The Gospel Truth - New Cd From Ace/bgp

This may be of some interest to people on the board Kent's sister label from the funkier side BGP is putting out this week a great little compilation of gospel soul and funk from the Stax label. It includes some of the more well known classics such as work by the Staple Singers, Rance Allen aand Joshie Jo Armstead with 'I Got The Vibes', but it also digs much deeper telling the story Stax's Gospel Truth label, and its pioneering amalgamation of soul and funk with gospel.

Highlights include two cuts from the amazing Sons Of Truth, Clarence Smith's fantastic outing on 'Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child' the soul shugffling 'You Need A Friend Like Mine' by Annette Thomas and the astounding vocal harmonies of the 21st Century's 'If The Shoe Fits, Wear It'. This is Gospel music rethought in an accesable way, and often overlooked because it is on a gospel label.

As with all Ace/ Kent / BGP releases it comes with a lavishly illustrated booklet, and plenty of information about the acts.

http://www.acerecord...59&release=8553

from ace records site (link above)

01 SON OF THE DEACON

The Sons Of Truth

02 SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD

Clarence Smith

03 DO YOUR THING

The Marion Gaines Singers

04 WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME

Jacqui Verdell

Jacqui Verdell

05 BRAND NEW DAY (THEME FROM THE UNITED ARTISTS MOTION PICTURE 'THE LANDLORD')

The Staple Singers

06 TALK THAT TALK PT 1

The Rance Allen Group

07 I GOT THE VIBES

Joshie Jo Armstead

Joshie Jo Armstead

08 YOU NEED A FRIEND LIKE MINE

Annette Thomas

09 (THERE'S GONNA BE A) SHOWDOWN

The Rance Allen Group

10 LET ME COME HOME

The Howard Lemon Singers

11 IT WILL SOON BE OVER

The Marion Gaines Singers

12 I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED

The Sons Of Truth

13 BETTER GET A MOVE ON

Louise McCord

Louise McCord

14 WHEN WILL WE BE PAID FOR THE WORK WE DID

The Staple Singers

15 IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT

The 21st Century

16 KEEP MY BABY WARM

Charles May & Annette May Thomas

17 I JUST KEEP ON TRYING

Clarence Smith

18 STUMBLIN' BLOCKS, STEPPIN' STONES (WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG)

Joshie Jo Armstead

19 YOU CAN'T STOP ME NOW

The Marion Gaines Singers

20 NAME THE MISSING WORD

The Staple Singers

By the 1970s gospel music was at a crossroads. R&B had incorporated its emotional energy to become soul, and the old-timey feel of much of the music was alienating younger audiences. But gospel fought back by adapting the sounds of contemporary funk and soul to their songs of devotion, and in recent years these records have become extremely collectable. Until now Stax Records and its Gospel Truth label had been largely ignored by those who have anthologised this music. With its high production values and the input of some of the Stax's finest musicians there really are some amazing recordings on the label.

Started by Al Bell and run by veteran black music radio promotions man Dave Clark, the Gospel Truth label aimed to capitalise on the success Bell had had with the Staple Singers, the gospel group becoming a pop sensation on the main Stax label. Gospel Truth would take existing and new gospel acts and give them the Stax makeover. The very best soul musicians in the world would take time out from cutting hits to create the music for a series of gospel soul and gospel funk masterpieces. It unearthed a star in the unlikely figure of Rance Allen, a man whose voice is in itself an act of God.

This compilation tells the story of Stax's move into the gospel field by choosing the best of the output over a five-year period, from the Staples' glorious template via Allen's unique voice through to a variety of gospel circuit regulars and one-offs. Allen and the Staples seem to be almost polar opposites, with the Staples easing up the words to bring you onboard, while Rance sounded just like a soul artist until you listened to the lyrics, which never eased back in their praise of the Lord. We have cuts from the sought-after and super-rare LP by the Sons Of Truth and Joshie Joe Armstead's 'I Got The Vibes', a Northern soul monster almost from the day it was released. We also have unknown masterpieces by the 21st Century and Annette Thomas as well as gospel great Jacqui Verdell's only recording for the label.

The 20 tracks reflect the sound of popular black American music of the day from the out-and-out funk of Clarence Smith to the proto-disco sound of the Howard Lemon Singers. The Stax team made these records as if they were making new records for Isaac Hayes or Johnnie Taylor, but their message was of spiritual love rather than the secular kind.

By Dean Rudland

available now from usual outlets

amazon uk - £11.99

http://www.amazon.co...wwacerecordc-21