Smack Down!! – Oak Ridge Boys – Round 1

This week’s artist album smack down is the first match up for legendary quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys.  Listen to sound bytes of each recording and then vote for the album you think should win.

• Album – Light
• Release Year – 1972
• Vocal Line Up – Willie Wynn (tenor), Duane Allen (lead), William Lee Golden (baritone), Noel Fox (bass)
• Song List – (1) “I Don’t Know Why Jesus Loved Me” (2) “Mama’s Last Amen” (3) “I Should Have Been Crucified” (4) “Through It All” (5) “Jesus Is The Man For The Hour” (6) “These Hands Of Mine” (7) “After Calvary” (8) “It’s Jesus That They Need” (9) “It Won’t Be Long” (10) “The Flowers Kissed The Shoes (Jesus Wore)”

• Album – It’s Happening
• Release Year – 1969
• Vocal Line Up - Willie Wynn (tenor), Duane Allen (lead), William Lee Golden (baritone), Noel Fox (bass)
• Song List – (1) “Jesus Is Coming Soon” (2) “He Really Cares About You” (3) “Had It Not Been” (4) “Nearer To Thee” (5) “It’s In Your Hands” (6) “I’m Almost Home” (7) “Daddy Sang Bass” (8) “It Won’t Be Long” (9) “Mama’s Teaching Angels How To Sing” (10) “Amazing Love” (11) “Without Jesus, You Won’t Make Heaven” (12) “The Road That Leads To Heaven”

VOTE – Worst Southern Gospel Album Cover

Now that we have exhausted ranking the best and worst Southern Gospel album covers of all time, this week and next will allow you to vote on the best and worst.  I took the top eight and bottom eight (by rank) for the voting rounds.  This week, please vote on the one album cover you consider to be the worst.  I have provided the covers again (click on thumbnail).

His Hands – Blackwood Brothers Quartet (1958)

Paradise Island – Blackwood Brothers Quartet (1959)

Born Again Children – Galileans (1975)

Fields Of Greene – Greenes (1994)

Excited – Hemphills (1985)

Our Inspiration – Inspirations (1971)

Gospel Gold – Oak Ridge Boys (1974)

What Then – Rebels Quartet (1961)

Album Covers To Rank – Set 19

We are down to the final two sets of album covers to rank.  In the comments section rank each album from 1 to 6 (1 being best, 6 being worst).  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

Sky High – Oak Ridge Boys (1975)

I’m A Jesus Fan – Paynes (1984)

Sings With Hovie Lister – Statesmen Quartet (1958)

Souled Out Live – Teddy Huffam and the Gems (1977)

Something For Everyone – Voices Won (2009)

Blessings – Wilburns (1995)

Album Covers To Rank – Set 8

Here is another set of album covers to rank to kick off the weekend.  In the comments section, rank each album from 1 to 6 (1 being the best, 6 being the worst).  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

The Call – Mike Bowling (2001)

Heavenly Sunrise – Hoppers (1991)

Live In Dayton – Kingsmen (1990)

We Believe God – N’Harmony (2002)

Oasis – New Hinsons (1995)

Gospel Gold – Oak Ridge Boys (1974)

Album Covers To Rank – Set 6

Southern Gospel Views from the Back Row is in search of the best and worst Southern Gospel album covers of all time.  Here is a sixth set of album covers to rank.  In the comments section rank each cover from 1 to 6 (1 being best, 6 being worst).  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

Live And On Stage – Hinsons (1976)

Old Fashioned, Down Home… – Oak Ridge Boys (1976)

Looking For The Wounded – Perfect Heart (1991)

Still Water – Perry Sisters (1995)

What Then? – Rebels Quartet (1961)

Something In The Air – Ruppes (2004)

Back Home Again – Oak Ridge Boys

Southern Gospel Views from the Back Row (Steve Eaton) and Musicscribe (David Bruce Murray) join forces once again to present the ‘must buy or not’ feature. Highlights and dislikes will be offered along with a definitive yes or no on whether the album is a ‘must buy’.

In this week’s edition of the ‘must buy or not’ feature, we take a look at the new album from the Oak Ridge Boys. Back Home Again hit retail on Tuesday (05/22/12). The group continues their streak of releasing Gospel material as Back Home Again is an all Gospel recording.

