Designer Label or Wal-Mart Brand??

A post by Doug Harrison has been sticking with me a lot lately....is SG the cheapest musical genre available today?

In his post, Doug observes that the new Florida Boys have been called in to replace a country singer as the house entertainment after said singer and the dinner theater management had a dispute over salary. To quote ol' Avery....

… ah, southern gospel … the only genre where a d-list country soloist....unable to draw a crowd, can still command a bigger flat than one of the oldest names in the industry.

This really is rather sad. One singer - alone - was presumably getting more money than a group of four singers. Even if we assume that the dinner theater is paying the FB the exact same flat that the country singer was getting, that's still getting 4x the talent (number wise, anyway) for the same price.

What was Wal-Mart's slogan?? "Always lower prices....ALWAYS!"

Imperials Update

According to a new report on SoGospelNews.com, the Imperials name fiasco has been resolved. What this means for Armond Morale's group (currently known as "The Artists Formerly Known As Pri - er - The Imperials") is unclear; it was not brought up in the press release. It also remains to be determined if the other Imperials (Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus, and Joe Moscheo, et al) will face any legal ramifications for their use of the name.

What is kinda sad about the whole situation is that there still seems to be a bit of bad blood between father and son; Jason Morales asks that the family issues be resolved privately, which (at least to me) indicates that they may still not be on the best of terms, but as they said, that's between them.

Two Tenors (of a different type)

Mark Lowry shot a video of Joe Bonsall teaching Ernie Haase some stage moves during the Oaks' Gaither special taping....it's quite entertaining to see Joe (who has LONG been known for his high-energy and stage antics) showing Ernie a thing or two about moves.

Hannah Montana and Signature Sound??

I've been floating around the Signature Sound message board somewhat as of late....and I have been repeatedly surprised at the sheer number of fans who are there. There's no doubt, these guys have a following.

What amazes me, though, is the number of TEENAGERS on the board!! They seem to have at least as much presence (if not more so) than the adults of any age on the board. You'd think you were logged into Miley Cyrus' website....

Just goes to show, if packaged and marketed right, Southern Gospel CAN be cool!!!

Journalistic Integrity of a Hobby

Since launching this site a while back, blogs have gone from rants, raves, opinions, and rumors to (for some, anyway) a credible news source. In recent months, I have been surprised to find press releases sent to me from artists and record companies for publication (some I have posted, some I have not, but for the most part, I try to post what comes my way).

When I initially started posting, I admit, I had some learning to do. Over time, I have made a conscious effort to make sure that any facts I post are backed up in some way, either with links to other sources, or sometimes by quoting the source on my site directly. What is essentially a hobby still has to have a sense of journalistic integrity.

What makes blogs different from other sites, such as the Singing News or SoGospelNews.com is that, for starters, they are run by individuals. What is posted is only held to whatever standard the blog writer discerns. For example, when I posted the news about Tim Parton's ultimately staying with Legacy Five, I also inserted my own take and opinion. Facts plus editorial, basically.

This begs the question....how much journalistic integrity should a blog be held accountable for? If one person is writing whatever they feel like writing, are they really a credible news source, or are they more a form of entertainment with some useful information thrown in?

YouTube strikes again....

Thanks to the advent of YouTube, every little mistake can not only be documented, but also shared for the entire world to enjoy (and for the subject to repeatedly regret). If you're shooting a professional video, you have the opportunity to go back and fix any goofs and make a relatively clean performance. If someone is shooting with a camera phone, however, what you see is what you get, for better or worse.

In this instance, the latest video to be making the rounds is from good ol' Ernie. Apparently, the choreography for their opening number in this clip didn't go quite as planned, and gravity took over, landing the boss on his rear end. As tempting as it is to post the clip, I think I'll refrain from embarrassing Ernie any further than he already is....

....on second thought, it's just too doggone funny!!!! (sorry, Ernie!!)

Pre-Signature Sound

Starting in high school and continuing off and on since, I have worked for a Christian bookstore here in town. At one point, I was a full-time music manager, and as a result, I got a lot of demos from local and regional groups for in-store consideration. Some of them were downright awful, some were quite good, and some I never even got a chance to listen to. When I left the full-time work there, I had quite a collection, that apparently had been thrown into a box after I moved from my old home. Most of the boxes went into storage, and I'd forgotten I even had some of them....until the time came for a yard sale.

