The Singing Kolandas (Light Records LS-5689; 1976)

 

For this Sunday, another thrift gift from Diane.  This is very pleasant, beautifully professional gospel, though not a type I'm crazy about.  However it's a type whose history interests me a lot, so I'm happy to have this.  It seems like a significant early example of the genre known as Jesus Music, aka Contemporary Gospel, aka (to use the most common phrase) Praise Music.  I recall that such music wasn't well received by older folks at the time (1970s), though this gentle example, with its Adult Contemporary edge and general lack of rock and roll feeling, would likely have gone over better than, say, Petra.  This is from 1976.  Light Records was connected with Word, as the back jacket's Waco, Texas address suggests--and I've always wanted to type "Texas address suggests."  

It's tempting to regard this LP as possibly an attempt to placate the enemies of Praise, but it seems to have been a standard brand of gentle (and, clearly, black-influenced) Praise.  I say this after listening to the original version of Side One, Track 5--It Wouldn't Be Enough--by the Archers.  So, this is Praise Music when it first hit the big time.  Cool.

The other originally-by-the-Archers track is You Are My Inspiration.  An André Crouch number starts the LP, and there are four tracks penned by arranger/conductor Don Norville.  A second black gospel number follows the Crouch track--Danniebelle Hall's All Things Work Together.  The sole "traditional" track is by good ol' Charles H. Gabriel, with lyrics by the Canadian-born Civilla Martin--the 1905 masterpiece, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, a gospel song frequently mistaken for a spiritual.  Certainly an interesting treatment, with something close to a Herb Alpert feel in the "Sing because I'm happy" part.

As I noted, these tracks couldn't possibly be more skillfully produced and performed, though I did find the second side slightly soporific.  To be fair, that could be the fault of my suffering sinuses and not the music.

And as I reflect on my short essay, it occurs to me that Praise Music (I'm on a capitalization kick tonight) appeared at least a decade before the 1970s.  Two very important examples occur to me: The songs of Bill and Gloria Gaither and those of Doris Akers.  They definitely belong to the genre.  And I see there's yet another label in use for modern gospel: Contemporary worship music (CWM).  Now, that's certainly specific.  Anyway, Wikipedia says that CWM goes back to 1960.  Also known as "praise and worship music," says Wiki.  That seems closer to reality, but too many labels.  However, labels come from the world of marketing, not scholarship, and those of us interested in history shouldn't worry about them when they clash, overlap, or otherwise don't cut it.  Enjoy this excellent example of whatever-it's-called gospel!

DOWNLOAD: The Singing Kolandas (Light Records LS-5689; 1976)

Take Me Back (Crouch)
All Things Work Together (Hall)
You Are My Inspiration (Masters)
Lord, You Know I Love You (Norville)
It Wouldn't Be Enough (Aldridge)
Just to Know He Loves Me (Norville)
His Will (Kolenda)
I Love My Lord (Norville)
Walkin' Love (Norville)
His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Martin-Gabriel)

Lee