Well, this would have been Sunday morning, but in my half-awake state I scheduled it for Monday morning. Oops... But, to the music:
Deeply-felt, swinging gospel (you can't beat that combination) from Floyd H. Lacy and Lillie S. Lacy. And don't let the 1959 date of issue fool you--these tracks date back to the late 1940s and early 1950s, though the online Sacred label discographies are very spotty, date-wise. And this is another thrift gift from Diane (Thanks, Diane!) for which I'm very grateful, though the jacket required some touch-up. This is the "before" version:
The album is credited to Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy, though the original credits include (the) F.H. Lacy Gospel Singers (on the first six tracks), (the) Lacy Colored Gospel Singers, and possibly (the) Lacy Trio in addition to Floyd and Lillie. Meanwhile, Georgia Woodson is the lead singer on Something Within, and she assists Floyd and Lillie on Just a Closer Walk. So, the credits are kind of all over the place. Which only adds to the fun.
The great piano accompaniment on
Meeting in the Air (one of my
favorite gospel classics) is courtesy of Miss Gladys Jones; otherwise, we can presume (I think) that Lillie is ticking the ivories on these numbers. Possibly for the sake of confusing things further, the liner notes focus on the Cleveland Colored Quintet, which I featured
back in 2020 as the Cleveland Quintet. Actually, I had called them a "quartet" in the post title, a typo that I just corrected. So, please forget I mentioned it. (Typo? What typo?)
Tempi-wise (plural of tempo), the fast-moving Walking up the King's Highway starts things out, with things slowing down to a mix of mid-tempo and slow, thoughtful tracks--until we reach the race-to-the-finish The Devil's No Relation at All, a fun but not-pro-Darwin ditty ("The monkey's no relation at all"). Well, actually, monkeys and humans are primates--specifically, simians. We didn't descend from monkeys, but we are relatives. Just to clarify. No Relation sets the stage for the final five numbers, which wind things up in the fast lane. Included in this relay is the lively triple-meter Holding My Savior's Hand.
My favorites? A tie between Meeting in the Air, Walking With the King, and the always-great-to-hear My Sins Are Gone, the latter rendered in a wonderful 1927 style. Well, actually, an authentic 1927 rendition would be something to hear, since the song was written in 1934.
Anyway, I hope Floyd and Lillie weren't superstitious--thirteen tracks! Or, a baker's dozen.
DOWNLOAD: Walking up the King's Highway--Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy (Sacred LP 9066; 1959)
TRACK LIST
Walking up the King's Highway--F.H. Lacy Gospel Singers
My God Is Real--Same
I Am With You--Same
Mansion Over the Hilltop--Same
Still, Still With Thee--Same
Something Within--Same, Solo: Georgia Woodson
You Can Have a Song in Your Heart--Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy
Just a Closer Walk--Lacy Colored Gospel Singers, With Johnny Hope, Guitar; Joey Bochenech, Steel Guitar; 1949
The Devil's No Relation--Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy, 1949
Meeting the Air--Same, With Miss Gladys Jones, Piano, 1948
Walking With the King--Lacy Trio (or F.H. Lacy Gospel Singers?)
Holding My Savior's Hand--Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy
My Sins Are Gone--Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Lacy
Lee
6 comments:
You know, if you hunt around a bit, I think there are a few songs out there about The Scopes Monkey Trial. Just sayin'... :)
Ernie,
Yes, I have Vernon Dalhart (I think) singing that. He recorded it for Columbia, but I think I have it on a different label. My copy is pretty chewed up. I wonder what percentage of the U.S. population, come 1925, refused to accept the theory of evolution? I wonder how many folks reject it today? (My impression is that most Americans don't give a hoot about science and therefore don't consider it seriously.) And of course the concept of a "theory" is confusing to many people, since it suggests something which might not be true--something debatable. As I'm sure you know, THEORIES are always open to debate (and revision or even rejection), but the subjects of the theories are natural events known to be true. Maybe the popular phrase should be "theory ABOUT evolution" instead of "theory OF..." As in, "You're welcome to suggest a better explanation for x, but there is zero doubt that x is for real."
People don't know, and don't care in general, they just don't like to be compared to monkeys, that's what I think. Of course, this is before they saw The Monkees on TV every day, so they didn't know how cool it could be.
Ernie,
LOL! And maybe people would react differently if our biological relatives were, for example, deer. Or swans. I think it's less distressing to realize that we were one of a number of hominid/hominin species, being the sole species that endured. The bad news is that those other human-like creatures may have perished because of climate change. Obviously, a warning to us...
From Diane (I accidentally hit the "reject" button. I wish I didn't have to use comment moderation!):
Wow, this guess on my part paid off on your part! Will keep my eyes open for more.
Diane,
Yes, this was a wonderful find--I first knew about Floyd and Lillie Lacy from a 1926 Columbia side. What's especially cool is that their style didn't change all that drastically over the course of 20-some years. To me, that's a plus when it comes to gospel music--it's admirable when an artist or group hold on to their essential sound, since they're going against the tide, with most groups almost too willing to periodically update their style. This goes against the common conception of religious music as a stuck-in-the-mud genre, of course. And sorry for "rejecting" your comment. It's easy to choose the wrong option for comment moderation, and it can't be undone.
Post a Comment