I don’t know why God would want fellowship with selfish, stubborn me but the thought that He does makes me want to praise Him even more. It gives me a greater desire to become a person He would delight in, a person that He could point to when talking to satan and He would say, “Have you considered my servant Sony, that there is none like her on the earth?” I think we sometimes think of Job as super human but he was simply a man who “feared God and [stayed away from] evil” (Job 1:8). Is that us? When faced with temptation, do we go the opposite direction so that it doesn’t interrupt our fellowship with God? Or do we care more about what people think of us than what God does?

People get so wrapped up in “not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together” but do you forsake assembling with God? If we fail in that, our fellowship with the saints amounts to nothing. We have nothing to give our Brothers and Sisters if we have received nothing from the Lord, and we won’t receive from Him if we neglect Him.

If you haven’t done so already, take some time to get alone with God and let Him know how much you appreciate everything He has done for you. You will be extremely blessed as you begin to feel His love and delight at the time you take for Him. He is waiting.

Update (7:54 AM): I’m at the hotel overlooking the convention center. Still not sure what level of connection I’ll have, or how much I’ll have the chance to post throughout the day. But whether I post today or later, it’s looking to be a great day!

Update (9:49 AM): About 100 people are here. The Talley Trio is planning to kick the event off with a few songs, and then Lauren will speak.

Update (11:15 AM): The day began with Debra starting the event in prayer. After a song by the Talley Trio and a solo song by Lauren, Lauren began her session. She shared the story that gave birth to the Songs in the Night book and CD. About two years ago, she went through an illness that had her largely confined to her bed or the couch for about three months. During that time, she sought God as to why she had to go through that trial. The book draws from the Bible study she did during those months; the CD is of the songs that carried her through that time. During this session, she shared the first Bible study from the book, on Psalm 77. She finished up the session by singing “Songs in the Night” and “The Extra Mile.”

Update (2:01 PM): About a half-hour ago, Roger Talley got a little bored waiting for the 2 PM session to start. Since at least 2/3 of attendees were sitting waiting for the session to start, he went up, played a piano solo, and then led audience sing-a-longs. He called up two people from the audience–they sang “Old Rugged Cross” and “Oh For a Thousand Tongues” (Nelons)–and both did excellent jobs. At this point, a local group, Voices of Mercy, is opening for Debra’s session. It’s a female trio, and possibly the best local group I’ve heard.

Update (3:51 PM): Debra Talley is wrapping up her session. I knew she was the sort to have in-depth thoughts and commentary, but I hadn’t realized how good a speaker she was. She has gotten more laughs in an hour and a half than I think I got in five hour-long sessions combined (and probably more tears than I’ve ever prompted when speaking).

There is a Lauren Talley solo concert and a Talley Trio group concert coming this evening, but due to a long drive afterwards I probably won’t be able to post much about it.

Update (6:30): Roger Talley just told me that he had noticed some of the curiosity about the size the event would be, despite the relatively small amount of publicity / notice. He said there were 113 paying attendees, besides a number of support staff / label personnel.

Update (7:49): I was right. A few days ago, I heard the studio cut of Lauren Talley’s arrangement of “In Christ Alone.” I posted my instant rendition on Facebook: “Wow. The standing ovation sort of wow.” I was right. Lauren just introduced and sang the song, and the place came unglued.

As the title suggests, the footage is culled from the Dixie Echoes’ numerous appearances on the Gospel Singing Jubilee TV series. Some of the footage is in (faded) color; other is in black and white. Though there is some image deterioration, the image quality is overall decent.

Unlike some Gaither compilations, there is no commentary between songs. This is overall a plus (for this particular project), but subtitles indicating which lineup was on each song would have been nice.

