Sunday, May 29, 2022

Sunday morning gospel: The Home Gate Quartet Sing "Jesus Walked Upon the Water" (Rose Records LPR. 503; 1971)

 


No, not a six-person quartet--the extra folks on the back cover photo are the excellent lead guitarist Sidney Bartram and the man who does the Nearer My God to Thee recitation, Frank Pittman.  Not pictured: bassist James Meredith.  The singers in this Dayton OH group are originally from Kentucky, which explains, well, why they sound like they're from Kentucky.  And, as a general rule, I never tinker with the stereo separation on a given LP, but this time I felt I had to widen it--as mastered, the stereo was barely detectable.  I didn't make a huge change; just enough to give some stereo feel to the stereo.

Great country gospel, with a straight-from-the-hills sound, and although only three of the titles were familiar to me, I enjoyed them all.  (That'll happen.)  And I just now noticed that I mislabeled my MAGIX "project" as the Golden Gate Quartet, so used am I to that particular group.  Meanwhile, I've filled in a few composer credits not included by Rose Records, and I took the internet's word for Carl Story as the composer of I Wouldn't Miss It Would You? which is sort of a variation on Never Grow Old (which was, in turn, inspired by 1899's That Beautiful Land).  I'll Put on a Crown, attributed to Unkown, is Albert E. Brumley, and It Will Make You Humble Down is the work of Malcolm Jones.  Terrific numbers, both.

In Oct., 2021, I posted this group's Love Will Roll the Clouds Away (also Rose Records), whose sounds I described as "pure country gospel, which is to say it's pretty much bluegrass gospel, only generally slower and minus a banjo or mandolin."  The same applies here, too.  That one had a cooler group photo, though (in my opinion):


According to Discogs, there are at least six other LPs by these folks, so I'm hoping I encounter some of these in the thrift and flea market bins; I won't hesitate to grab them.  Oh, and then pay for them, of course.  To the excellent gospel:


DOWNLOAD: The Home Gate Quartet--Jesus Walked Upon the Water (Rose Records LPR. 503; 1972)


Jesus Walked Upon the Water

Sheltered in the Arms of God

The Prettiest Flowers Will Be Blooming

I've Put on a Crown

I Just Got to Heaven

I Wouldn't Miss It Would You?

Walking the Sea

Peace Like a River

It Will Make You Humble Down

I Am Glad He Came

I Made a Vow

Nearer My God to Thee (Recitation)



Lee


10 comments:

Diane said...

I'll keep my eyes open for more by these folks!

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Thanks, Diane!

A man for whom Christ died said...

Thanks, Lee, for posting another great album from these folks. I do wonder, IMHO, if the reason some of these arrangements are a little different than other groups, is because Miss Joyce is stuck in Alto? I'm not saying that's the case, but it does appear that way, even when the song has an Alto (or Tenor, depending female or male) lead on the chorus, such as I Made A Vow. Oh and speaking of the chorus, how ya like it where they do the chorus twice right before a break? Ah, local group oddities, that's part of what makes this so fun/interesting. I do like their sound too, for the record, pardon the pun. I'm sure I'll have more to say later, but, thanks again, 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--I'll have to do a closer listen and listen for the lead alto. Didn't notice the doubled chorus--good catch! Eager to hear more of your take on this LP--glad you enjoyed!

A man for whom Christ died said...

Lee,
Did I say Lead Alto? What I meant was, on songs such as I Made A Vow, the Alto or Tenor, depending on a female or male voice, is taking the Lead on the chorus. In this case, the Lead singer (John Vaughn) is singing the Lead on all the song, with Miss Joyce singing an Alto-style part, the whole time. Other versions I've heard of this song include, The Primitive Quartet (Candler, NC), The Brookside Trio (Bristol, TN) and The Rowlands (Morristown, TN), with that last one having a guy Lead all the way through, come to think of it. Oh and The Gospel Way Quartet had a Tenor lead on the chorus and The McGlothlin Family (both of those groups of Kingsport, TN) had an Alto lead the chorus. Now, on Jesus Walked Upon The Water, the same practice still holds, with not as many cord changes, due to the Alto not actually leading on the chorus, whereas in other versions, the Alto or Tenor (in most cases I've heard) leads the chorus, with another cord (or maybe two) thrown in because of the part change. The other places I've heard that song are, Doyle (sp) Lawson and Quicksilver (wherever they're from, dunno), The Valley Voices Quartet (Genoa, WV heard of 'em somewhere else) and The Hardin Brothers Quartet (Elizabethton, TN). Going for now, 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...

