Smack Down!! – Singing Americans – Round 1

This week’s artist album smack down finds another classic albums match up; the Singing Americans.  Listen to sound bytes of each recording and then vote for the album you think should win.

• Album – Black And White
• Release Year – 1985
• Vocal Line Up – Rick Strickland (tenor), Michael English (lead), Ed Hill (baritone), Dwayne Burke (bass)
• Song List – (1) “Black And White” (2) “Jesus Got A Hold Of Me” (3) “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” (4) “I’d Still Want To Go” (5) “Victory Side” (6) “Welcome To Heaven” (7) “Great Day” (8) “I Want To Make Heaven My Home” (9) “After Awhile” (10) “God Be With You, Till We Meet Again”

• Album – Everybody Ought To Praise His Name
• Release Year – 1983
• Vocal Line Up - Danny Funderburk (tenor), Clayton Inman (lead), Ed Hill (baritone), Dwayne Burke (bass)
• Song List – (1) “Pearly Gates” (2) “Thank You Lord” (3) “The Galilean” (4) “He’s The God Of The Living” (5) “Long Winding Road” (6) “I’m Happy In The Lord Anyway” (7) “What Will You Do With Jesus” (8) “Brand New Dawning” (9) “I Met My Savior There” (10) “Everybody Ought To Praise His Name”

Album Covers To Rank – Set 18

The final three sets of album covers need to be ranked.  This week I need you to rank set 18 from 1 to 6 (1 being best, 6 being worst).  Once we get through the 20 sets of album covers, the readers will vote on what they consider to be the best and worst.  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

Believe – Anchormen (2012)

Reflections – Common Bond (1997)

Mountain Heritage – Greenes (1992)

Prime – Hinsons (1979)

Children Of Azusa Street – Lanny Wolfe Trio (1986)

Live And Alive – Singing Americans (1984)

Album Covers To Rank – Set 14

My goal is to have 20 sets of album covers to rank before we begin the voting of best and worst Southern Gospel album covers of all time.  This week I need you to rank set 14.  In the comments section rank each from 1 to 6 (1 being best and 6 being worst).  Also, if there is an album cover you think hasn’t been included yet, please let me know because I don’t want to miss any.  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

Canton Junction – Canton Junction (2012)

Colors Of His Love – Cathedrals (1981)

Picture Perfect Love – Jeff & Sheri Easter (1989)

Naturally: An Almost A Cappella Collection – Isaacs (2009)

Inseparable – Ivan Parker (2008)

Black And White – Singing Americans (1985)

Personal Vault – ‘Tell The Angels’

This week I decided to go in to the personal vault and pull out an album by the Singing Americans.  The Singing Americans came to prominence in the Southern Gospel industry in the early 1980′s.  The line-up of Danny Funderburk (tenor) of Cathedrals fame, Ivan Parker (lead) of Gold City fame, Ed Hill (baritone) and Dwayne Burke (bass) seems to be the first Singing Americans line-up most remember.

The group released an album in 1980 titled Tell The Angels.  This is a hard album to locate among collectors.  The line-up on this particular recording included Funderburk (tenor), Ed Crawford (lead) of Kingsmen fame, Charles Surratt (baritone) and Dwayne Burke (bass).

Enjoy sound bites from this 1980 recording by the Singing Americans; Tell The Angels.

Ten On Ten – Singing Americans

The readers have spoken and the ten on ten feature continues with reader requests.  I will continue this feature as long as there is an artist you want to see.  This week I will try to list the ten best albums of one of Southern Gospel’s best quartets of the 1980′s; the Singing Americans.

Of all the personnel changes in the Singing Americans, the one mainstay seemed to be group owner Charles Burke who purchased the group around 1976.  Charles Burke will be part of the 2012 class of inductees in the Southern Gospel music hall of fame.

The Singing Americans ten best albums are:

1. Live And Alive (1984)
2. Black And White (1985)
3. On Stage (1992)
4. Homecoming Live (1987)
5. Sensational (1982)
6. The Exciting Sounds (1981)
7. Watch And Pray (1990)
8. Wanted Live (1975)
9. Everybody Ought To Praise His Name (1983)
10. Hearts Of Praise, Songs Of Majesty (1986)