Song list: (1) “Lead Me To The Rock” – Traditional (2) “Back Home Again” – John Denver (3) “Led Out Of Bondage” – R. L. Prather (4) “I Get To” – Sherrie Austin, Will Nance, Steve Williams (5) “In That Great Gettin’ Up Morning” – Traditional (6) “Why Me” – Kris Kristofferson (7) “Standing In The Need Of Prayer” – Traditional (8) “Coat Of Many Colors” – Dolly Parton (9) “The Love Of God” – F. M. Lehman (10) “River Of Jordan” – Hazel Houser (11) “If We Ever Needed The Lord Before We Sure Do Need Him Now” – Thomas A. Dorsey (12) “Heaven Bound” – Bobby Springfield

SOUTHERN GOSPEL VIEWS FROM THE BACK ROW

• Songs that haven’t been over recorded. Back Home Again tends to use songs that have been recorded many times over the last several years. The bright spots are the Oaks versions of “Lead Me To That Rock”, “Standing In The Need Of Prayer” (short, but one of my favorites from the recording), “River Of Jordan” and “Heaven Bound”.
• William Lee Golden still turning in great baritone performances. He can communicate a lyric with warm soothing tones. Such is the case with the title track “Back Home Again”.
• Richard Sterban is also still laying down some low bass notes. He also is able to take a lead with ease (see “Led Out Of Bondage” and “Why Me”).
• The nice harmony moments the Oaks create, especially on Lehman’s classic “The Love Of God”, is a treat for listeners who have followed the Oak Ridge Boys career for any length of time.

MUSICSCRIBE

• “Back Home Again” was written and recorded by John Denver years ago, but it sounds like it was written specifically for William Lee Golden. If you loved his version of “Beautiful Bluebird” on The Boys Are Back, you’ll love this one too.
• When William Lee Golden is featured on melody with Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and Joe Bonsall on harmony, that is THE definitive Oaks sound. You can hear it on the choruses of “Why Me” and again on “River Of Jordan.”
• It was good to hear a different take on Dolly Parton’s “Coat Of Many Colors” and an updated version of one of my favorite Oaks songs, “Heaven Bound.”

SOUTHERN GOSPEL VIEWS FROM THE BACK ROW

• “I Get To”. This song has been recorded and singled by both Three Bridges and Jeff & Sheri Easter in a span of less than two years. While there is nothing wrong with the Oaks version, here’s hoping we don’t get another single of this song.
• I found the vocal performance on “In That Great Gettin’ Up Morning” over done and forced.

MUSICSCRIBE

• I like the way the music gets out-of-the-way on “Led Out Of Bondage” for Richard Sterban’s verses by backing down to short chords on the beat and percussion, but I was expecting the Oaks to deliver an original vocal arrangement. If you’ve heard this song by the Statesmen, Statlers and the Cathedrals, you’re pretty much going to hear the same thing again.
• This CD proves the traditional Black Gospel style isn’t entirely comfortable for the Oaks. On “In That Great Gettin’ Up Morning,” Joe Bonsall’s dialect (“gettin’ up MAWH-nin”) is a caricature of traditional Black Gospel stereotypes and as Steve indicated, overdone. “If We Ever Needed The Lord Before” is somewhat better, but mainly for non-stylistic elements like Richard Sterban crushing his low notes.
• There’s an awkward key change going into the second verse of “The Love Of God.”

SOUTHERN GOSPEL VIEWS FROM THE BACK ROW

• YES – I was really on the fence with this one. It could have gone either way slightly. So, I will give it a slight yes. While it doesn’t match the caliber of recent Gospel recordings like From The Heart and Common Thread, it still has some good moments.

MUSICSCRIBE

• NO – I was on the fence as well, but mine is a slight no. Several strong songs pulled me toward an affirmative, but I can’t overlook the weak spots on Back Home Again.

Smack Down!! – “One Of These Mornings”

With the Oak Ridge Boys in the spotlight this week as part of the ten on ten feature, I thought I would include a classic quartet clip as part of the smack down feature.  Listed as public domain, “One Of These Mornings” is a classic up tempo Southern Gospel style quartet song.  While there are other groups that recorded this song, I decided to use a classic version from the Oak Ridge Boys and a more recent version from the Palmetto State Quartet.

The Oak Ridge Boys recorded “One Of These Mornings” on their 1965 recording I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now.  The group on this recording consisted of Willie Wynn, Smitty Gatlin, Jim Hamill, Herman Harper and Tommy Fairchild.

As the song enters the verse you can hear to big vocals of Jim Hamill take over this song.  Listen to the Oak Ridge Boys take the first half of “One Of These Mornings”.

In 2001, the Palmetto State Quartet recorded a themed album honoring the legacy of classic quartet music.  When He Blessed My Soul is one of the best albums the group released.  The vocal line-up on this particular album was Brion Carter, Kerry Beatty, Tony Peace and Jeff Pearles.