Going through the boxes, I found a VHS for a group called The Lighthouse Quartet. I'd seen that video a million times, and never thought twice about it, but when I saw it this time, the first thing I thought was, "I wonder if this is the same group that Doug Anderson, Roy Webb, and David Griffin were a part of...." A closer look at the cover, and sure enough, there's Doug, Roy, and Grit! I am looking forward to watching this video. It's never even been opened (shrink wrap still intact), and from what I've heard from this group, it should be quite interesting. If I remember correctly, Doug was the lead singer, while Grit sang bass, and Roy (obviously) was on piano.

I'll be sure to do a review after I watch the video in its entirety, and I might even be able to post a couple clips online for fans to view, so stay tuned!!

Tim Parton [not] leaving Legacy Five?

First they said, "Okay, Tim's leaving," now they're saying, "Nevermind, he's staying." Seems to be a pattern with Legacy Five (Frank Seamans did something similar a couple years back), but according to David Bruce Murray, Tim has decided to stay with L5. I haven't seen an official press release yet (nor e-mail, for that matter), but if this is true, it makes me think that Scott Fowler has to be one of the best business men in the industry to be able to get two members to change their minds and stay....

I'm actually glad that Tim Parton is able to stay with the group. That had to be one of the smoothest transitions a group has ever made, especially given the circumstances. As Roger Bennett's health declined (and although he was a fill-in at the time), Tim was treated like any other member of the group, even getting his own "family photos" section. He quietly filled the vacancy during Roger's absence, never drawing attention to himself (which is VERY good, considering Roger was so loved by fans). He didn't try to be Roger, and he didn't try to say, "Hey, I'm the new piano player, look at me!" He came in with class, and continues to show it.

Here's hoping that Tim DOES stay around with L5 for a while....

UPDATE: Here is an excerpt from the press release sent from Legacy Five's newsletter...

According to Tim, "Having reconsidered my career plans, I feel that it is best to continue with Legacy Five. I'm sorry for causing confusion...that was not my intent. I appreciate the group giving me the opportunity to continue serving as their pianist. Music is my life and while I am blessed with many occasions to use the talent God has given me, I sometimes allow my schedule to get out of balance. I'm trying to "get it right." I look forward to continuing my work here with Legacy Five."

Scott Fowler said, "I am glad that Tim reconsidered and decided to stay with us. Every decision we make in life presents challenges unique to those decisions. Maintaining a healthy balance in life is a daily task that seems to constantly require course corrections. A wise friend told me just today that every experience in life is put in our path for growth. We are God's ultimate creative project, and He spends as much time as it takes, "getting it right." I believe God brought Tim to Legacy for a specific purpose and for a specific season. Tim has been very good for Legacy Five and we welcome the opportunity for us all to continue our life-long quest to "get it right."

Stamps-Baxter School of Music

From what I understand, the Stamps-Baxter School of Music is current in session in Nashville, TN. This was probably the best two weeks I ever spent in Tennessee, as I still use lessons I learned down there to this day. I highly recommend if you ever get a chance to go, take it!!

In the mean time, I have a shout out to anyone who may have attended SBSOM in 2001. I have lost contact with some of the friends I made while there, and I am trying to track some of them down. If you attended (or know someone who did attend) Stamps Baxter in the summer of 2001, shoot me an e-mail at wavemakersmedia2@gmail.com please!

Incomplete Tracks

In any genre, it is not uncommon for groups to take songs to the stage before they are released commercially. Some do it just to see what kind of reaction they get from audiences. Many a song has been either confirmed or given the boot based on live reception. Other artists will actually use the stage as a way of getting familiar with a song; singing a song over and over until you get the response you're looking for is the best way to get a feel for how you would like it to sound in the studio.

An interesting situation presents itself in these cases when it comes to SG. While producing an album, changes can be made all the way up to the day the album reaches the mastering process (and in some cases, even after!). Until you have a final product in your hand, there is always the chance that something will be different (see here for some examples).

As a result, many acts will take songs to the stage to either work out final vocal performances or to see audience reaction with incomplete tracks. Some songs may be missing an extra instrumental overdub, while others do not yet have their orchestration. In other cases, you may actually hear more instrumentation than in the final album, since the final mix has not yet been set.

