Ten On Ten – JD Sumner & Stamps

This week’s ten on ten feature highlights one of Southern Gospel music’s biggest quartets; JD Sumner and the Stamps.  JD Sumner was a larger than life personality both on and off stage.  To his work with the Blackwood Brothers, then taking over the Stamps and ultimately the Stamps singing back up with Elvis Presley.  This ten on ten feature will take a look at the recording career of the Stamps from the group’s 1966 recording The New, Very New Sound through The Final Sessions; the final new album released in 1999.

JD Sumner and the Stamps top ten albums are:

1. Live At Murray State University (1975)
2. The Exciting Stamps Quartet (1970)
3. Live In Nashville (1971)
4. The Touch Of His Hand (1971)
5. What A Happy Time (1974)
6. The Final Sessions (1999)
7. Signs Of A Good Life (1969)
8. Let’s Have Church (1995)
9. Sweet Song Of Salvation (1972)
10. Victory Road (1990)

• Live albums were game changers for artists in the 1970′s.  Listening to those albums now, captures an era in Southern Gospel that many current listeners were not around to experience.  JD Sumner & Stamps two live recordings from the 1970′s sit at the top of the list; the #1 album being the 1975 recording Live At Murray State University.
• The vocal line-up on the Live At Murray State University album was Bill Baize (Tenor), Ed Enoch (Lead), Ed Hill (Baritone) and Sumner (Bass).  You can’t beat “A Soul Such As I”, “In His Hands”, “Rainbow Of Love”, “Thank God For The Old Rugged Cross” and “I Can Feel The Touch Of His Hand”.  One of Southern Gospel’s best live recordings.  Actually one of Southern Gospel’s best albums.
• The top studio album from the group is the 1970 recording JD Sumner And The Exciting Stamps Quartet.  Not to be confused with the compilation recording released in 1971 with the same title, the 1970 Heartwarming release  contained the group’s original cut of “The Night Before Easter”.  This recording also contained strong selections in “The Army Of The Lord”, “I’ve Been Born Again”, “My Non Stop Flight” and “When God’s Chariot Comes”.
• JD Sumner & Stamps had many great vocalists spend time with the group.  Bill Baize, James Blackwood Jr, Ed Enoch, Ed Hill, Jim Hill, Mylon LeFevre, Roy McNeil, Richard Sterban, Rick Strickland, Donnie Sumner, Jack Toney, Jerry Trammell and Steve Warren to name a few.
• The other live recording to land among the best of the Stamps was the 1971 Live In Nashville album.  This was the first album to feature Richard Sterban at bass.  Richard spent a couple of years with JD Sumner & Stamps before joining the Oak Ridge Boys.
• The late ’60s and early ’70s era was JD Sumner & Stamps at their best.  The music they were releasing during this time period is some of the finest Southern Gospel quartet music you’ll find.
• The group saw a re-birth in the 1990′s.  Three albums released during that decade is among the groups ten best.  The top ’90s album is The Final Sessions released in 1999.  Recorded prior to JD’s death in 1998, it was haunting to hear JD on “Ole Man Death” once the album was released.
• Another of JD’s signature ’90s performances was “The Lord Still Lives In This Old House” recorded on the 1995 album Let’s Have Church.  I would also consider this the forgotten gem in the group’s discography.  For all new Southern Gospel listeners, if there is one fairly recent JD Sumner & Stamps recording you should have in your collection,  Let’s Have Church is the one.
• The album that should be forgotten in the group’s discography is the 1980 album I Believe In The Old Time Way.  JD Sumner & Stamps just don’t sound the same with a female vocalist in the group.
• JD Sumner and the Stamps are rarely ever named when Southern Gospel historians look at the industry’s biggest quartets.  One will usually hear groups like Statesmen, Cathedrals and Blackwood Brothers mentioned first.  As already stated the music released in the late ’60s and early ’70s by JD Sumner & Stamps is some of the finest quartet music you’ll hear in Southern Gospel music.

***NEXT UP ON TEN ON TEN:  GAITHER VOCAL BAND***