Ten On Ten – Anchormen

Reader requests continue our ten on ten feature this week.  The Anchormen came together in 1979 and began their early years performing as a trio.  The group added a bass singer in 1987 and have been singing as a quartet since.

It was the late 1980′s when the Anchormen started getting noticed in Southern Gospel music.  As is the case with many groups in the industry, the Anchormen have seen their fair share of personnel changes through the years.  It seems as though the Anchormen have put together a vocal line-up that is once again turning heads.

The Anchormen’s ten best albums are as follows:

1. Adoration (1995)
2. Believe (2012)
3. Nothing Less Than All (2003)
4. In Concert (1992)
5. On The Threshold (1991)
6. Reflections Of Life (1999)
7. Glory Ahead (2006)
8. Come To The Fountain (1994)
9. Heart Of The Matter (1989)
10. Livin’ Our Dream (2005)

• The Anchormen’s newest 2012 release Believe nearly dethroned what I have considered the Anchormen’s pinnacle recording; the 1995 album Adoration.  When looking at the group’s ten best I still gave Adoration the top spot for the Anchormen’s best album.
• Brian Routh (tenor), Dale Forbes (lead), Terry Carter (baritone) and Jeff Chapman (bass) was the vocal line-up on Adoration which gave the listener “Second Time Around”, “Beyond The Grave”, “Come On In”, “Be Still And Know” and “One More Testimony” as highlights.
• That would make the group’s newest album Believe #2 among their ten best.  This album saw the return of Forbes and Carter at their respective vocal spots.  Karl Rice (tenor) and Paul Harkey (bass) round out this vocal line-up.  Dale Forbes proves he has still got it, turning in some of the best singing of his career on Believe.
• The make-up of the top ten shows the consistency the Anchormen were able to produce even with all the personnel shifts.  There was no specific period that dominated the list.
• The 2003 album Nothing Less Than All ranked #3 among the group’s ten best.  Steve Ladd and David Hester held down the high and low ends on this particular album.  Both would go on to perform with Gold City (Ladd) and the Dove Brothers (Hester).  This is an all around great quartet album!
• The vocal line-up that would go on to become Driven Quartet released two of the Anchormen’s ten best albums.  They included 2006′s Glory Ahead (#7) and 2005′s Livin’ Our Dream (#10) .  The latter was a collection of classics, but the Anchormen turned in some great performances on those particular songs.
• The early ’90′s was a prime time for the Anchormen.  Their 1992 album In Concert ranks #4 and the 1991 album On The Threshold ranks #5.  ”We’re Gaining Ground”, “Behold The King”, “I Feel Like Running”, “It Was Amazing”, “Sooner Or Later” and “I’ve Been Touched” all highlight these two recordings.
• The gem in the Anchormen’s discography is their 1989 recording Heart Of The Matter.  Featuring the vocal line-up of David Walker (tenor), Biney English (lead), Terry Carter (baritone) and Jody Medford (bass), this recording is one those that Southern Gospel collectors should include in their collections.
• The Anchormen have released a couple of albums that should be forgotten.  The most forgettable is a 2004 recording titled Times And Seasons.
• I can’t leave this ten on ten feature of the Anchormen without recognizing the late ’90′s version of the group.  The vocal line-up of Steve Ladd (tenor), Philip Hughes (lead), John Stemburg (baritone) and Jeff Chapman (bass) released the album ranked at #6; the 1999 recording Reflections Of Life.

***NEXT UP ON TEN ON TEN:  STATESMEN***