One of the most noticable examples of this is the Gaither Vocal Band's 1997 live album, Back Home In Indiana. They debuted several songs from their Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other project, released in the fall of the same year, during that performance, and the tracks weren't yet complete (best example: "I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary"). If you compare the live version here to the studio version, the brass section is completely absent.

I can see now why a lot of low- and mid-tier groups (and even some upper-tier ones) will pretty much have their music tracks completed before they ever enter the studio. Some acts aren't even present when the tracks are being recorded (a VERY bad practice in my opinion, especially if you key a song too high or too low; the artist either has to pay to have the entire track redone, or settle for a subpar vocal performance....but that's another post entirely....). This way, the artist has pretty much a final track that they can take to the stage and learn the songs with.

Part of the fun of new songs is listening to them evolve as time goes by. If you compare the first few times a song is sung to, say, a year or so later, you'll almost always hear a difference, either in delivery, arrangement, or even confidence; if you listen to new songs in SG, you'll actually get what are essentially rough studio cuts during the first few performances.

Add another to the role!!

My blog roll continues to grow....a new blog by Dave Mann, entitled Southern Gospel Discussions, is now up for viewing. Go check it out, and tell Dave that Kyle sent ya (well, actually Daniel Mount sent me, and now I'm sending ya!!).

Upon further investigation, it appears that my suspicious were correct....this is the same Dave Mann that attended the Stamps-Baxter School of Music in 2001; he and I were roommates!!

And the answers are....

For those who were curious....here are the answers to the video trivia I posted last week....

In the video, we have obviously, William Lee Golden during his solo years, and who is now back again with The Oak Ridge Boys. But look closely, and you'll also find Don Breland on bass (in the yellow jacket), who used to play for both the Oaks and (before that) the Downings. Golden's son, Rusty (the piano player), spent some time on the road with the Rambos in the early 70's, and recently has been making a name for himself with his songwriting (he co-wrote "John In The Jordan" for Signature Sound, among other recent favorites). Electric guitarist, Skip Mitchell, was a studio engineer at Duane Allen's Superior Sound Studios in Hendersonville, TN, before joining the Oaks' band on guitar.

Down front, you have Golden's other son, Chris, who (along with Rusty) performed in a band known as "Golden Speer" with Marc Speer (yes, of THE Speers), and who now plays drums with the Oaks. Probably the biggest surprise, however, will be the man on the right playing acoustic guitar and singing harmonies....that is Greg Gordon, who sang with such groups as the Downings (I have a video of him singing "Gettin' Ready Today" on the old "Jubilee" show), as well as stints with the Rambos, and even the Imperials.

If I missed any, I know there are some who can fill in any gaps I may have left, but I think that should be an interesting history lesson!!

Can you find the former gospel members??

This should be a fun game. Obviously the initial one is William Lee Golden during his solo days, but can you find the other former gospel music singers/musicians?? The answers may surprise some!!! And to those who will obviously know the answers (i.e. some of the members themselves)....don't spoil it just yet....

News of the Week

Here are some news updates for this week:

Crossroads Launches New Website and Store
Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing has just launched a new web site and online store featuring thousands of Southern Gospel and Bluegrass songs and accompaniment tracks, available both as physical CD's and digital downloads. Besides serving traditional CBA and secular retailers, Crossroads can now serve the needs of individual customers buying from the comfort of their own homes. The new site and store are the result of months of planning and implementation by Crossroads, one of Southern Gospel’s leading marketing companies. The website includes information about recording, track leasing, radio, labels and artists, and publishing, as well as the store. Crossroads serves as the record label to many of today’s leading Southern Gospel and Bluegrass artists as well as the distribution arm for several independent groups and partnering labels.

Crossroads executive Mickey Gamble and Sr. V.P. of Sales and Marketing, Scott Wagner have worked closely with programmers and designers to create a site that is visually inviting and simple to use. The digital download function of the store features the ability to purchase as full album releases or individual songs, and Singing News soundtracks as individual tracks. According to Gamble, “This is a first in the industry. Soundtrack users can listen to and purchase exactly the version and key they want for only $1.99, rather than having to buy the whole set at a much higher cost."