The studio setting doesn’t quite capture the charisma the Dixie Echoes would convey on the live concert stage. But it is still enjoyable and worth purchasing, if for no other reason than this: So many Southern Gospel legends came through the group in the 60s and 70s, and this is rare footage of them live in that era. Take Tim Riley on “After Awhile,” or Larry Ford on a number of songs, or J.G. Whitfield on some of the earlier, black-and-white footage. Ken Turner is featured on the classic “How Big is God,” a song frequently identified with the Blackwood Brothers, a year or two before he joined them. It’s also fun to watch Randy Shelnut’s stage presence and voice improve over the multi-year period from which this footage is culled. Of particular note is “Because He Lives,” where his voice is unmistakably recognizable to anyone who has heard it more recently.

This is an excellent compilation, worth 4.5 stars. The audio quality is excellent, and at over 25 songs, one can’t complain over a too-limited selection. There were only two reasons a half-star was deducted from the maximum possible score. First, in an unusual slip for a Gaither project, the song list on the cover is a typographical mess, with multi-letter strings randomly pulled from one song title and inserted in another. Second, if the technology hasn’t yet been invented, hopefully one of these days technology will be invented which allows television footage from the era to be cleaned up, with edge bleed and other artifacts removed.

But those are minor quibbles. Overall, this is an excellent project, a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of Southern Gospel music from that era.

Rating: 4.5 stars. ♦ Produced by: David Armstrong. ♦ Available from: Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: My Non-Stop Flight to Gloryland; Oh Happy Day; He’ll Pilot Me; After Awhile; Because He Lives; How Big is God; I Gave Up Misery; More than Just a Swear Word; I Can Tell You the Time; I’ve Been Born Again; Give Up; I Will Serve Thee; I Must Tell Jesus; One Day at a Time; Good Old Gospel Song; I’m Free; Mama’s Teaching Angels How to Sing; Little is Much; Now I Have Everything; On the Jericho Road; Talk About Jesus; Living By Faith; On the Way Home; Peace in the Valley; Walk With Me; We’ll Soon Be Done with Troubles and Trials.

Check it out here.

• David Phelps and Michael English picked up nominations for tenor and lead, respectively. Despite what some anticipated, it looks like Southern Gospel’s more traditional wing is ready to welcome them back.
• In the favorite musician category, there are nine men and one woman, as it has been the last few years. Triumphant remains hot right now, so Jeff Stice is probably the frontrunner. A woman has never won this award, but don’t be surprised to see Kim Collingsworth pick it up one of these years.
• There seems to be this sense on various Southern Gospel message boards that “If You Knew Him” is the front-runner for song of this year. Online prognosticators haven’t always accurately represented the pulse of the print readership, of course, but don’t be surprised to see that one as the front-runner this year.
• Congratulations to the Blackwood Brothers for their first top 10 Male Quartet nomination in a long time.
• It looks like the Mark Trammell Quartet didn’t sing their first date with Pat Barker in time to be listed in the quartets category. I believe that the change was announced by the eligibility period, but apparently the first date together was the dividing line. There is really no reason not to list Pat Barker in his current group on the next ballot, though. I seem to think there may be precedent for updating group affiliation, but I can’t quite remember it right now.
• Guy Penrod is nominated in the soloist category. Could he give Ivan Parker a run for his money?
• The Horizon Individual is a wide-open category this year. Gus Gaches and David Ragan both come from perennial fan favorite groups, Pat Barker has a solid fan base of his own, and both Bryan Elliot and Brian Alvey have at least a long-shot chance.

Your thoughts?

I had the privilege of attending an amazing concert in Lancaster, PA with Gold City and the Booth Brothers on March 13th.

I was really anxious to see the new Gold City lineup with Josh Cobb and Roy Webb, and so we made the trip up there. Let me just say it was well worth it. It was one of the best concerts I have been to in a long time, and the place was sold out! Several thousand attendees is the estimate for this Garden Spot concert at Lancaster Mennonite High School.

