FUNK FOR SINNERS
After reading and listening to Kevin Kiley's "Soul For Sinners" at Sir Shambling over and over again I got the idea of putting together a "Funk For Sinners" podcast as a kind of companion volume to "Soul For Sinners". Kevin chose 20 of the most soulful gospel songs out of the SongBird/Peacock/ABC stable with a maximum of 3 songs by a single artist. I've selected 20 of the funkiest gospel songs out of the same catalogue with a maximum of 3 by a single artist.
As the people of the Numerogroup in the liner notes of "Good God. A Gospel Funk Hymnal" wrote 'Gospel Funk is a genre in the same way that deep soul or acid folk are, created by collectors and enthusiasts as a way to define a subsection of another genre'. In the 1970's there wasn't an artist who considered himself a 'gospel funketeer'. From the mid- to late seventies many a gospel artist tried to get his message across in the then 'current' sound as they and their predecessors had done in the past. And the 'current' sound was Funk in the second half of the seventies. The sound that was getting the feet moving on Saturday Night at the nightclubs was getting the same feet moving on Sunday Morning at the local church.
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If you ever needed music to help you to get across the twilight zone between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, don't look no further. Here it is "Funk For Sinners":
1. The Crowns of Glory - Ain't No Sunshine (Peacock LP 59201)
Let's start slowly with the 'lazy' funkiness of The Crowns of Glory's cover of the Bill Withers original. The Crowns of Glory recorded three albums for SongBird/Peacock. "Ain't No Sunshine" is taken from their first album "Won't It Be Grand".
2. The Jackson Southernaires - The Lord Will Make A Way (SongBird LP 230)
Time to shift gears and get things really going with The Jackson Southernaires. They had three and a half albums on SongBird. "The Lord Will Make A Way" is taken from "Save A Child".
3 1/2 albums. How did that come?
3. The Sensational Williams Brothers - Jesus Done Blew My Mind (SongBird LP 236)
The Jackson Southernaires and the Sensational William Brothers shared the album "He's My Brother" with one side each. Both groups are related to each other with sons, brothers and fathers playing in both groups. "Jesus Done Blew My Mind" is taken from the album "Holding On".
4. Mildred Clark & the Melody-Aires - Change In The World (Peacock LP 59218)
The Kansas City Melodyaires made their debut on Acquarian back in the sixties. At that time it was a mixed group that slowly through the years evolved into an all female group consisting of leader Mildred Clark and her three daughters Saundra, Doll and Barbara. And with the changes in personnel the name of the group evolved into Mildred Clark & the Melody-Aires. The group's first album was on SongBird around 1965. After a hiatus of a little bit less than 10 years they entered a very productive period with 5 albums on Peacock between 1974 and 1978. "Change In The World" is the title song of their second Peacock album.
5. Capital City Stars & Paul Owens - I'll Fly Away (SongBird LP 231)
Former Brooklyn All Stars lead singer Paul Owens hooked up with some of New York's finest session musicians making an excellent album full of groovy gospel. "Jesus Is On The Mainline" is their only album. After this album Paul Owens returned to the Brooklyn All Stars.
6. Inez Andrews - Believe In Humanity (SongBird LP259)
With a career in gospel music dating back to 1957, the year Inez Andrews joined the gospel group The Caravans, she certainly is one of the few real female superstars of gospel. During the 1970s, her period at SongBird, she recorded a lot of 'social message' songs that aren't strictly gospel. What if she had made one more step and crossed over to secular music?
7. The Salem Travelers - Swing Low (Peacock LP 59214)
Between their stint at Checker and their period at Nashboro The Salem Travelers made one album for Peacock. And what a funky gospel album that is. "Wait On The Lord" was released in 1974 and has even some rock influences. Just listen to the guitar work at "Swing Low".
