David Bruce Murray
Diana Brantley
Kyle Boreing
Phil on Southern Gospel
Steve EatonThis week’s Smack Down feature is a bass singer show down of one of my all time favorite quartet songs. “Plan Of Salvation”, written by Ruby Moody was recorded by the Cathedrals on their 1986 recording Master Builder. For any fan of bass singing, the bass singer gets the lead on the verse to this song. George Younce’s version to this song is off-limits. He had the definitive version so you can’t choose his version. In this Smack Down you have to choose among the (3) bass singer covers to determine which one you enjoy. This is not to determine who sounds most like George Younce but which newer version you enjoy most.
Their have been more than three groups cover this song over the years. I only pulled three more recent versions to use for this week’s Smack Down. In chronological order we’ll start with Will Lane’s bass cover from Driven Quartet’s 2007 debut recording, He Will Provide. That will be followed by Pat Barker’s bass cover from the Dixie Echoes 2009 album, I’d Rather Have Jesus. We’ll close it out with the most recent cover, that of Tim Duncan’s off of Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s 2010 recording, A Tribute To The Cathedral Quartet. Enjoy!!
George Younce
Will Lane
Pat Barker
Tim Duncan
I’ve always been attached to Timmy’s version, but I think Pat might do it best of all.
I’d really like to hear Ian Owens take it on now.
Of the 3….Pat Barker, hands down….but no one will ever top George’s rendition
I’m with Adam. George’s rendition so defined the song that nobody else will ever be able to top it.
And I’m also with Adam on the other point: Of those three, hands down, Pat Barker. I’ve heard him do it live a couple of times, and it’s even better live than in that studio cut.
George Younce.
Between the three, Pat Barker got my vote though. Tim’s low notes were stronger, but the tone on some of the other notes was less good and Pat seems the most consistent during the entire solo.
You should do a smackdown between the Cathedrals’ original studio rendition and the live arrangement. The studio version is straight 3/4 and at a faster tempo, while the live version (that everyone uses as the basis for their covers) is at a slower and more syncopated feel.
I notice that the live rendition is included as the sample for George, as opposed to the studio cut.
Yes Kyle, I noticed that too. My favorite George performance of it is from Deep In the Heart of Texas.
George’s version here is from a video the group did circa 1986/1987.
When I saw the title I thought this one would be easy. I knew I would pick George Younce’s version over anyone else. However, you made it much more difficult by eliminating his version. Out of curiosity, I checked my SG collection and I actually have seven different bass singers singing this song. Besides the 4 represented here, I also have Harold Gilley, Chris West, and Darin Hebert doing this song. My favorite (other than George Younce) is Harold Gilley. Of the 3 versions listed here I just cannot decide between Pat Barker and Tim Duncan. However, I think I like Tim’s live rendition on the “Get Away Jordan” CD better than the new version on “A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet”. If that version had been included here I would probably have picked it.
Oh, it’s Pat Barker, hands down. What a singer. When I think of the history of the song, my mind automatically goes back to George’s version. But if I came in totally blind, never knowing about the song, or the singers…honestly, I would probably pick Pat’s version over George’s. That was difficult to admit.
George Younce will NEVER be topped on this song. With that said Pat Barker gets my vote among these… I suppose you don’t have Glenn Dustin’s live version? He did a great job with it during the Cat’s Remembered taping…
Ruby Moody was my great-grandmother. she raised my father who has just passed on this past july. It warms my heart to hear her music played. I can not pick one over the other. thank you for playing one of her songs.
Is there any way to get the sheet music to the song The plan of salvation. The version George Younce and the Cathedral Quartet sang.
There is no doubt that it will always be George Younce forever known for this song. I like Pat Barker’s version best of the three groups. In my opinion, I did not care for EHSS Tribute CD. It should have been titled “A Tribute AT the Cathedrals Quartet.” My opinion is that when you do a tribute TO a group, it should sound as close to the original as it possibly can be. I think EHSS tried to out do the Cats and for that, I think it was disrespectful.