Some of the songs Gold City sang:

·    I Cast My Bread Upon the Water (the crowd was cheering to see Tim back and was energized by his low notes)
·    When I Get Carried Away (Josh showed he’s a powerhouse tenor and Tim absolutely nailed an ultra-low ending. It was so good to see Tim back, and the only word I can think of to describe his bass voice is “legendary.”)
·    He’ll Never Let Go (from the “First Class” project, and a song that will be featured on their new release coming out of all Doug Riley songs)
·    I’m Saved I’m Sure I’m Ready (another Doug Riley song)
·    Rainbow of Love (on this song, Tim Riley hit the lowest note I’ve ever heard him hit in a live concert. I think it was at least a double-low C, but I didn’t have my pitch pipe). A highlight of the night.
·    One Scarred Hand
·    Where is God
·    Satisfied (Josh Cobb was finally featured and he brought the power! He seemed to be straining a bit on one really high note, but was extremely solid, nonetheless. He received a standing ovation. He has a very powerful sound, and he actually reminded me somewhat of Dallas Rogers. Maybe he just looks a little like him, I don’t know, but the power vocals were amazing. He is an incredible addition to the group, and it won’t be long until the SG world stands up and takes notice.)
·    I’m Not Giving Up (Bruce’s mic cut out on the chorus, but Michael Booth popped out from behind the curtain and gave him his mic, and they went on into an encore. Standing ovation)
·    It’s Still The Cross (power ballad, sung very well)

The Booth Brothers lit up the stage next, and here are some of the songs they sang:

·    In The Sweet By and By
·    I See Grace
·    I’m The Lamb
·    Look For Me At Jesus’ Feet
·    Feelin’ Mighty Fine
·    Love Was in the Room
·    Sail On (I liked this Imperials classic)
·    Tradin’ This Old Cross in for a Crown
·    Crying in the Chapel (Ronnie sang this song from his Elvis tribute album, and it was a highlight of the night. Michael and Jim both humorously said that they did not listen to Ronnie’s solo album, and that they did not know the song. The humor the 3 of them put into setting up this song was the kind of humor that only comes from brotherly comraderie. It was somewhat reminiscent of another brotherly combination famously known as the “Three Stooges.” Anyway, these guys decided to “sing” the background vocals anyway, and once Ronnie got going with his soulful Elvis impression, the other two were in the background by the piano, just putting on a circus! Michael had several “Elvis moves” that had the crowd just rolling with laughter.)
·    Castles in the Sand
·    We Believe (the crowd went crazy, and it received one of the biggest ovations of the night. It will be on their next album.)

Intermission

The first half was good, but the 2nd half was amazing.

Gold City came out and did requests, including:

·    Look Who Just Checked In (I always liked this one)
·    Under Control (Tim still sings great)
·    When He Blessed My Soul (I requested this one, and Tim rocked it. The only drawback was that the mix sounded a little harsh for these first 3 songs after intermission, with the bass guitar and tracks too loud and the vocals too soft. However, they had it fixed by the 4th song.)
·    I Love This Land (standing ovation)
·    I’m Rich
·    Midnight Cry (standing ovation, and Danny mentioned that this was the best time he’d ever had at this venue)

The Booth Brothers started their set with the lights out and with the music video of “He Saw It All” being played at the Toronto Homecoming, and then the lights came on after the 1st verse, and there was a live band on stage! This segment was a huge highlight of the night. They had Jack Sammons on the bass guitar; Michael’s oldest son, Christian, on the electric guitar; Ronnie on 2 different guitars (switching between songs); Jim on the acoustic guitar; Roy Webb on the piano; and Michael Booth singing tenor and playing the drums! I laughed so hard just watching him.

After “He Saw It All,” they did “Life Is Like a Mountain Railway,” accompanied by some beautiful playing, and then they hit “I’ll Fly Away” out of the park! Josh Cobb and Bruce Taliaferro came out beating timbrels and whatever they could find with drum sticks! Josh was absolutely hilarious. He stole the show. He had his suit off, but still had a black vest on, and the bright red bowtie which he had been wearing for GC’s set, was untied and hanging around his collar while he danced around in McCray Dove style! Michael said he could barely play the drums back there because Josh made him laugh so hard. He said he thinks Josh forgot to take his pill that day – just like him. After the second encore, the crowd was still yelling for another encore, but Michael said he was too out of shape to sing anymore.

