SouthernGospelBlog.com

With all the channels the Gaither TV specials have been on, one they have never been on is the Hallmark Channel.

Until tonight, that is.

Tonight, at 8 PM EST/PST (not sure if that’s a typo, since it is two separate times), and 7 PM CST, the Gaither show will be aired on Hallmark for the first time.

This jumps out to me as big news because at one point (earlier this year) I was on the phones in a call center taking calls for a certain Christian charity on a regular basis. There was a regular, predictable amount of call volume most of the time, but one night, when they aired a program on Hallmark for the first time since I’d been taking those calls, we were swamped by at least ten times the normal amount of call volume.

Gaither will be airing one of his recent hymns tapings as the hour-long special, and the Gaither operators should at least be prepared for quite the response.

The Singing Echoes is a group that has been on the road for forty years this year. Over the years, they have introduced quite a few songs that have become classics, including “Look For Me at Jesus’ Feet,” “His Tomb is Empty Now,” and “Shoutin’ Happy.”

The group, now in its third generation, is still on the road. To promote their current radio single, “I’m a Used to Be,” they have launched a concept website for their fans to share their used-to-be stories, http://imausedtobe.com/.

The site is a frame-based design, a fairly brief fad in web design that went out of style a few years ago. Minor design quibbles aside, it’s an interesting concept—not one that every single would lend itself towards, but a good idea for this one.

Bill Gaither has done more to promote Southern Gospel music than anyone else in the last thirty or forty years. In fact, he is probably somewhere on an all-time top five list that would also include James Vaughan, V.O. Stamps, James Blackwood, and Hovie Lister. And of those five, he has done the most to promote Southern Gospel internationally and in several regions of the country outside of the South.

Whether or not you like his stylistic preferences or his business model—and fact is, he can’t include everyone on the Homecoming series, so he has to make choices—let’s not forget to appreciate him while we have him. Even aside from his contributions to the genre, the fact that the greatest living hymn-writer would choose to devote his talents and energies to promoting the genre is no small thing.

A post-Gaither genre is harder to imagine than than a post-anyone else genre. James Blackwood and Hovie Lister transitioned off the road slowly enough that by their retirement years, other people from their group’s peak years were carrying the banner. (And, in fact, Blackwood and Lister were both featured artists on the Gaither Homecoming tour). On the other hand, Gaither is still so personally involved in the Homecoming Tours that it’s hard to see them continuing at the same level after he retires.

Perhaps the foundation he’s laid, where it’s not even headline news when the Homecoming Tour, Signature Sound, the Talleys, or the Isaacs announce an overseas tour, and it’s barely headlines when a Southern Gospel DVD out-sells any other music DVD period the week it’s released—perhaps this will last till Christ’s return. But we can’t count on it, so let’s not forget to appreciate him while he’s here.

Chris White, who (together with Mickey Gamble) leads Crossroads music, graciously agreed to submit a guest post going into detail about how material is selected for the NQC Live series. He addresses a number of issues raised in this post.

Crossroads has partnered with NQC for the past seven years to produce NQC Live.  My responsibility is to provide all of the audio for television and retail products for the event.  We do this at our cost, then receive the rights to produce this product in order to help re-coup our cost and hopefully, make a profit.  NQC is only partially involved in these selections with most of the determination being mine.  Once I satisfy their requirements, the rest is pretty much up to me.  Daniel, in light of the comments I read, I would like to address a few of them so your readers better understand the elements that go into producing NQC Live.  It might also help them understand that many things that happen in the business that seem strange to them, very often have a valid reason that makes sense with awareness.  Not always, but most of the time.  I will address some of these questions in the order they were written.  First I would like to give an overview of the process.

