Saturday, February 01, 2020

Sunday morning gospel: The Lifeboat Quartet--Hymns We Love (1979)




This LP was thrift-gifted to the blog by Diane (thanks!), and one look at the cover photo had me wondering if this would be SMG-quality material.  Frankly, the family on the cover (the Waters Family) looked too... preppy, or something.  In its dress, if not manner.  But the track list includes  Shoutin' on the Hills and When I Wake up to Sleep No More, so I knew I owed the LP a test listen.  So I gave it one.  And out of my headphones poured pure bluegrass gospel.  Never judge a gospel LP by its cover.  I should know that after 30 years of collecting this music, but I keep forgetting.  This LP makes the grade, and then some.

Yes, the Waters Family, aka The Lifeboat Quartet.  And that is one cool quartet title.  Starting with the top row, from left to right, we have the males: Brent A. Waters, Larry Waters, Logan (18 yo), and Lynn (15 yo).  Bottom row, left to right, we have Imogene Waters (the wife), Melissa (12 yo), and Sharolyn (19 yo).  Imogene wrote two of the songs: Have We Any Time for Our Children (sung by Melissa) and Only the Redeemed (sung by Larry).

Only one track receives a composer credit, either on the labels or the jacket, but this issue has one thing that small-label gospel LPs nearly always lack: a copyright year.  1979.  Right there on the labels.  It's astonishing--an actual year on the labels.  So I can't complain about the lack of song attributions.  Besides, everyone associates One Day at a Time (not the TV show) with Kris Kristofferson, right?  And everyone knows that I Saw the Light was penned by Mr. Lonesome--the great Hank Williams, no?  And if you follow my Sunday posts, you know that Shoutin' on the Hills was penned by Eugene Monroe Bartlett in 1925, under the title, There'll Be Shouting.  So, everyone just chill.  Things are cool.  (Sorry--I've a little over-caffeinated.  What's that?  I should try decaffeinated?  Doesn't that remove the whole point of coffee?)

This all sounds like the more commercial (i.e., polished) bluegrass gospel put out by major labels, save for the less produced (read: more natural) audio, and a more down-home feel throughout.  Allowing the kids to sing might have been something frowned upon by a bigger company, but this is Jewel Records of Cincinnati OH, so we get the group as is.  The instrumental backings are by the group, so this is no amateur-gospel-family-group-sitting-in-with-studio-musicians stuff.  (That's a common small-label gospel genre.)  All the tracks are fine.  The a cappella Day Is Breaking in My Soul qualifies as superb--I'd love an entire LP of just this family, singing minus instruments.  The back jacket mentions four more titles by the group, but Discogs only lists one (Visions of Calvary).  I seem to be rescuing these folks from cyber-obscurity, and if so, I feel very honored.  To the terrific bluegrass gospel....




DOWNLOAD: Hymns We Love--The Lifeboat Quartet (1979)




These Men of God

The Sun's Coming up in the Morning
Two Coats
I Saw the Light (Hank Williams)
Day is Breaking in My Soul
One Day at a Time (Wilkin-Kristofferson)
Have We Any Time for Out Children (I. Waters)
I Will Shelter My Sheep
Shoutin' on the Hills (Bartlett)
When I Wake up to Sleep No More (Marion Easterling)
The Lord Will Provide


Hymns We Love--The Lifeboat Quartet (Jewel Records JRC-916; 1979)



Lee

13 comments:

Ernie said...

We gotta figure out why you're allergic to Discogs, so many of these things need to be added or updated over there. I think I added three records this weekend, and a few more I was too lazy to add, but should have. The place is only as good as it's contributors.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Well, I just submitted this LP. Looks like it took. Guidelines are a little weird--all words in titles must be capitalized, for instance. On the other hand, I like the requirement that the group name and label match that in the database. A number of folks seem to disregard that part....

Lee Hartsfeld said...