More thoughts:

Michael preached at the end, and virtually everyone stayed to listen. Michael thanked the people for staying, and quipped that he knows he’ll get emails from people complaining about paying “all that money” to hear preaching. Then he said, “I’ve got good news for you: this part is free!” He preached the word. Even though there was plenty of comedy (which we loved), he also made it serious, and got right down to the Word, several different times in the concert. I gained a whole new respect for the Booth Brothers, and it was easy to see why these guys are on top of the SG world right now.

Gold City has made some interesting changes. They are now singing older songs. Very little of this new, contemporary/country stuff that started to turn off some fans, and more of the classics. They are not as loud as they used to be in the mix (I always liked it loud, but a lot of people did not. In fact, the BB’s were louder!). They now have Roy Webb as pianist, which adds a humorous mix to the group, and the crowd loved him. One observation I made is that Danny Riley has a little trouble “bouncing off” Roy, as this type of humor is still new to the group. Roy is so crazy, and it almost takes Danny off-guard.

Danny also told the story of how they got Tim back on the road, and actually said that his mom approached him about it last summer and said that she thinks he should talk to Tim about singing again. The story of her dedication and sacrifice really moved me. Danny’s story about how he talked to Tim to come back was really funny too, and he said Tim told him if he’s going to come back they have to sing some of the old songs again. I think that is a welcome change for most fans. They have Kyle back running the sound, and they were all dressed in dark, sharp suits as well as nice ties (and Josh had the previously-mentioned red bowtie).

The end result for GC is a vastly improved lineup. I still miss Jonathan Wilburn, and if there is one area on which GC needs improvement, it is stage presence. The Booth Brothers are a good example to watch. The fluidity with which they master the stage is amazing. They make the audience comfortable, they compliment the audience, and they have them eating out of their hand. They are humble, hilarious, and totally energized. I think one reason people are drawn to them is because the Booth Brothers act on stage how most people want to feel. If you come to the concert stressed out or sad, all you have to do is watch them and it will make you feel good. GC could use a little more of that energy.

That said, GC has a stellar vocal lineup right now, and they are again, one of my very favorite groups. I never thought I’d say this again, but Gold City is on the road back. Tim Riley is still easily the best bass singer on the road in my opinion, and with Josh’s power vocals, they have a great lineup.

The combination of the 2 groups made for a fantastic concert that I will remember for a very long time. If you are wondering whether or not you should go see the new Gold City, let me tell you it is worth it!

Question: What inspired the song, The Extra Mile?

Answer: I remember the day that song was written. I was in a co-write with Barry Weeks and Tony Wood one afternoon, and Barry was noodling at the piano while we were getting ready to throw out songs ideas. What he was simply playing off the cuff felt to me like a perfect fit for an idea I had called “The Extra Mile.”

The hook was centered around Matthew 5:41 where Jesus addresses a law of the day that said a Roman soldier could force a person in subjugation to carry his armor or materials for one mile. And since Israel was under Roman rule, it was a common practice for the people to which Jesus was speaking. But He encouraged them, saying basically, “We are required to go one mile…but go two.” That kind of selflessness would create opportunities to demonstrate the Love of God that resided within them.

It’s the same with us today. For example, as Believers, we read in scripture that the tithe belongs to the Lord, and as cheerful givers, we bring it to the storehouse each Sunday. But we can choose to be “second milers” in our giving and also bring an offering. Not only that, we can BE an offering. It doesn’t have to be something epic. Instead of just holding the door at the store for an elderly person, we can do the inconvenient thing and carry their groceries to their car. That is the second mile—the extra mile. It’s going above and beyond what the moment requires for the opportunity to look like the One who resides within us and to bear fruit.

Tony and Barry liked the idea, and we decided to write several stories of people going the extra mile to help others. It wasn’t hard for me to come up with a suggestion for verse one. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans—when most of us were sending money, food and water, and teams from our churches to help rebuild communities—family members of mine near Jackson, Mississippi, went the second mile and opened up their home to a family that had lost everything in the storm. That measure of inconvenient Love had a tremendous impact on me, and Blaine and Janie’s inspirational “extra mile” became our first verse.