Hi, Josh.

Just to clarify--are you defining the lead as it's generally defined in terms of close harmony--i.e., as the second tenor? I guess I was assuming that the female alto, in this situation (three men and one woman) was functioning as the second tenor. When John sings the melody in the "I Made a Vow" chorus, of course the other three voices are providing support in that more-or-less call and response fashion common to quartet gospel. I like to use the term "answer phrases." Anyway, I apologize if I'm missing the boat...

A man for whom Christ died said...

Lee,
Not quite sure how to clarify, but I'll try. In I Made A Vow, John Vaughn sings the lead all the way through, whereas in most other versions I've heard, the Alto (female) or Tenor (male) takes the Lead on the chorus. The only other version I've heard, where the guy Lead does the Lead through most of the song, is The Rowlands of Morristown, TN. I say most of the song, because I remembered after my previous comment that, on the last chorus, there's a key change and the female Alto leads that chorus. By Second Tenor, are you meaning the part below the Alto? Of course, in SATB-written music (as I believe most of this would be, if they were reading it), I believe his part (the Lead part) would be the Soprano, until the Alto takes the Lead on the chorus. Not actually being able to see it, I'm guessing, but am I right? As a humorous side-note, I find it kinda funny, when congregations and their Song Leaders insist on singing a song straight across, when the chorus is written as an Alto Lead. It's funny, but it's not, at the same time. I've rambled on enough, so it's probably clear as mud, 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...

Hi, Josh.

Thanks for clarifying. And, by "second tenor," I literally mean the second tenor down in a same-sex quartet. For whatever reason (at least in Barbershop) the term also applies to female voices, despite the octave separation between male and female ranges. And my assumption, actually, is that close harmony (as opposed to SATB) is happening in nearly all gospel quartet vocalizing, save for choral singing. I go by the simple rule that, if it sounds like choir voicings, it's SATB. If it sounds like the Statesmen, Chuck Wagon Gang, or Smith's Sacred Singers, it's close harmony. Close harmony is literally that--parts which are so close, they frequently overlap. Because of this, such arrangements are typically notated with two clefs, and in the manner of SATB voicings, except that the upper clef is the so-called "tenor" clef--or, the treble clef lowered an octave. In old-time notation, this clef was indicated by a weird symbol that had me confused for years--these symbols are all over 19th century tunebooks, and I think they're still used by some gospel songbook publishers (espeically with shape, or shaped, notes). However, the correct upper symbol to use, in the case of close harmony, is the treble clef with an "8" just below it (the "8" meaning an octave lower, of course). Notating close harmony on a single staff would be a mess, since same-sex quartet singing has such a narrow range as to cause the constant overlapping of voices. It could be done, but good luck trying to read it. I'd have to listen very closely to figure out exactly how mixed quartets manage to sing close harmony, but the Chuck Wagon Gang did it for decades, and country gospel quartets like The Home Gate Q. managed it, too. I'm thinking that there must be a certain degree of shift in the voicings, but nothing so drastic as to change the basic texture.

A man for whom Christ died said...

Lee,
Thanks for your explanation of Close Harmony. Myself, not having actually seen any written music (only heard about it over the years and my wife is an excellent sight-reader), I'm just going on said personal experience. I've lead congregational singing off and on in different churches over the years and know (for the most part) who's supposed to be leading when and such as that, but the visual part of it is beyond me, for obvious reasons. Re: one cleff, can you visualize say, The Heavenly Parade on just one? NO WAY! I'd say that, if say, The Home Gate Quartet (and I know CWG did this) read song books, they (Home Gate) probably relied on the words, found the parts and adjusted accordingly, IMHO. Going for now, love and praying for y'all!

Romans 11:33-36 KJB

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

A man for whom Christ died said...

Lee, Second Tenor? I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. In the case of the HGQ, John Vaughn is singing the Lead (Soprano in SATB music), while Miss Joyce is singing naturally higher (because she's a woman), singing the Alto part. All due respect to her (you understand), I still believe she's stuck there, if you know what I mean. I know of an all-mail quartet (who shall remain nameless here) that, their Tenor was (and still may be) stuck in Tenor, actually being unable to even master his part, with the other members being forced to work around him, arrangement/part-wise. The Home Gate Quartet seems to have it more together than that, with parts and music. I'm really rambling now though, maybe talking in circles and I have to get up at 3:20 in the morning, so, 'til later, love and praying for y'all!

Romans 11:33-36 KJB

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