According to Wagner, “The site is an evolving process that will constantly be updated with information and an ever expanding music library. Our goal to have a dynamic site so that people will visit often to see what’s new with our community and artists and, also, to know they can have an easy and secure shopping experience.”


“This is the beginning of a new era for Crossroads”, states Crossroads executive Chris White, “For the officers of the company, Mickey Gamble, Jeff and Vickie Collins, myself and all of our staff, this is something that makes us feel like we can finally service the world with our artists and our products, and in a matter of minutes. As we move from the world we’ve always known in our daily business, to the new world of technology, having these new pieces in our business ‘tool box’, will keep us and our music growing."



Over the next few weeks and months, it is the company’s intention to make the online store Southern Gospel's one-stop shopping for digital distribution, allowing other companies and independent artists the opportunity to present their products as digital downloads to a world wide market. In the August issue of the Singing News Magazine, Kenneth Kirksey will feature an article discussing how downloading music is becoming a standard in today’s world of purchasing products. The article will focus on the ease and safety of internet buying. To visit the new Crossroads site and store, simply log onto www.crossroadsmusic.com.

Skyline Boys Sign Agreement with Crossroads Entertainment
The Skyline Boys of Purceville, Va. have just signed a label agreement with Crossroads Entertainment. Having had strong success throughout their career, the quartet is poised to continue that trend with this new agreement that will include recording, retail distribution and radio support. Skyline Boys owner Dennis Powers states, "We have had some great help along the way in helping us be successful at what we do. We now believe that this new association with Crossroads can only enhance our future possibilities.

Having posted several top 40 songs over the last few years such as Worth The Trip, When I Walk Into Heaven and their latest You've Never Been Alone, the Skyline Boys have established themselves in Southern Gospel radio across America. As well, major concert promoters have experienced an artist that can not only deliver great music from the platform, but can also reach into the hearts of people with the great message of God's never ending gifts. Crossroads executive Chris White says, "The Skyline Boys are a group of seasoned performers across the front line. They bring not only talent but experience with them. We are excited to see what new heights this traditional quartet can reach in the coming years, with the help of our great staff of people".

David Johnson Inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame
Popular gospel music studio musician David Johnson was recently inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in Wilkesboro, NC. Johnson has appeared over the years on many, if not most, of yesterday and today’s top gospel artist’s recordings. His incredible musicianship through acoustic and electric guitar, fiddle, steel guitar, harmonica, banjo, resonator guitar and mandolin has been appreciated and enjoyed by scores of listeners. David is also an accomplished songwriter with artists such as the McKameys, the Kingsmen and the Isaacs recording his compositions.

Tim Surrett presented the award at the event, held this past June recalling famed bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice’s comment that David Johnson was “possibly the best musician he had ever known.”

Other inductees included Dolly Parton, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson to name a few. David is also a two-time recipient of the SGMA Studio Musician award. Crossroads is very proud of this honor for David, one long overdue in our opinion!

Legacy Five - "God's Been Good"

Before I go into a song-by-song review, I must say a few things up front about the God's Been Good project overall. From the first listen, something just seemed a little off about the production and sound; the music mix is very loud and somewhat muffled, and the voices are stacked a little too much for my liking. To this day, my favorite L5 album is the Heroes Of The Faith project, their only mainstream album to date to be produced by Lari Goss (Goss also had a hand in their first Heritage recording). The reason for this is that it is (in my opinion) the best-sounding project overall from Legacy Five to date, and is also the standard by which I go by when listening to other L5 projects. That's not to say that the songs can't (or don't) stand on their own feet (see individual reviews below), but as the saying goes, you can take a great song and bad production and still make a mediocre album, but you can't take a mediocre song and great production and make a great album.... As a result, I am going to do my best to overlook what I feel to be inferior production and focus on the merit of each song.

So with all that said, let's start the analysis!!

In A Million Years - This is an uptempo, "countrified" tune from the pen of Woody Wright (one of the best country-gospel writers today, if you ask me). Scott Fowler's lead singing seems to play against the style somewhat, however, given his more classical/formal leanings as opposed to the needed twang to pull this off. When the lead shifts to Frank Seamans, it comes across a little better. I like the false ending, but without a fade at the end, the encore just feels redundant.

