Ten On Ten – Palmetto State Quartet

Just when you think you’ve exhausted all the ten on ten options, additional requests open up another feature.  This week we’ll take a look at the recording career of the Palmetto State Quartet.  A group that started in 1946, still sings today and working on 60 years in Southern Gospel music.

The group found their greatest success after 1990.  The group remained under the leadership of the two Jacks (Bagwell and Pittman) for over forty years until they retired in the mid 1990′s.  The current group is under the leadership of Larry Strickland.

The Palmetto State Quartet’s ten best albums are:

1. When He Blessed My Soul (2001)
2. Grace (2011)
3. There’s Something Going On (2002)
4. It’s Settled (2004)
5. Rock Solid (1994)
6. Sweet Land Of Rest (2006)
7. When It Pours God Reigns (2005)
8. Born To Royalty (1996)
9. Forefront (1999)
10. Close To The Heart (1990)

• All of the Palmetto State Quartet’s best albums came after the year 1990.  The pinnacle in the group’s discography is the 2001 specialty recording When He Blessed My Soul.  The vocal line-up of Brion Carter (tenor), Kerry Beatty (lead), Tony Peace (baritone) and Jeff Pearls (bass) recorded a classic quartet recording that competes with some of the best quartet albums recorded in Southern Gospel music.
• The listener was treated to classics such as “I’m Going There”, “Moving Up To Heaven”, “One Of These Mornings”, “Our Debts Will Be Paid”, “Tell My Friends” and “When He Blessed My Soul”.
• The album ranked #2 among the group’s ten best is a total 180 on the style spectrum from When He Blessed My Soul.  The 2011 album Grace took a country-style and I named this album one of the top ten albums released in all of Southern Gospel music for 2011.
• With songs “A Moment Of Grace”, “All Hail The Power”, “The Debt Has Been Paid”, “Don’t That Sound Like Heaven”, “There’ll Be No Dying” and “There’s No Place Too Far From Grace” make this an album every collector should own.
• The same vocal line-up of Carter, Beatty, Peace and Pearls had two more albums among the group’s ten best.  They include There’s Something Going On (#3) and Forefront (#9).
• The highest ranked album that still had the two Jacks (singing lead and baritone) was the 1994 recording Rock Solid.  I would consider this album the Palmetto State Quartet’s break through album in terms of hit songs.  The first two top five songs of the group’s career came from Rock Solid.  They included “Jubilee’s Comin’” and “Rainbow Avenue”.  Brion Carter (tenor) and Harold Gilley (bass) held down the high and low notes on this album.
• Hovie Lister spent a couple of years with the Palmetto State Quartet recording two albums with the group.  The 1990 album Close To The Heart was strong enough to rank #10 among the group’s ten best.  You could hear Hovie Lister’s touch on both of those albums.
• In addition to those members already mentioned the Palmetto State Quartet alumni include:  Woody Beatty, Eddie Broome, Joel Duncan, Rick Fair, Jerry Hovis, Andrew Ishee, Aaron McCune, Burman Porter, John Rulapaugh, Wesley Smith and Ken Turner.
• In addition to the songs already listed the Palmetto State Quartet introduced the following songs to the Southern Gospel listener:  ”Angels Will Stand”, “Born To Royalty”, “Good Morning”, “He’s Real”, “Knock Knock Knock”, “No Doubt Salvation”, “There’s Something Going On” and “We’ll Meet Again”.
• The Palmetto State Quartet of 2013 is composed of Jeremy Easley (tenor), David Staton (lead), Paul Lancaster (baritone), Mike Allen (bass), Casey Martin (pianist) with Larry Strickland at the helm.  I look forward to what this line-up will bring on their next recording.

***NEXT UP ON TEN ON TEN:  LeFEVRES***

Album Covers To Rank – Set 10

This week’s set of album covers to rank are all quartet albums.  In the comments section rank each album from 1 to 6 (1 being best, 6 being worst).  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

Doing This For You – Brian Free & Assurance (1998)

Puts It Together – Blue Ridge Quartet (1973)

High And Lifted Up – Cathedrals (1993)

Harvest Time – Harvesters Quartet (1959)

Highway To Heaven – Inspirations (2002)

Sweet Land Of Rest – Palmetto State Quartet (2006)

The Fab Five – October 2012

Time to turn the page on another month.  Welcome October 2012.  As I start every month, I will highlight five current radio singles that piqued my interest over the course of the preceding month.