Kerry Beatty takes the lead on this fun concert song that the Palmetto State Quartet staged a lot during this time period.  Listen to the group take the second half of “One Of These Mornings”.

This week’s smack down is all about classic quartet music.  Classic version vs. modern version; who takes it?

Ten On Ten – Oak Ridge Boys

Where does one start when looking at the recording career of the Oak Ridge Boys?  This was by far the toughest ten on ten feature to date.  During their Gospel music years, the Oak Ridge Boys released some of the best quartet recordings you’ll find in Southern Gospel music.  I started with the group’s 1958 Cadence LP featuring Tommy Fairchild, Smitty Gatlin, Herman Harper and  Ronnie Page.  All Gospel recordings released since 1958 was looked at for this ten on ten feature.

The Oak Ridge Boys have upwards of 50 all Gospel recordings in their discography.  When weeding out all the compilation or albums of previously released music, this ten on ten feature still had to rank 35 albums to determine the ten best.  Here is what I determined to be the Oak Ridge Boys best.

The top 10 albums of the Oak Ridge Boys are:

1. Performance (1971)
2. Light (1972)
3. Sky High (1975)
4. From The Heart (2001)
5. Jesus Christ, What A Man (1971)
6. You’ll Never Walk Alone (1962)
7. International (1970)
8. The Solid Gospel Sound Of (1966)
9. It’s Happening (1969)
10. I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now (1965)

• Trying to determine the #1 album for the Oak Ridge Boys was nearly impossible.  I kept going back and forth on the top three but when a decision had to be made I ranked the group’s 1971 live recording Performance as the pinnacle of the group’s career.
• Light from 1972 was the top ranked (#2) studio album by the Oak Ridge Boys.  ”I Don’t Why Jesus Loved Me”, “I Should Have Been Crucified”, “It Won’t Be Long” and “Jesus Is The Man For The Hour” all highlighted this recording.  Willie Wynn, Duane Allen, William Golden and Noel Fox was the vocal line-up for this recording.
• Sky High (ranked #3) showcased the country sound and production that would come just two years later when the Oak Ridge Boys transitioned to the mainstream country music market.  Released in 1975 for Columbia Records, Sky High gave the listener great songs such as “Plant A Seed”, “Rhythm Guitar”, “Sailing Toward Home”, “That’s Just Like Jesus” and “There Must Be A Better Way”.
• While the late ’60′s/early ’70′s was the strongest of the Oak Ridge Boys career, one can’t overlook the great music the group brought in the early to mid ’60′s.  The 1962 recording You’ll Never Walk Alone ranks #6 while the 1966 recording The Solid Gospel Sound ranks #8.
• The Oak Ridge Boys held a fairly steady line-up of some of the best talent to ever grace a Southern Gospel music stage.  Willie Wynn held down the tenor position upwards of 15 years before Joe Bonsall joined around 1974.  Herman Harper was one of the finest bass singers in Southern Gospel music and could be heard with the group until 1968.  He was followed by two other great bass singers in Noel Fox and Richard Sterben.
• Before becoming the front man and larger than life personality with the Kingsmen, Jim Hamill spent some time singing for the Oak Ridge Boys as did future Gaither Vocal Band alum Gary McSpadden.
• Don’t discount the current group still releasing quality Southern Gospel material.  Evidenced by the fact that their 2001 recording From The Heart ranks #4 among the best albums in the Oak Ridge Boys discography.  ”First Step To Heaven”, “I Know What Lies Ahead”, “If Not For The Love Of Christ”, “Show Me The Way To Go”and “Write Your Name Across My Heart” all anchor this recording.
• The Oak Ridge Boys contributions to Southern Gospel music is too often overlooked because of their move to mainstream country music.  The group was black listed in the mid 1970′s by many other groups within the Southern Gospel music industry at that time.  I firmly believe if the Oak Ridge Boys remained in Southern Gospel music they would be held in the same regards as groups like the Statesmen and Cathedrals when talking about industry defining groups.
• There is no forgotten gem or album that should be forgotten with this week’s ten on ten.  There is not a bad album in the group’s discography.  While some are better than others, each recording highlights some of the finest quartet singing you’ll get in Southern Gospel music.
• With such a great list of albums, here are a few that didn’t make the top ten but still deserve a mention:  A Great Day (1967); Thanks (1969); The Oak Ridge Boys (1974); Go Out To The Program (1961); With Sounds Of Nashville (1963); New Horizons (1968); Street Gospel (1973) and Old Fashioned Down Home Hand Clappin’ Foot Stompin’ Southern Style Gospel Quartet Music (1976).

***NEXT UP ON TEN ON TEN:  BRIAN FREE & ASSURANCE***