Ten On Ten – The Kingsmen

The ten on ten feature this week highlights the Kingsmen.  One of the rare groups in the history of this genre whose career has spanned 50 years.  With Eldridge Fox at the helm and Jim Hamill as one of the industry’s best emcees, the Kingsmen dominated the Southern Gospel world from about 1976 to 1990.  Their ‘three chords and a cloud of dust’ style singing endeared them to fans.  How do you narrow down a group with a complete discography of 75+ albums to their ten best?

The Kingsmen’s ten best albums are:

1. Live…Naturally (1981)
2. Chattanooga Live (1977)
3. Mississippi Live (1987)
4. Big And Live (1973)
5. Stand Up At Opryland USA (1986)
6. Proven Time And Time Again (2000)
7. Anchors Aweigh (1988)
8. Live At The University Of Alabama (1983)
9. Just A Little Closer Home (1977)
10. When God Ran (2008)

• The Kingsmen were masters at live recordings.  They recorded five during the decade of the 1980′s.  It is no surprise six of the Kingsmen’s top ten albums are live recordings.  The Kingsmen were the type of group that was able to capture something live that could never be translated to studio recordings.
• Live…Naturally from 1981 is the pinnacle for the Kingsmen landing at #1.  This double album captured an entire concert experience from the Kingsmen.  Listening to it 30 years later, the listener can get a true glimpse of what a Kingsmen concert experience was like during their height of popularity.
• Live…Naturally is one of the best Southern Gospel live albums ever recorded.  It would also be near the top of my list for best Southern Gospel album ever recorded.
• When talking about the Kingsmen, Chattanooga Live, from 1977, is also a must have.  This would be the album that launched the Kingsmen into mega group status within the industry.  ”The Lovely Name Of Jesus”, “Is That The Old Ship Of Zion” and “We Do Not Die” from this particular recording all became Kingsmen standards.
• Mississippi Live from 1987 is also an outstanding live album by the Kingsmen.  Recorded in Jackson MS, this album captured this era of the Kingsmen at their best.  This particular recording has the group’s best version of “Look For Me At Jesus Feet”.
• The 1973 Canaan records album Big And Live was where it all started for the Kingsmen it terms of notoriety.  While Chattanooga Live launched the Kingsmen to mega group status, Big And Live put the group on the map.
• The top studio album and post Hamill era recording by the group is their 2000 release Proven Time And Time Again.  The only other post Hamill era recording to be counted among the group’s ten best is their 2008 effort When God Ran.  This would be the modern era Kingsmen’s best recording.
• The forgotten gem in the group’s discography would be the group’s 1988 recording Anchors Aweigh.  After releasing three live albums in a row in 1985, 1986 and 1987, the Kingsmen were able to release a studio recording that rivaled some of the best music they recorded in the 1980′s.
• From forgotten gem to the album the should be forgotten.  While the Kingsmen excelled at live recordings, there was one in the group’s discography that fell flat.  The 1992 recording Singing In The Sun Live would probably rank at the bottom of the group’s live albums.  As far as studio albums, the album that should be forgotten is the 2004 recording Born Again.
• With a career spanning 50 years, there were several great albums that just missed making the ten best list that still deserve a mention:  Good Good God (2006), It Made News In Heaven (1976), Missing People (2009), Shelter (1999) and Your Ride’s On The Way (1982).

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