introduce someone to the group. The nominations are in, and here is your chance to vote!

Pick the five you most want to see in the final list:

The top 25 here will be largely identical to the final list, but I may use video / audio quality and appropriate balance between commercial and handheld as factors in making a few editorial decisions, if necessary.

UPDATE (3/22/11): You’ve nominated, you’ve voted, and now, the results are in!