Deadsplinter Up! All Night: Can I Get a Witness

19/2/20 Hannibal 45

There was a time when I thought I knew it all. My youthful arrogance was at its height during the 80’s when I was listening almost exclusively to punk and post punk. I rejected practically everything else as too commercial, or even worse, uncool. A friend asked me what I thought about Gospel music. I don’t remember my exact response but I’m sure it involved eye rolling. I wasn’t entirely ignorant. I’d heard Mahalia Jackson, The Staple Singers, Al Green. I knew that Sam Cooke, Aretha, Tina, and even Jerry Lee began their careers in the church. I was aware of the influence of gospel on R & B, Blues, and Rock. But I was young , wild and couldn’t think of anything less hip than religion. This guy was cool though, really, really cool, so when he offered to make me some tapes I accepted. A couple of weeks later he presented me with a box of tapes organized by date and genre. Considering the amount of time he’d put into them I had no choice but to listen. And that brothers and sisters is when I became a disciple. Not of the theology, but of the music: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and The Barrett Sisters just to name a few. I didn’t matter that I was agnostic, it wasn’t about God, it was about soul. And it ROCKED. Deciding what songs to post was tough. I chose a couple more contemporary things because Gospel isn’t dead. And it isn’t exclusive to the Mass Choirs. Not that I don’t love a good Mass Choir. But there’s some fun and funky stuff out there. Like this Gospel Blues inspired tune by Marcus King.

The thing about Gospel is that it’s best experienced live. There’s just something about swaying, clapping along with your neighbors, participating in the call and response. You are part of the music. We have an excellent Gospel Choir at our local University and I see them whenever I can. And I’ve been lucky enough to catch this group live several times over the years and they never disappoint. They’re touring now and may be coming to your city – Sweet Honey In the Rock.

Like all converts I have a tendency to go on too long. Thanks for letting me testify.

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45 Comments

  3. Seven Days of Motorhead, pt.4

    Alas, Robbo seemed intent on alienating the band’s hardcore fans with his decidedly un-metal stage attire and lack of enthusiasm for the Motorhead standards. His departure in 1983 brought the advent of the two-guitar era, featuring Phil Campbell and a former British Army corporal known simply as “Wurzel.”

  7. Excellent stuff and well said. Gospel is basically the root of what we all know as popular music.

    The Loving Sisters – Hallelujah Ain’t it So
    This is a terrifically funky gospel album from the 70’s that seems to have been largely forgotten. I picked it up in a Goodwill once and it’s one of the best thrift store finds I ever made.

  10. Great stuff tonight, Hannibal. I loves me some Gospel.

    Ollabelle – Before This Time. Four Caucasian kids from NYC doing Gospel justice.

    Marty Stuart – The Gospel Story of Noah’s Ark. From the Soul’s Chapel album on which Mavis makes a few guest appearances, although not on this track.

  11. Thanks bbtm. Ollabelle are so good, Amy Helm inherited her father’s talent. I haven’t thought about Marty Stuart in a long time, I need to listen to him again.

  15. The song that made me start loving Sam Cooke:

    And one of my favorites by him (and it’s been covered SO well, by soooooo many other greats, too💖):

    The closest my ‘Jovi has to a gospel song, although it’s actually Leonard Cohen (and was supposedly one of *his* favorite versions of the song, too):

    The strange (and WONDERFUL!) Little Purple Man, because, well, Mpls.

    Y’all have already listed a bajillion people who’ve played quite a bit around these parts/been from here, and if I didn’t know y’all better, I’d think *you guys* were part of the MPR Membership Drive team, working over at the Current, what with all those “MPR names”😉🤣😂–so I figured we’d best represent for our *most famous* son:

    And, because she also got HER start in the church, has a FABULOUS voice, and also ‘cuz I love this song & haven’t seen any mention of her yet, the divine Ms. Day:

    • I’m a huge Sam Cooke fan too. Mary Don’t You Weep is one of my favorite gospel songs, and you can’t beat Prince singing anything. Love the Andra Day too.

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