The rest of the writing session is a blur. If I remember correctly, while Barry and I worked on the melody of the chorus, Tony wrote most of verse two. And at the end of the day, it felt like we had written something quite special. When Lauren Talley heard the song, its message resonated in her heart. She told me at NQC a few months ago that what cinched it for her was the line about Love reaching to the “broken ones.” As an artist, she heard that lyric as the perfect follow up to their hit song, “The Broken Ones,” which was amazing to me because none of the songwriters made that connection.

I love the song, and Tony, Barry, and I are honored that Lauren would record it.

* * *

The Extra Mile
Kenna Turner West, Tony Wood, Barry Weeks

1. Two hundred miles away
A storm had just blown through
Before the sun came up the next day
The church was on the move
With so many hurting
Left with nothing of their own
That’s when people of the Lord
Opened up their homes

Chorus
Love goes the extra mile
And gives itself away
It reaches to the broken ones
To help restore their faith
Till the lost are redeemed
Till every heart is reconciled
Love goes the extra mile

2. At a Wednesday night church meeting
A prayer request was made
For a husband and a wife whose vows
Were just about to break
And when they said amen that evening
The Spirit stirred some friends
To drive across that little town
And go to pray with them

(chorus)

Bridge
It never plays it safe
It goes on unafraid

(chorus)

(Reprinted by permission)

Though I will probably always have a soft spot for their all-too-brief quartet with a live band era, the year between recordings was well spent. They have adapted to the different vocal dynamics of a trio and come out with a solid sound.

Journey Down the Old Path Volume Three is a collection of ten Southern Gospel classics. Though there is one classic that practically everyone has cut (“We’ll Soon Be Done with Troubles and Trials”), the overall song selection focuses on those songs that long-time fans will remember and associate with a group, but practically nobody has done since the original. Granted, there may be one or two other cuts (by professional groups) out there, but when was the last time you heard someone cut the Cathedrals’ “My Lord Will Send a Moses”?

Or anyone besides Kirk Talley sing “I Know a Man Who Can”?

Or anyone besides Gold City cut “Windows of Home”?

Or anyone besides the Rambos cut “In the Valley (He Restoreth My Soul)”?

While many groups would have cut, say, “Boundless Love,” “Step Into the Water,” “Midnight Cry,” and “He Looked Beyond My Faults,” this approach to song selection, coupled with delightful arrangements, make this recording a pleasure to listen to.

At about the same time the Old Paths reissued Songs From the Old Path Vol. 3, they also issued Signature Collection. The recording takes fourteen of the group’s earlier songs and delivers new trio arrangements. While it breaks little new ground, that’s not its purpose—to have the concert favorites by the group available at their table. For someone new to the group’s music, it’s also an excellent introduction to the sound of their current lineup of some of their best songs.

Rating: 4.5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4 stars. ♦ Group members: Jeremy Peace, Tim Rackley, Doug Roark. ♦ Produced by: The Old Paths. ♦ Available from: Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: Homeland; He’s Still Living; I’ve Got a Feeling; In The Valley (He Restoreth My Soul); He is Mine; My Lord Will Send a Moses; Windows of Home; I Know a Man Who Can; Hello Mama; We’ll Soon Be Done With Troubles and Trials.

This afternoon, I had some spare time, so I installed another photo gallery, this one built right into Wordpress. View it here, or by going to the top right menu bar and selecting “Gallery.”

Reading this account reminded me that, in reality, most of us really have nothing to complain about. Life may be hard but it could be a lot harder. We may not understand why certain things happen to us but God is still very good to us just like He was good to this family. It may not seem like goodness for God to let them lose their home and some of their family members but God has a plan and I trust that He will somehow use this for His glory. Maybe others will come to know Him because of the faith of this family. I don’t know but I do know that God’s love is strong for each of His people and He loves you as well. No matter what you are going through, take some time to thank God for His love and His goodness. Sing “It is Well” for, if you are a true Believe, it really is well with your soul and that is truly something to be thankful for.