First off, my only selection options are from Thursday through Saturday.  That’s when the video production is upgraded from Monday through Wednesday.  So, my choices have to be taken from the last three nights of convention.  I have about one week after convention to decide what this product will turn out to be.  I am required, by NQC, to have this product to them by the first of December and on the retail shelves by December 15th.  That is simply part of the contract.  This is to capture some Christmas sales and get them the product to sell to their direct buyers.  So, I have about a week to review all the footage, listen to the best of the best audio and make the selections.  Audio is critical because there is no time to fix anything other than some tuning.  Therefore, sometimes selections will make it or not, based on the audio performances.  Some will or will not make it because a group you want…does a cut you want…and they’re on at 11:00.  Many times there are hundreds, if not thousands of empty seats in the arena.  We trim lighting as best we can to cover that but many times we just can’t cover all the emptiness.  Camera’s can’t put people in seats and I’m not going to show a half empty building.  I wish I had a month to do all this review but it has to be to our engineers no later than a week or so after convention is over.  That takes another 6-7 days of mixing and fixing what we can, then it goes to video editing…then manufacturing…retail set up and shipping to other distributors and stores.  At Crossroads, we normally have 4-6 months to start and complete a project before it hits the shelves.  With NQC Live, I have about 4-6 weeks to prepare it for market.  As you can see, there is little wiggle room on the timeline.

There are a lot of reasons and constraints that help determine these selections and I’ll mention some of those in my response to your readers.  One of those is royalties.  Last year we moved the retail down to $19.99, including the free CD.  With every move I make, I am doing my best to be aware of total cost including event investment, manufacturing, packaging, royalties..both audio master licensing as well as video sync royalties and….any other cost associated with the project.  So, every element that appears on the project, has a cost associated with it.  Therefore to be profitable, there is a thin line on what all can make the project based on every element having two cost associated with each cut.  Those are master licenses and sync.  Considering our discounts to other distributors and retailers, making a profit on a $19.99 retail piece of product, containing all these elements, can be challenging.  If I could load up the project with everything people would like to see, including me, we would have to retail it for at least $29.99 and trust me when I say….that won’t fly!!

Now just let me address some of the individual statements made by you and your readers.  Daniel you say there are only 12 songs on the project when in years past, there have been 15.  Actually in some years there were more than that.  However, as economies change, I have to change with them.  For example, master license fees can increase….which they have…. as well as negotiated sync royalties.  There were in fact 14 songs on the project, including the bonus footage and the comedy segments by Tim Lovelace, Aaron Wilburn and Ken Davis.

Let me explain why Save Me A Seat didn’t make it, which is one of the songs you mentioned.  Jeremy is my nephew through marriage.  I would have loved to have included that cut because he is a family member and he and my niece Nikkei, have been through a tuff couple of months of losses.  First my mom died and then right behind that, Jeremy looses his father.  So trust me when I say that it would have been much more important to ME to include that, than to anyone else.  It would have meant a lot to our family.  However, I couldn’t include it because that was the cut I used from Brian in 2007.  I made the mistake a few years ago of repeating a song the following year.  One out of 15 was a repeat and “some good Christian people” got so angry over the mistake, they returned the product for a refund!!!  So as much as I would have wanted that cut on the project, it couldn’t happen.

Statue Of Liberty.  I considered the cut for obvious reasons.  However, as moving as it was in the hall, the audio would have taken a lot of work and that was time I didn’t logistically have.  He Locked The Gates by The Kingdom Heirs.  That would have been a good choice but I had already decided that I wanted to save it for possible inclusion next year, plus it is still a strong selling component on their current project.   So, I used their top ten nominated cut from this past year, Jesus Made A Believer Out Of Me.

Let me take a moment and explain why certain cuts are, or are not, included.  Someone accused me of not wanting to promote Daywind singles that are flying up the charts.  Now let’s think that through.  Out of the 14 cuts on the project, 50% are Daywind or independent artist.   If this was all about Crossroads, I would fill up the project with our artists.  However, I try my best to make it industry inclusive.  I would love to use the “hot” Daywind songs but one must remember, I have to license all cuts from whomever owns the master rights.  They are seldom, if ever, going to license me a song that is still a strong sales component on that artists current record.  I even enforce that rule on myself from time to time…i.e. He Locked The Gates.  I submit the artists and the selected songs to whoever is the master owner.  In the case of Daywind, I have asked for certain cuts in the past, only to be turned down.  I don’t blame them for saying no but hey….I tried.  Another reason for that is that a lot of artists perform their “sugar sticks” year after year.  In a lot a cases, they don’t have a choice because that’s what people want to hear.  Do you think McCray Dove wants to do Rain or Get Away every year?  No.  But if he didn’t…people would hang him from the first balcony rail they could find.  He does it because he knows the audience wants him to.  So, when it’s all said and done, my choices become very limited because I have either used the cut before, or it’s a current hit that I cannot get licensed.  Not in every case…but in many.  So yes, if I could use the biggest..hottest..best songs available, I would.  Therefore, I choose based on my knowledge of what I believe I can get licensed and that is what I go with.  I submit those choices to Daywind, or whoever the master owner might be, for their approval.  If they approve the license, I put it on and if not…I have to go to plan B.