This month finds another strong radio single from Palmetto State Quartet’s 2011 album, a great up tempo quartet number from Legacy Five, a country tune from Akins, a great baritone vocal performance from the Inspirations and another chart worthy hit from Karen Peck and New River.  Enjoy!

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?

The Fab Five – January 2012

Happy New Year!!  Can you believe it is now 2012.  With the new year brings new music and new features.  To start the new year I wanted to revive a feature I had done on two previous occasions in 2011.  The fab five will be a feature that will occur every month in the new year highlighting current radio songs.

I listen to a lot of Southern Gospel music both from my own personal collection and what is found on Southern Gospel radio.  Each month I want to highlight five current radio singles that have piqued my interest and I feel should be shared with the readers.  To kick off the new year the fab five consist of Wilburn and Wilburn, Master’s Voice, Palmetto State Quartet, 11th Hour and the Freemans.  Enjoy!

Best Of 2011 – #8

We’re drawing ever closer to the #1 album and recorded song of 2011.  Today finds the album and song that lands at #8 among the best of the year.  Two really strong debut albums were released in 2011.  The second we’ll get to later in the count down.  First up is the Tim Greene Trio’s debut effort It Sure Sounds Like Angels To Me; #8 among the best albums released this year.

A strong mix of new material and previously recorded Greene standards, the Tim Greene Trio keep that Greene sound going in Southern Gospel music.  One of the group’s biggest home runs is their cover of the Greene classic “When I Knelt, The Blood Fell”.  With the health struggles Tim has battled, it is great to see him recording and touring again.

Personal favorite songs from this recording include:  ”When I Knelt”, “It Sure Sounds Like Angels To Me”, “If You’ll Move Over”, “Cost Of The Call”, “Some Glad Day” and “One Cross”.

                                                                        #8 among the best recorded songs of 2011 is “Don’t That Sound Like Heaven” by Palmetto State Quartet.  As seen a couple of days ago, Palmetto State Quartet’s 2011 release Grace landed at #10 among the best albums released in 2011.  The group was successful in bringing country and Southern Gospel sounds together to create a great recording.

“Don’t That Sound Like Heaven”, penned by Terry Evans, is the strongest country sounding song on the recording featuring baritone David Darst.  This ‘Hinson-esque’ style ballad became a top ten hit for the group in 2011.  It was also one of my most played songs of 2011.  Listen to the second verse and chorus.

Tomorrow:  #7.

Best Of 2011 – #10

Half way through counting down the best of 2011 in Southern Gospel music.  Today kicks off the top 10 albums and recorded songs of the year.  When reviewing the Palmetto State Quartet’s 2011 release Grace back in March, I made the statement that this was not your grand father’s Palmetto State Quartet.  This current group takes a clear country-style to their music.

Grace, the album that lands at #10 among the best albums of 2011 accomplishes this new style the Palmetto State Quartet is creating while still appealing to Southern Gospel quartet lovers.  David Darst’s country-style baritone bridges the new sound the group is going for while Paul Lancaster’s lead vocal adds that Southern Gospel touch on some really strong Southern Gospel style ballads.  One of the best albums of this group’s career.

Personal favorite songs from this recording include:  ”Don’t That Sound Like Heaven”, “There’s No Place Too Far From Grace”, “A Moment Of Grace”, “The Debt Has Been Paid”, “There’ll Be No Dying” and “All Hail The Power”.

Karen Peck and New River had another consistent year in Southern Gospel music.  The group already landed a number one song from the 2011 release Reach Out.  Karen Peck and New River is also the only artist in 2011 to land two songs in the top ten recorded songs of the year.

The first of those two is the song that comes in at #10.  ”Broken Into Beautiful” is another one of those songs that simply rely on the vocal performance.  No fancy orchestration needed to deliver the message contained in the lyric.  It is not a flashy song or one that will ever be released to radio but it is one that I will remember when other songs from the album fade from memory.  Take a listen to the first verse and chorus.

Tomorrow: #9.

The Fab Five – June 2011

Back in April I started a feature that highlights current radio songs. I featured (5) songs that piqued my interest. During my recovery time in May I continued to listen to Southern Gospel music, even on days I didn’t feel like it. I spent time on various internet radio broadcasts and these were five current radio songs that I found myself going back to over the course of the month.

The five choices have a country-style (really not intentional) and one song comes from a country artist who writes one gospel song for every country album he records. Take a listen. What current radio songs are you enjoying?