The Moment I Get Up There - A cute hook and swing-style syncopation make this a catchy tune that will stick in your head. The verses also are creatively structured so that the first one, echoing "down here" gives Glenn Dustin some room to move down the scale, and the second verse ("up there") works its way up the spectrum, trading lines from baritone, lead, and tenor. A good choice for a single.

Goin' Home Day - A bluesy feature for tenor Frank Seamans. In my opinion, Frank is probably the clearest (and most stable) tenor the group has had yet. I'm not a huge fan of his particular sound, but he does sound much more solid on the higher notes than his predecessors.

Hello After Goodbye - When Legacy Five first formed, they spent a great deal of their performances honoring Scott Fowler and Roger Bennett's time with the Cathedrals. Roger even wrote a tribute to the late Glen Payne, which became the basis for their "Heroes Of The Faith" project. When Roger passed away, it was a given that he would also receive a tribute in a similar fashion. Jim Brady (of the Booth Brothers) wrote this song following Roger's funeral, and it is a fitting send-off for one of the founders of the group. On a side note, while "Heroes Of The Faith" was very personal, "Hello After Goodbye" is more open, leaving plenty of room for others to use this song for funerals (which I anticipate will happen quite a bit)....

Every Morning - A generic SG song, nothing really spectacular here. You can really hear the more mechanical style of singing on this song, with slightly awkward vowel sounding ("every morneeng," "give Him gloree"). Granted, it's better than hearing "glor-ay," but the "ee" sound is a little too deliberate for my liking, almost as if they're reaching for the rhyme.

God Will Go - The intro to this song is a little too abrupt. It comes in on a off-beat, but sounds like it just started out of nowhere. This song kinda reminds me of another L5 track, "Freedom," with the horns and medium-uptempo feel. The only real complaint I have on this song is the lack of fuller instrumentation. I know that electric guitars are still somewhat taboo (even now) in SG, but it would've been nice to hear. The track sounds almost incomplete without them.

What Faith Does - This is the closest to an "epic ballad" the album comes. It reminds me of "Saved Saved" from the Cathedrals' Faithful album. Faster 3/4 with orchestration and wide dynamics.

Heavenly Signs - A convention-style song, sounding like it was pulled directly from a Stamps-Baxter songbook. Each singer gets a stab at a solo line, and for some reason Scott Fowler sounds much more relaxed on this song than he does on the rest of the project.

Roll On - Another swing-style song. I like the acoustic bass on this song, as it fits the production sound a little better. This song likens back to the uptempo arrangement arrangements of the 60's (especially with the rhythmic organ chucking along in the background and brush snare). Traditionalists should love this song. The end of the song reminds of an Alabama song by the same name....

Take It To The Cross - A beautiful lead by baritone Scott Howard, this is a smooth "message ballad," that doesn't need the huge arrangement to get the point cross. This come from the songwriting duo of Rusty Golden and Jerry Salley, who have been seeing quite a bit of success lately, and in my opinion, this is one of their best efforts. A highlight of the album.

God's Been Good - This song is probably my favorite on the project. It is simplistic both lyrically and musically, but still comes through beautifully. It's also Tim Parton's only feature on the project. After an entire project of quartet singing and full (for the most part) production, this is stripped down to just a piano and solo vocal (there aren't even any backing vocals from the rest of the group). It's a great way to introduce the mainstream SG public to Parton, as well as to reassure them that Roger Bennett's position is being well-filled, both instrumentally and vocally.

AFTERWARD - It seems to me that Fowler has been spending a lot of time studying the Gerald Wolfe School of Southern Gospel Management and Performance; Legacy Five has been sticking closely to "traditional" SG stylings without pushing the envelope and keeping their loyal fan base happy. The albums are not overly produced and the singing is straight forward. L5 is also one of the most stable groups on the circuit today, with the only real turnover in the last decade being the tenor slot (and even then, Frank Seamans has been in the position for quite a while) and the vacancy left by Roger Bennett's passing (which Tim Parton has been filling, at least temporarily, since Roger's illness, and permanently afterward).

While speaking to a friend within the industry a while back, he observed that L5 came out of the shoot flying, building off of Scott and Roger's popularity with the Cathedrals, and eased back into their audience and fan base to become one of the most respected groups today, and I think that describes them best.