Now on to some of your readers comments.

Kyle comments that he is not surprised that Gaither and Ernie are not on the project.  Kyle has somewhat of a handle on it by saying we couldn’t afford it.  The fact of the matter is that I would have a better chance of getting Elvis back from the dead to appear on this product, than I would of getting Gaither or Ernie (record company) to license the footage.  Why would anyone conclude that I would not want Gaither or Ernie on the project?  That’s money!  Gaither won’t even let us record the showcase they do, much less license anything.  If any of you can pull that off for me….I’ll take it.  The entire Gaither thing is something I just don’t need to get into.

Bev say’s that she may not buy the project because of some missing people and that soloist were included.  The artists were Perry’s, Triumphant, Inspirations, (SS and Gaither have been addressed).  She was also bothered by the fact that Ivan and Janet were included saying it is a quartet and trio business.  Let me take these in order.  Bev you may be shocked, as you put it, that the Perry’s didn’t make it.  I do normally include them.  However this year, about the only thing they did that I felt was usable, or hadn’t already been used, was a song I knew would not get licensed…If You Knew Him.  So, I was left with no good choice on the Perry’s.  I love them and have known them for many, many years.  As I said, I normally include them.  This year just didn’t work out.  As far as the other artists you mention, I have to stop somewhere.  I can’t give you…well maybe I could but I’m not going to….specific reasons for all artists inclusions or omissions.  I say that respectfully so please take it that way.  You ask why Ivan and Janet were on the project.  I respectfully disagree with you that this should be all quartets and trio’s.  If that were true, soloists would not be on NQC main stage.  I made the product reflect what the NQC board booked…quartets…trio’s…soloist.  Besides, let me assure you since we represent both artists, the fans love Ivan and Janet.  They are both still strong in the market and since I am looking for name value with a proven record, they qualify.  I have already addressed your suggestion that all songs should be their #1 hits.  More often than not, that’s never going to happen because of licensing issues.

Tyler says that it’s really not a highlights video anymore.  Actually, the model of the project has never changed.  It’s always been performances from the main stage, showcase highlights, comedy and at other times, something we can get a camera crew loose to shoot….such as the softball game.  Though Tyler says that this project doesn’t nearly do justice to what NQC has to offer, I’m not sure what more I could do to include all the aspects of NQC.  Buyers want the “music” and that is a proven fact.  That’s what the project is built around.  I am open to any suggestions and would take them all seriously.  Anything that would enhance NQC Live would certainly be a plus.  I have struggled with “freshness” on this product for years but after all, it is what it is.  Just keep in mind that the constraints of contractual issues and other logistical problems, might prove prohibitive in certain situations.

Jbb says that he agrees with Bev and will not buy the product.  I’m sorry for that.  Jbb brings up a group that has not been mentioned and that is Legacy 5.  The reason for that is that I was aware that Frank was leaving and that would automatically date the product from the get go.  I included them in the bonus footage so they were at least on the project, just not listed as Leg 5.  Whether that makes sense to you or not, I don’t know.  To me, it gave them the face time they deserve, without dating the project with the coming change.  I would also say to jbb that the artists included are also what southern gospel is all about and to suggest anything other, is puzzling at best.

Andrew made a couple of comments that I will address.  As for the Collingsworth, they did do a great job.  We represent them as well so it would behoove our cause to have included them.  Why wouldn’t I want them included over another company’s artists or an independent?  However, if I had done that, someone else would have complained because someone else was left off.  Hopefully I have made the point clear that for a number of reasons, I have to stop somewhere.  In my opinion, they have another year or so to keep building name value for the sake of the retail shelves.  I do believe with the same performance level next year, which I’m sure they will deliver, they could possibly be included.  Andrew, when you say that you would pay a “lot” of $$ to see the Perry’s performance of I Wish I Could Have Been There,  so my question would be….how much money are we talking about?  That’s an exciting quote!  I can certainly get you a copy of that performance…..or you could simply buy Volume 4 which includes the cut.

