This Live album features the most recent hits (in 1978) from the Imperials. Some of the versions were spruced up for the concert and some of them tamed down. The selection of songs and styles didn’t really work well in my opinion but I wasn’t at the concert so maybe it worked better in person. There’s one thing on the album that annoyed me. They introduce the song “Your First Day In Heaven” as being how they sounded in 1964. The song however is not from 1964 and appears to have been released the same year at this album (feel free to correct me). Why do a song in the old style when you could just pick and old song and do it the way it was originally done. This moment was just sort of strange to me. All that said if you love the early Imperials this live album is for you. The production quality is excellent and the song choices were overall good choices.
Tracklist
1 – Sonshine Day – 2:34
2 – Bread Upon The Water – 3:16
3 – Bread Upon The Water (Reprise) – 0:52
4 – New Creation – 5:47
5 – Your First Day In Heaven – 1:39
6 – Lead Me Gently Home Father – 3:17
7 – I Love The Way You Love – 4:09
8 – He Touched Me – 3:53
9 – Sail On – 5:03
10 – How Great Thou Art – 2:40
11 – The Old Gospel Ship – 3:07
12 – The Old Gospel Ship (Reprise) – 1:42
Credits
Bass, Electric Guitar – Dave Hollihand, John Lutz
Drums – Mike Kinard
Engineer – Gaston Nichols, Max Moseley
Piano, Electric Piano – Bill George
Producer – Armond Morales, Buddy Huey, Chris Christian
Trumpet – John Lutz
Recorded Live: First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas The Kingsland Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri.
You are correct about the song “Your First Day In Heaven” recorded on The Imperials Live album from 1977 not being recorded in 1964. It was first recorded by them in 1966 on their “Slightly Regal” LP and re-recorded on their live album “Gospel’s Alive And Well” in 1970. Armond being a couple of years off in his introduction was technically not inaccurate as they kept it in their concert rotation through those years.