Shameless plugging

I saw this headline, and I'm sorry, but it was just flat out tacky in my opinion....using someone's death as a way to promote your latest album (using a song title to describe their passing) is pushing it if you ask me.

Consistency

While reviewing the latest Gold City CD yesterday (as well as checking out a very clever post by Brandon Coomer), I made an interesting observation....since 2002, only two Gold City CD's have had the same lineup (and on a technicallity, one of them rendered itself null and void).

Let's take a look....

2001: Pressed Down, Shaken Together, Running Over - Jay, Jonathan, Mark, Tim, Doug, Adam, Channing, Danny
2002: Walk The Talk - Jay, Jonathan, Danny, Tim, Doug, Adam, Channing
2003: A Gold City Christmas (Version 1) - Jay, Jonathan, Danny, Tim, Doug, Adam, Channing
2004: First Class - Steve, Jonathan, Danny, Tim, Doug, Adam, Channing
2005: Heaven - Steve, Jonathan, Danny, Bill, Doug, Adam, Channing
2006: A Gold City Christmas (Version 2) - Steve/Jay, Jonathan, Danny, Bill/Tim, Doug, Channing, Adam (although Jay, Tim, and Adam were not pictured on the new cover)
2006: Revival - Steve, Jonathan, Danny, Aaron, Josh
2008: Moment Of Truth - Steve, Bruce, Danny, Aaron, Josh

As you can see, the first two CD's had the same lineup, but when the album was rereleased a couple years later, several overdubs created a CD that was essentially made up of two different lineups. I understand that the past several years have been a "rebuilding" phase for GC, and it appears that they now have the steady, stable lineup to carry them for a while (I hope....I love this current group!!).

This is, sadly, another downfall in SG music. As soon as a group gets a solid lineup, someone decides to make a change (for whatever reason). A group notorious for it's many changes is the Gaither Vocal Band, although Bill has often stated that he prefers to bring in new talent, allow them to grow, then watch happily as they move on to their own careers. Mark Lowry even made light of the ever-changing lineup when he referred to the group as a "revolving door....Bill has an extra baritone waiting in the wings...."

Here's a rundown of the GVB albums over the same timeline as above....

2000: God Is Good - David, Guy, Mark, Bill
2001: I Do Believe - David, Guy, Mark Bill
2002: Everything Good - David, Guy, Russ, Bill
2004: A Capella - David, Guy, Russ, Bill
2005: Very Best.... - David, Guy, Marsh, Bill
2006: Give It Away - Wes, Guy, Marsh, Bill
2008: Lovin' Life - Wes, Guy, Marsh, Bill

In this case, at least two members have remained consistent, so it's not quite as bad (especially since the group has been based around Guy's voice since he joined in 1995), but you'll notice that the Phelps/Penrod/Hall/Gaither lineup only released a total of four songs (on the "Very Best Of" CD), so if you blinked, you missed it.

As Brandon has noted, not only has this turnover resulted in virtually every new release featuring at least one new singer, but has also resulted in multiple/alternate versions of albums being recorded/released. One talked-about example is when Jay Parrack left Gold City; he had already completed all of his work on their First Class project, and when Steve Ladd joined, he redid the tenor vocals before the album was released. According to at least one poster, GC gave Jay a copy of the album with his voice still intact as a "going away present." To my knowledge, the only copies that exist belong to Jay and Gold City.

Those are the two higher-profile groups I know of who have had trouble with consistency; the mid-tier groups see about as much turnover as an IHOP chef, which means that any album you buy from a group could be their only release with a particular singer (giving a lot of albums the potential to become collector's items). Think back to the Singing Americans....if you want a certain combo, odds are you only have one album to choose from to get it.

Another of Southern Gospel's idiosyncrasies....

Gold City - Moment Of Truth

Produced by Michael Sykes, Daniel Riley
©2008 New Haven Records
8079-2

Don’t Get Me Started (Mary Funderburk, Sue Smith) – This is probably the most “classic Gold City-sounding” song on the project; heavy brass and an up tempo beat. I don’t see this song being more than a good album opener, but it’s good for getting the energy up. I must say that Steve Ladd has come a LONG way since his debut on First Class; I knew when he joined that he would be a good fit, but he has really come into his own and, in my opinion, has evolved into quite a “power tenor,” ala Danny Funderburk. Note to the Rileys: don’t let this guy go!!