In conclusion all I can say is this…..and I say it respectfully to all.  I haven’t responded because I felt fearful by all the comments.  I simply wanted to give insight to the process.  If we felt that we needed to address all the opinions, by all who have their take on our business , that’s all we would get done.  We as industry leaders often read, or are told of conversations such as this one, where some facts could maybe enlighten people who love the music and the industry.  I’m thrilled that all of you are engaged.  Whether my reasons are accepted or not is not really my concern because I can only change the opinions…or clarify the facts….to those who “really” want to understand the facts.  That’s all I hope to do with this response.  I know all of you won’t appreciate what I have tried to do here but, I think many of you will.  It’s not your fault that you don’t understand all the details concerning many subject matters in our business, because you are not always aware of the entirety of some situations.  I’m sure there are things about your jobs where I may not understand the thinking, simply because I don’t understand your entire process.  Again, all I have hoped to do here is to explain some of your concerns based on all the timelines, constraints, contractual obligations, as well as a basket full of other issues, that I am faced with in putting this project together.  I do my best every year to produce a great product, as best I can, under the aforementioned conditions.  I’m sorry that some of you are so disappointed in the final product.  It took a mountain of work, by a lot of people, to make it happen at all.  To those of you who will enjoy the product….good listening.  Thank you.

Chris White
Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing

Crossroads has posted the track list to NQC Vol. 9 (the highlights CD/DVD from this year’s NQC) on their website:

• O It Thrills Me     (Hoppers)
• I Want To Know That You Know    (Greater Vision)
• Cast Your Bread Upon The Water    (Gold City)
• Mountain Mover    (Talley Trio)
• God Saw A Cross     (Kingsmen)
• Favorite Song Of All    (Ivan Parker)
• Hold On        (Dove Brothers)
• Ephesians 1        (Karen Peck & New River)
• Trading This Old Cross For A Crown    (Booth Brothers)
• Jesus Made A Believer Out of Me    (Kingdom Heirs)
• God Will Make A Way    (Janet Paschal)
• Jesus Will Pick You Up    (Brian Free and Assurance)
• Bonus: Hold On (Greenes) from Phil Cross’ Song of a Lifetime
• Bonus: Champion of Love by former Cathedrals members

While previous years’ releases included fifteen or more songs (plus bonus tracks), that list is now down to twelve songs. The most surprising omission was the Perrys’ “If You Knew Him.” Not as surprising (but just as disappointing) is the absence of the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound. Their appearance would particularly help bookstore sales. Legacy Five also isn’t on the list, but that’s a little easier to explain, since Frank Seamans’ departure had been announced, and Gus Gaches will have started by the time the project comes out. Finally, the new Inspirations lineup doesn’t appear. It would have been nice to have the new lineup captured on film. (EDIT: I knew I was forgetting at least one I meant to list. A reader reminds me that the Male Quartet of the Year, Triumphant, isn’t featured, either.)

There seems to be an emphasis on including current radio singles in the song list. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but neither is it the best. It would almost certainly help sales if the most moving and memorable moments were selected—even if they were only selected from the same groups that would otherwise appear on that year’s project. A few examples: Heading that list would be “Save Me a Seat” from Brian Free & Assurance’s final set of the week; BFA bass Jeremy Lyle turned in an unforgettable performance as a tribute to his father, who had just been buried that morning. Also high on that list would be the original Couriers’ rendition of “Statue of Liberty” from Song of a Lifetime; when they were introduced, there seemed to be some audience apprehension as to whether they still had “it,” but that question was answered by the first chorus, when the audience was on its feet. One other worth mentioning would be the Kingdom Heirs’ performance of “He Locked the Gates” at their final set of the week; though it got a surprisingly lackadaisical response earlier in the week, it got the strong response it deserved later in the week.

Make no mistake, the right choices were certainly made on several songs, “God Saw a Cross” (Kingsmen) and “Cast Your Bread Upon the Water” (Gold City) being two of the best picks. But less focus on current radio singles and more focus on the most memorable moments would better capture the essence of the event.

A full film crew is only on hand for the second half of the week, so Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the days from which the highlights are selected. Suppose NQC gave each person who purchased a ticket for those days a ballot for their favorite moment on mainstage, which could be turned in at the end of the week. These ballots could then be used to select the highlights.

One final idea, that may be a few years ahead of its time. Footage from at least the last decade is presently collecting dust in someone’s archive. Since there is already a live edit available for the video and audio footage, it should be a fairly simple cut-and-paste job to split each song into separate tracks.