8. The Loving Sisters - Cosmic Consciousness (Peacock LP 59204)
Group leader Gladys McFadden & the Loving Sisters recorded nine albums for Peacock in the 1970s. This made them the most recorded female group at SongBird/Peacock. "Cosmic Consciousness" is taken from "The Sisters And Their Sons", an album as the title already indicates that was recorded with theirs sons playing the instruments and singing back-up.
9. Rev. Nat Townsley & the Lighthouse Ensemble - There's A Man (Peacock 59215)
Rev. Nat Townsley Jr, was the Pastor of Light Church Of Love & Peace, Brooklyn, New York City. "There's A Man" is taken from his only album "I Fell In Love With God".
10. Crowns of Glory - Lord, Look At Your People (Peacock LP 59224)
This one is taken from their second album "God Save The Children" which was recorded in Detroit, Michigan. Debra Body is singing lead on "Look At Your People".
11. Mighty Clouds of Joy - Like A Child (ABC LP 986)
The Mighty Clouds of Joy go back to the mid 1950s when they made their recording debut on HOB. In the early 1960s they moved to Peacock for nine albums. When Peacock was sold to ABC they were one of the few acts who could stay. While at ABC they recorded four more albums. "Like A Child" is taken from their 1977 album "Truth Is The Power".
12. Mildred Clark & the Melody-Aires - The Real Thing (Peacock LP 59218)
Another song from the "Change In The World" album. The same question we as with Inez Andrews comes to mind. What if Mildred Clark had made the last step and crossed over into secular music?
13. Pilgrim Outlets - I Just Want To Testify (SongBird LP 241)
Their only album "Do You Know Him" was released in 1974 and doesn't have a lot of information about the group on the backcover.
14. Inez Andrews - Think Love (SongBird LP 239)
With nine solo albums on SongBird Inez Andrews was the most prolific female solo artist at SongBird/Peacock. After her period at Songbird she moved to the Savoy label where she recorded another 4 albums. "Think Love" is from "More Church In The Home" her fourth SongBird album.
15. Jackson Southernaires - I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use (SongBird LP 249)
This one is taken from their last SongBird album "Look Around" which was released in 1974. The reason they left SongBird was that the Jackson Southernaires preferred recording in their hometown at the Malaco Studios in Jackson, MS. The were the first gospel act at Malaco. Malaco became an, if not the most, important gospel label in the 1980s and is still going strong today.
16. The Salem Travelers - Games People Play (Peacock LP 59214)
They made their debut on local Chicago label Ha-Lo in 1963, before being picked up by the Chicago gospel-blues-soul powerhouse Chess/Checker in the 1968. After releasing five albums on Checker they moved to Peacock for one album in 1974 and one on One-Way in 1977. In the 1980s there were four more albums on Nashboro.
17. Tessie Hill - Go Before Me (Peacock LP 59229)
Tessie Hill made her first solo album on HOB back in 1972. Between 1975 and 1980 she recorded four albums for Peacock and ABC. "Go Before Me" is taken from her second Peacock album "Think About It".
18. The Sensational Williams Brothers - I Can't Live Here Always (SongBird LP 248)
"I Can't Live Here Always" is taken from their final SongBird album "What's Wrong With The People Today" from 1974. Unlike their fathers, brothers and uncles of the Jackson Southernaires they didn't move directly to Malaco. In the late seventies and early eighties they recorded for Nashboro, Savoy, Tomato, Myrrh and New Birth before joining Malaco in 1985.
19. Capital City Stars & Paul Owens - Generation Cap (SongBird LP 231)
We will probably never know who the men (or women?) behind the Capital City Stars are. All I know is that of all SongBird/Peacock albums I've listened to in order to create this podcast, "Jesus Is On The Mainline" is the funkiest album of all.
20. The Loving Sisters - It's Jesus Y' All (Peacock LP 187)
Let's finish with this reminder by the Loving Sisters. Whatever the 'funkiness' of the music, it's all about Jesus!!
Cies (december 2008)