

I had to look through a number of my most "down-home" songbooks to find There'll Be Shouting (a.k.a. Shouting on the Hills). From 1925, it turns out. Which means it was a new song when Smith's Sacred Singers put it on wax the following year. Cool. I featured the Smith's recording a few weeks back.
The words to the cool hymn Footprints of Jesus were written in 1871 (not sure about the music, though it sounds from the same period). The song is also commonly known as Footsteps of Jesus. Impress your friends and family with this tidbit of gospel trivia.
The Taylor Mountain Boys' version of Amazing Grace (see above) was made for a Columbus, Ohio label. That much I learned from Colleen of Colleen's Collectables, where I found this highly bluegrass record. By now, I've heard so many bluegrass, Southern-quartet, etc. versions of this song, I no longer think of Judy Collins. I even used to have the 1926 Wisdom Sisters 78 of Grace, but I didn't keep it. Like so many "hillbilly" gospel records of its time, it featured straight-from-the-songbook harmonizing--bluegrass singing hadn't been nichified yet, so the original folks didn't know how to do it authentically enough.
O Say, But I'm Glad is given a copyright date of 1936 in my copy of Church Hymnal (imaginative title, no?), always the first place I look for down-home, "straight from the hills"-type titles.
Haven't found Wonderful yet. Sounds Twenties, but could be later. Power in the Blood is 1899, and Brighten the Corner Where You Are was a massive hit in 1913, and beyond. Charles (Will the Circle Be Unbroken) Gabriel, who composed the tune, also gave us two others in today's playlist--1905's Awakening Chorus , and the massive 1900 hit The Glory Song (O That Will Be Glory), which allegedly sold 20,000,000 copies in sheet music form. I believe it, what with the number of songbooks printed back then and the number of people who owned them. It's entirely possible.
O Happy Day dates from 1755 (the words) and 1855 (music). Cyberhymnal says 1855 for the refrain only, though I've seen that year given for the whole thing. I know for sure that O Happy Day's melody is much better known as How Dry I Am.
That, plus it's not related to the Lawrence Welk or Edwin Hawkins hits called Oh Happy Day. Or, of course, to Happy Days.
Amazing Grace--The Taylor Mountain Boys; from 45.
Awakening Chorus (Gabriel)--The Harmony Singers; from vinyl.
Footprints of Jesus (Mary B. Slade-Asa B. Everett)--The Lockport Quartet; from vinyl.
Wonderful (Yandall)--Ralph Carmichael Quartet; from vinyl.
O Say, But I'm Glad--Ralph Carmichael Singers; from vinyl.
There'll Be Shouting (E.M. Bartlett)--Blue Ridge Quartet; from vinyl.
Rock of Ages--Lockport Quartet; from vinyl.
There Is Power in the Blood (L.E. Jones)--Heavenward Bound; from vinyl.
Brighten the Corner Where You Are (Gabriel-Ogdon)--Heavenward Bound; from vinyl.
I'm on the Battlefield (Dorsey)--Old Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet; from Word LP.
O Happy Day--Old Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet; from Word LP.
The Glory Song (Gabriel)--North Industry Christian Church Chancel Choir; from vinyl.
Lee