Suppose the power to decide which highlights are worth purchasing was given to the fans. Suppose Crossroads and NQC made individual videos of each song available for $1/song, $5/set, and $25-$35/night. Most of the contractual framework with the different labels is already in place. (It might just not be possible for the Gaither footage to appear, but even having everything else available would be incredible.) Bandwidth may be an issue if the idea takes off, but should be in place within the next few years.

What would make this even more incredible is if footage from past years is also released. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to purchase the complete final mainstage appearances of individuals like Vestal Goodman, George Younce, or Jake Hess, or of groups like the Cathedrals, Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, or Poet Voices? Or to revisit the Kingsmen in their Jerry Martin days, Gold City in its Trammell days, or the Kingdom Heirs in their Sutton/Bennett days?

In the words of Bill Gaither . . . why not?

When selecting material for a project, should a Southern Gospel group select the best new songs possible?

Well, of course, you might think. But it’s not that simple.

Thirty years ago, that literally happened. When the LeFevres, Happy Goodmans, or Florida Boys were about to head into the studio to cut a new recording, they selected the best possible new material to fit their group’s sound. Literally. Even if a few of those had been cut by other groups.

And if they were the best new songs for their sound, why not?

So let me repeat the opening question. Would Southern Gospel be better off today if groups selected the best song possible?

In the last two decades, Southern Gospel has borrowed secular rock and pop’s formula of treating a good song as belonging to a particular group. But why can’t some songs belong to the genre?

David Bruce Murray has a good post up currently about dominant radio singles being dead. That’s a flaw of the system, not of the songs. It’s only a few per year—just like in the good old days, incidentally—but there are songs out there that are good enough that a dozen groups could record them without the song losing any of its power. Take Legacy Five’s “Faithful to the Cross.” It’s that rare song that fits anything from a high school graduation to a wedding to a funeral.

Would Southern Gospel be better off if we forget the formulas that gave secular rock and pop their (lately-economically-crumbling) place in the sun, and go back to the formulas that got us to where we were in the 1960s and 1970s?

I think the answer is yes.

After all, how many Southern Gospel songs would you enjoy as an instrumental piece—taking the soundtrack and adding in a cello part for the melody—if you didn’t already know the lyrics, and if that didn’t add to your enjoyment of the song?

Now I’m not saying there aren’t any. In fact, I can think of two:

• “Almost Morning” by the Perrys
• “He is Loved” by Greater Vision

There probably are a few others. But not many.

Southern Gospel is a lyric-driven genre. After all, it’s all about the message—all about the Gospel.

No, it’s not a project that they’ve recorded. Yet.

With one notable exception, the concept of a group recording a complete concept album singing the songs of a legendary songwriter has been lost in our genre. (Truth be told, the idea of the concept album has been nearly lost, period, but that’s another post.)

Both now and in the old days, certain groups would find that a certain songwriter’s style simply fit their sound. And from time to time, groups would release a complete album of some of that songwriter’s classic songs.

• Cathedral Quartet – Sings Albert E. Brumley Classics (1976). This was certainly the Cathedrals’ best table project, and possibly their best project ever. The mid-70s lineup of the group could render better male quartet versions of Brumley’s songs than any other group then or since.
• Bill Gaither Trio – Sings Inspiring Songs of Stuart Hamblen (1977). Of course, Bill and Gloria Gaither’s songs defined the Bill Gaither Trio’s sound. But if any songwriter came second-closest to fitting the trio’s sound, it was Hamblen.
• Chuck Wagon Gang – Sings the Songs of Albert E. Brumley – God’s Gentle People (1962). Of course, I said “male quartet” in my comments on the Cathedral post, because the Chuck Wagon Gang defined the Brumley song by introducing several of his best songs (including “I’ll Fly Away.”) So, not surprisingly, this album was one of their best.
• Chuck Wagon Gang – Sings the Songs of Mosie Lister (1961). While perhaps a less obvious pick than the Brumley album, this also worked well for the group. They picked twelve Lister songs that fit their sound, and knocked them out of the park.