What Children Believe (James Isaac Elliott, Brent Lamb, Jerry Salley) – When I first heard a sound clip of this song, my initial reaction was, “This is gonna be cheesy.” After I heard the entire song, however, I had tears in my eyes. Throughout the entire song, all I could think of was my five year old son, and I have a feeling that this will resonate most with parents. My next thought was, “This would fit well on country radio;” there is nothing overtly preachy about the song, and I think it’d be a nice fit on the softer side of FM country. I have a feeling this will be to GC what “Thank God For Kids” is for the Oaks.

I Cast My Bread Upon The Water (Joel and LaBreeska Hemphill) – I am almost certain that this project began while Jonathan Wilburn was still with the group, however, this song sounds almost tailor-made for Bruce Taliaferro’s voice; he fits this song like a glove with his soulful voice. This is probably the most “Sykes-esqe” track on the project, very country-sounding. The amount of energy on this track is just right, and a good pick for the first single.

For The Sake Of My Heart (Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey) – This is the “epic ballad” of the project. You can hear echoes of “Truth Is Marching On” and “Preach the Word” in the arrangement. I don’t really hear anything spectacular in this song, but the message is still strong.

Walkin’ And Talkin’ With My Lord (JD Sumner) – This is an old JD Sumner tune, and you can tell with the bass lines. Aaron McCune seems to like the old bass features, but I think this song fits the project better than “Teach Me Lord To Wait” did on the Revival project. The track is a more bouncy, and the whole group gets to have fun.

I Love This Land (Ben Storie) – A nice patriotic number, and Haven Ladd reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is a good touch. Again, nothing really spectacular, but this is one of the few patriotic selections that actually mentions the freedom to worship Jesus.

I’ll Walk On (Sue Smith, Belinda Smith) – This is my favorite cut on the album. A smooth, flowing ¾ meter and trade off on lead vocals between Danny Riley and Steve Ladd is a good touch. I also like the minor 7^th on the 4 chords during the chorus (yes, I’m a music theory geek!!). After hearing power ballads and up tempo dancers for the last few years, I think listeners would enjoy this change of pace.

When Jesus Saves (Sue Smith, Barry Weeks) – Musically, this is pushing Gold City toward the contemporary side; the track is a driving almost 6/8 feel, and almost sounds it came from a Michael English album (English had a hand in producing GC’s last project). Another example of how Steve has really grown into a great tenor singer. He also gets a chance to show off his range during encore, rocketing into rafters with some screaming overdubs. I really think with the combination of Ladd and Bruce Taliaferro, the group could really evolve into a more soulful sound that could appeal to the younger audiences, not to mention the energy.

By Your Grace, For Your Glory (Michael Puryear, Kyle Matthews, Dwight Liles) – This is the most “gospel-sounding” cut. A slight blues syncopation feel and group leads on the first verse. This would be a good concert encore, I think; not a huge production number, but a good group feature, and something good to leave the crowd with.

Turn Your Back (Dianne Wilkinson) – This track doesn’t change much from the Cathedrals’ original cut, other than the fact that it’s a little more mellow. I always thought the Cats’ version was rather upbeat, but here, it takes a softer sound with brushes on the snare and less electric guitar leads. It actually resembles Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” (which doesn’t really surprise me, considering Aaron McCune names Williams as his favorite singer).

Essentially, Gold City has been rebuilding over the last several years. Since 2002, the entire lineup has changed, and they have been having to kind of “prove themselves” to audiences who know Brian, Ivan, Mike, Tim, or even Jay, Jonathan, Mark and Tim as “the” Gold City. They have been taking all of the right steps so far to do so; on stage, they are pulling out songs that the group hasn’t done in years (“John Saw,” “In My Robe Of White,” “When I Get Carried Away”) to keep their dedicated fan base happy (and to possibly pull back any fans of yesterday). In the studio, however, they are recording modern, relevant material that is keeping up with the times, which will bring in new fans, as well. It may take a little bit of time, but if they can be patient and ride out the storm, I think GC is set for a steady climb back to the top.

SIDE NOTE: If you listen closely, you can hear a Warr Touch Guitar on the recording, played by a very good friend of mine, Ron Fairchild, who also did some engineering work on the project. Check out his site here....