I'd love to contribute titles to 45cat--I have a number I could add--but it won't allow me to retain a password. It works once, then never again. I wrote and asked them about it--got no reply. If they don't care, then I guess I don't, either.

A man for whom Christ died said...

Thanks Lee! Last night (probably right after you posted it), I sent the link on to my Preacher Friends group, because there are three preachers from Muncie, IN in said group, one pastor and two of his preacher boys. I believe one jumped right on it LOL! It's kinda interesting, to hear what changed from six years previous, when the album I have was done, i.e., Larry Waters singing Baritone and Bass, when he had been the kid on the first one LOL! I'd say more, but I need to get two boys to bed, so, 'til later, love and prayin' for ya!

Romans 11:33-36 KJB

Josh
Podcast: http://www.jeremiah616.sermon.net
Callcast: (563) 999-3967
Blog: http://www.brojoshowens.wordpress.com
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/preacher-friends

rosbeliobones9223@gmail,com said...

Muito obrigado !!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks everyone for your comments! I am the oldest child in the group! Larry Waters is a pastor at the Westside baptist church in Muncie IN.
Logan was involved in a bad car wreck when he was 18 but is married and had 2 kids and has some health issues but we thank God everyday for his miracles on Logan. Lynn has also passed away along with Mom and Dad have both passed away and we try to carry on at our church the good old gospel songs and the blue grass way we were taught! God bless, Sharolyn Waters Coffey

Anonymous said...

Thanks everyone for your comments! I am the oldest child in the group! Larry Waters is a pastor at the Westside baptist church in Muncie IN.
Logan was involved in a bad car wreck when he was 18 but is married and had 2 kids and has some health issues but we thank God everyday for his miracles on Logan. Lynn has also passed away along with Mom and Dad have both passed away and we try to carry on at our church the good old gospel songs and the blue grass way we were taught! God bless, Sharolyn Waters Coffey

Sharolyn Coffey said...

Thanks everyone for your comments! I am the oldest child in the group! Larry Waters is a pastor at the Westside baptist church in Muncie IN.
Logan was involved in a bad car wreck when he was 18 but is married and had 2 kids and has some health issues but we thank God everyday for his miracles on Logan. Lynn has also passed away along with Mom and Dad have both passed away and we try to carry on at our church the good old gospel songs and the blue grass way we were taught! God bless, Sharolyn Waters Coffey

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Sharolyn Coffey,

Thanks for your comment--wonderful to hear from you. Very sorry to hear about the car wreck, but glad to hear Logan is going strong, regardless. I appreciate your stopping by to comment. Blessings in return, Lee.

Anonymous said...

Sharolyn, is it possible to get this LP on CD form. My mother, Shirley Waters Frye, wS a member of West side until we moved to North Dakota in 1979. I would love to get the CD for her.

A man for whom Christ died said...

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but, it's easy to get it on CD. Just extract the files into another folder by right-clicking and selecting Extract All, or whatever your PC calls it (more than likely, the folder will be the same name), then burn the MP3s to an audio CD, using a CD burning program. I think even Windows Media Player can burn CDs, don't quote me on that last one. I make CDs for playing in the van, often. Hope this helps you and hope that doesn't get me in trouble with you, Lee LOL, love and praying for y'all!

Romans 11:33-36 KJB

Josh
Podcast: http://www.jeremiah616.sermon.net
Phone Ministry: (563) 999-3967

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Josh,

No problem, and thanks! And I'm pretty sure WMP does have a CD-burning feature.

A man for whom Christ died said...

Anon,
I just left a comment, but on second thought, here's what I'll do. I have two albums of them Visions Of Calvary (my own copy) from 1973, then the one Lee posted (already unziped). Email me at jjowens9395@gmail.com and give me your name and address, and/or who you want a CD sent to and I'll put them both on one CD. That work? Either way, please let me know. Just trying to be a help and blessing, love and praying for y'all!

Romans 11:33-36 KJB

Josh
Podcast: http://www.jeremiah616.sermon.net
Phone Ministry: (563) 999-3967