There have also been notable compilations, with tributes to the songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither, Kyla Rowland, and Lee Roy Abernathy. Some of these have just been compilations, but others (such as Command Performance: A Tribute to Lee Roy Abernathy, featuring the original Gold City rendition of “Movin’ Up to Gloryland”) featured original recordings. Multi-group tributes are nice, and I mentioned them because if I didn’t, one of you would surely note the omission in the comments. But the focus of this post is single group tributes.

Both then and now, groups with an in-house songwriter sometimes do a complete recording or compilation of that songwriter’s songs. Slaughter Writes Imperials Sing (1965) is a good classic example, while Greater Vision’s Songs From the Stories highlights Rodney Griffin’s songs (a number of which had only been cut previously by other artists).

But the concept of a full-album tribute of songs by an external songwriter had largely disappeared when the Dove Brothers brought it back in 2004 for their best project to date, A Tribute to Mosie Lister. They were toward the end of their classic-quartet-style era, so the project had the benefit of an eight-year warmup.

Southern Gospel artists and record labels would do well to bring back the concept album, particularly the tribute to a legendary concept. Here are a few, for starters:

We Shall See Jesus: The Kingdom Heirs Sing the Songs of Dianne Wilkinson. They have already cut more of her songs than any other group, so what would another project be? Here are some classics and forgotten tracks that would fit their style well:

• We Shall See Jesus. There are only two singers on the road that could do the song justice—Arthur Rice and Pat Barker—and the Dixie Echoes aren’t likely to do a Dianne Wilkinson tribute.
• Saved (Gold City).
• God’s Grace Reaches Farther (Greater Vision).
• When Mercy Came Down (Mark Trammell Trio). This is a gem that has been unfortunately forgotten.
• Of Thee I Sing (Greater Vision, Ball Brothers). This would sound amazing in a quartet setting.

Feelin’ Fine: The Booth Brothers Sing the Songs of Mosie Lister. Anchored by new renditions of “Feelin’ Fine” and its sequel, “Still Feelin’ Fine,” this could include songs like

• “Where No One Stands Alone”
• “Till the Storm Passes By”
• “His Hand In Mine”
• “Here Comes the King” (done by the Dove Brothers on their tribute)
• “Land Where Living Waters Flow” (uptempo song done by the Florida Boys and, farther back, the Harvesters)
• “That Says it All” (done by George Younce on his solo project by the same name). After drafting this, I remembered that Ronnie Booth put it on his solo project, which validates my thesis that it fits the group’s sound. A rendition by the entire group would fit well on such a project, though.

Of course, they could include several of the classics they’ve already cut, but there’s more then enough great Mosie Lister songs they’ve yet to cut that their project could focus on those songs.

God Handled it All: The Perrys sing the songs of Kyla Rowland. It’s no secret that Rowland’s songs fit the Perrys’ style better than a hand in a glove. The Perrys can even take a Rowland song (like “Did I Mention”) that has been a filler track for other groups and make it a showstopper. Here are a few Rowland songs that the Perrys have never cut, but should:

• God Handled It All.
• One Scarred Hand. A Troy Peach / Libbi Perry Stuffle feature.
• There Rose a Lamb. Featuring Joseph. Few lead singers could top the original, but Joseph probably could.
• Windows of Home.
• His Response. This Mercy’s Mark track was forgotten way too quickly, since Anthony Facello left the group before their next mainline release and his replacement didn’t sing the song. This could be a bass feature.

A couple of other ideas:

• The Inspirations sing the songs of Sandy Knight
• The Isaacs sing the songs of Dottie Rambo
• The Hoppers sing the songs of Paula Stefanovich

A columnist I highly respect, John Crenshaw, recently posted a column that has been sparking quite a bit of discussion around the web: Fifteen Things I Don’t Like about Gospel Music.

On some of his points, I find myself nodding in agreement. If his numbers are correct, the National Quartet Convention really ought to be more than 28% male quartets. I don’t care for patriotic songs, either—unless the lyric uses the patriotism to set up the Gospel message. “Statue of Liberty” and “Let Freedom Ring” are two of the best songs our genre has introduced in the last half-century.

But several of his fifteen points are things I do like about Gospel Music. I love children singing  on stage. I love encores. And I do love versions of “Oh What a Savior” besides Rosie Rozell’s; in particular, I’m a fan of Larry Ford’s, Dallas Rogers’, and, yes, Ernie Haase’s versions of the song.

And I agree with Michael Booth.