• I don’t stray from what the majority of Southern Gospel historians consider the Singing Americans two biggest albums; Live And Alive (1984) and Black And White (1985).  While some may switch the two, I consider Live And Alive the Singing Americans biggest album.
• Live And Alive is a great live concert recording featuring one of the best versions of Michael English’s biggest song; “I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy”.  ”Home”, “Something New”, “I Wouldn’t Miss Heaven For The World”, “Port In The Storm” and “Over There” also highlight this recording.
• Next in line for best album is Black And White.  This album was no slouch in the song department offering the listener such greats as “Jesus Got A Hold Of Me”, “I’d Still Want To Go”, “Victory Side”, “Welcome To Heaven” and “I Want To Make Heaven My Home”.
• The group had some stellar line-ups, but none better than the combination of Rick Strickland (tenor), Michael English (lead), Ed Hill (baritone) and Dwayne Burke (bass).  This line-up combined to record three albums in the Singing Americans discography, including the two biggest just mentioned.
• It is no surprise that seven of the top ten albums come from the 1980′s.  The group was on top of their game during this decade.  Next to Live And Alive and Black And White, Homecoming Live (1987) is the next ’80′s album to land in the top 10 at #4.
• This was another strong line-up of the group with Phil Barker (tenor), Clayton Inman (lead), Ed Hill (baritone) and Dwayne Burke (bass).  Homecoming Live also had a slew of great songs including “Walk On The Water”, “More Than Enough”, “The Bridegroom Cometh” and “Past To Presence”.
• One can’t discount the other strong Singing Americans line-up from the early ’80′s.  The line-up of Danny Funerburk (tenor), Ivan Parker (lead), Ed Hill (baritone) and Dwayne Burke (bass) recorded two of the group’s best albums in Sensational (1982) and The Exciting Sounds (1981).  The albums ranked #5 and #6 respectively.
• The hidden gem in the Singing Americans discography is the album I ranked at #3 among the group’s ten best and the only ’90′s era recording to land in the top ten.  The group’s On Stage live album from 1992 is a strong live album that is many times overlooked or forgotten.  The line-up on this recording included David Sutton (tenor), Dale Forbes (lead), Buddy Burton (baritone) and Larry Stewart (bass).  If you are able to still find this album, do yourself a favor, and pick it up.
• The pre Charles Burke era of the Singing Americans was able to also land a spot among the group’s ten best recordings.  The Wanted Live album from 1975 is a treasure for anyone that is a Singing Americans aficionado.
• In addition to the line-ups already mentioned, the Singing Americans was also home to Greg Shockley, Scott Whitener and David Jenkins at one point in their careers.  The Singing Americans have etched a place in Southern Gospel music history by releasing two of the biggest albums ever released in the entire genre. 

***NEXT UP ON TEN ON TEN:  ANCHORMEN***

Smack Down!! – “Welcome To Heaven”

I need to credit this week’s smack down idea to Kyle Boreing.  He requested I take the original cut of “Welcome To Heaven” and compare it to the re-cut.  ”Welcome To Heaven” was one of Phil Cross’ first major cuts of a song by any artist within Southern Gospel music.

The Singing Americans recorded it on the highly acclaimed 1985 recording Black And White.  The album was recorded prior to Michael English’s departure.  I am going to use the second verse and chorus to both versions.  This first clip is the original cut of the song featuring Michael English.

Clayton Inman became lead singer of the Singing Americans when Michael English departed the group.  ”Welcome To Heaven” became a radio single for the group and a huge concert song.  Therefore, the group decided to re-cut the song with Clayton’s vocals.  It was Clayton’s version of the song that was heard at radio.  Listen to Clayton’s re-cut of the second verse and chorus.

Original vs. re-cut.  Who takes it this week?

Classic Videos – Singing Americans, Gold City

While many are out in the madness of black Friday, I thought I would take the holiday weekend and provide some classic video clips.  Today I have two clips from the 1980′s of two of Southern Gospel’s biggest quartets of that era.  Enjoy!!

The first is a clip of the Singing Americans circa 1982.  This comes from the Sing Out America television program that aired during the time period.  This version of the Singing Americans featured Danny Funderburk on tenor before his move to the Cathrdrals and Ivan Parker on lead before his move to Gold City.  The song is “Family Reunion In Heaven”.

“Family Reunion” – Singing Americans (1982)

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The second clip features Ivan Parker with Gold City.  It is from a 1988 television performance.  The song; “The Search Is Over”.

“The Search Is Over” – Gold City (1988)

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Classic Videos – Kingsmen, Tennesseans

As I take some time to get some more of my own classic videos recorded, I found a couple great clips from YouTube that was worth posting.  Dean Adkins, one of the best when it comes to classic video clips, posted these clips over the course of the last several months.  Check out his YouTube channel here.

The first clip is the Kingsmen, circa 1983, singing “I’m So Glad”.

The second clip is Willie Wynn & Tennesseans, circa 1975, singing “What You’ve Done For Me”.

The final clip is the Singing Americans, circa 1984, singing “Who Am I”.  In this particular clip you have the English brothers (Biney and Michael) featured.