In an acceptance speech at the 2009 Singing News Fan Awards, Michael Booth challenged his peers, sitting in the artist circle around the stage, to spend fifteen minutes in each concert sharing the Gospel message with their audiences.

Perhaps there are a few groups out there whose sole desire is to entertain. And so I’ll just leave them out of this discussion. But for the rest—and that’s probably most, since the sacrifices of eking out a living barely above minimum wage (if that) and putting up with the hassles of the road quickly weed out anyone who expected to get rich and famous, and live an easy life—Booth’s message couldn’t be any more timely.

In a world where moral relativism is the flavor of the day (the view that truth is not absolute), the absolute truth of the Gospel has never been more needed. It’s not like Gospel songs are palettes into which audiences can inject their favored form of spirituality. The Gospel is an all-or-nothing proposition. Either Jesus is God, or one of the most misguided lunatics that ever lived. Either He died for our sins, or He didn’t. And we’re either heading to Heaven or hell.

Probably 95% or better of the audiences at Gospel concerts are there because they agree with the message and like the music. But there are often people in the pews or theater seats who are just there because they like the harmonies or because they were invited by a friend. And since they (almost always) come into the concert knowing it’s a Gospel concert, there may never be a better time to share the Gospel message.

Now should the songs share that message? Of course. But that’s not enough. Whether or not an “altar call” is performed, it is quite appropriate for groups to slow down the program and take several minutes to urge their audiences to consider the message in the songs and apply it to their lives. And it’s not just about salvation, either; some in church pews have drifted far from their first love, and there is always room for growth for those who are on the right path.

It is far better that we muster up the patience to hear five, ten, or fifteen minutes of preaching than that a single soul that could have responded to the Gospel message would walk away unsaved.

Southern Gospel radio legend Paul Heil stirred up some controversy (and a lot of agreement) with this opinion piece in a recent Gospel Greats newsletter:

I’m disturbed by something I’m seeing. There are some well-known Southern Gospel groups which have recently recorded songs on their new CDs which I really wouldn’t consider Gospel songs. In some of the cases that come to mind these artists have dug back into secular music to find a feel-good song that, although it has a fine message from a human standpoint, really doesn’t include, per se, the Gospel. There’s no mention of Jesus or His saving power or the Good News that He came to save and redeem a sin-sick, lost and dying world, or even about our daily walk with the Lord. They’re just, well, nice little ditties. Infectious ditties, at that. And, in at least two cases that spring to mind, these songs have been put out to radio as current singles.

I just don’t understand it . . . I could hear such things on the local oldies station, if I chose to do so. Which I don’t. There are plenty of good, meaty songs available today in Southern Gospel music, from what is arguably the strongest universe of songwriters Southern Gospel music has ever enjoyed — songs that are solid in their presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why pass over them? Why dilute our representation of the Gospel to the world?

Many in Southern Gospel music used to criticize Contemporary Christian music — especially when it first spun off into its own genre in the early 1980s — as being just so much fluff and not overtly Gospel. Well, now we’re doing it. Shame on us.

Gospel music, at the risk of being redundant, should carry the Gospel message.

And I couldn’t agree more with that conclusion. But it’s expressed so well that I don’t see any particular need to try to say the same thing in different words. So I’d like to address a related theme, one I had already been pondering when his column came out.

Quite frankly, I don’t understand Southern Gospel’s fascination with country music—almost as though it was a better genre. And I don’t quite understand why Southern Gospel artists feel a need to borrow non-Gospel songs from country artists.

I’ve been pondering this for months, and I’ve come up with a few possible reasons.

Does it draw country fans into the genre? I don’t think so. After all, why bother with going out to see a group that sings a song almost as good as your favorite country singer sings it? Now if the group is singing other high-quality songs with the same style, perhaps a secular country fan could be drawn in to the concert and hear the Gospel message in those songs.

Is there a Southern Gospel inferiority complex? Just because country sells more units doesn’t necessarily make it any better. I’d take Mark Trammell, Doug Anderson, or Pat Barker (even as a soloist, though I prefer group harmonies) over any country singer, any day.

Are the Southern Gospel songs and songwriters just not good enough? I doubt anyone seriously advocates this.

Is there just not enough supply of great (not just good) Southern Gospel songs? Of the four options, perhaps this one is the most reasonable. Maybe there just aren’t enough good songs?

There’s so much good in Southern Gospel music. Why bother with country?