Tag: Shirley Caesar

This may be one of the best Soul Gospel albums of the 80’s. As I have said before I didn’t listen to this style of music in the 80’s which is a real pity. I know I would have loved this album. Now to be clear Pastor Shirley is the star of this album but special praise should go out to Joe Neil. Joe did the primary mix for the concert and final mix for the album. You may have heard of Sam’s Tape Truck which was used for recording live concerts and Joe was responsible for Sam’s Tape Truck. The mix for a live concert is not the same mix that usually makes it onto an album. While I never heard the concert mix I can tell that Joe laid down a fantastic mix for the album. I would argue that this is one of the best mixed live albums I have heard. Anyway let’s talk about the album. This album was one of the top Soul gospel albums of the time. It made it to #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums charts and the single “Hold My Mule” made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. It won the Dove award for Traditional Black Gospel Recorded Song of the Year and was nominated for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female. As it stands today this is my favourite Live Soul album and I suspect it’ll be there for quite awhile.

Tracklist
1 – Never – 7:16
2 – His Blood – 6:16
3 – Feel The Spirit – 4:31
4 – Things Are Going To Get Better – 4:32
5 – Hold My Mule – 8:41
6 – Born Again – 5:02
7 – Yes Lord, Yes – 3:54
8 – Peace In The Midst Of The Storm – 4:51

Credits
Al Willis – Guitar
Albertina Walker – Guest Artist, Performer, Primary Artist
Ann Caesar-Price – Vocals (Background)
Bubba Smith – Agogo, Anvil, Bells, Producer, Tambourine
Darius Brooks – Composer, Piano, Synthesizer
Denis Solee – Sax (Tenor)
Doug Moffet – Sax (Baritone)
Hank Williams – Mastering
Jay Rabbitt – Engineer
Jim Whitmer – Photography
Joe Neil – Engineer, Mixing
Kevin Brunson – Drums
Larry Goode – Engineer
Lloyd Barry – Horn Arrangements, Trumpet
Loris Holland – Composer
Lynn Keesecker – Composer, Executive Producer
Michael E. Mathis – Composer, Organ, Piano, Vocals (Background)
Mike Haynes – Trumpet
Oliver Wells – Synthesizer
Pastor Donald Alford – Composer
Rev. Milton Brunson – Guest Artist
Richard Gibbs – Organ, Piano
Robert Butler – Executive Producer
Sam Levine – Sax (Baritone)
Sanchez Harley – Horn Arrangements
Shirley Caesar – Composer, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals
Steve Adams – Composer
Steve Huff – Bass
Tyrone Block – Vocals (Background)

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – A&M Records, Inc.
Distributed By – A&M Records, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church
Published By – Simply Darius, Word Music, Snowfox Music, Jamdo Jamdo Music, Lors-chez Music, Don-Glo Music, Manna Music, Inc., Steve Adams Music
Mixed At – Doppler Studios
Mastered At – Master Mix
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Pressed By – Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc.
Recorded By – Sam’s Tape Truck

CCM music as it was presented to me is a funny thing. I don’t recall seeing a single soul gospel album at my local record store. Now I did live in rural Canada so I’m not overly surprised but why didn’t the big record companies try to get up to listen to people like Pastor Shirley Caesar? The woman had at least 30 albums out by the 80’s so how come I never heard of her. The album we’re featuring today came in 1983 and is probably one of the best soul gospel albums I have ever heard. I do not understand how an artist who has 59 studio albums starting in 1967, 12 Grammy Awards and 18 Doves as well as induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame isn’t better known to me. I do not like to throw around the word racism but I do not understand why no one was trying to sell this music to white kids in the 80’s. Anyway this probably the best soul album I have heard from the era. The title track, just shortened down to “Jesus”, is worth the entire price of admission and “Guilty As Judas” was begging for a Blues Brothers version.

Tracklist
1 – I’ll Keep My Light On In The Window – 4:00
2 – He’s Only A Prayer Away – 4:28
3 – I Don’t Wanna Stay Here – 4:13
4 – Mark Of The Beast – 4:34
5 – No Charge – 3:25
6 – Take It Away From Me – 3:35
7 – I Won’t Let Go – 3:50
8 – Jesus – 3:41
9 – Guilty As Judas – 3:59

Credits
Arranged By [Strings And Horns] – Lloyd Barry, Sanchez Harley
Art Direction – McConnell Graphics
Backing Vocals – Ann Price, Bernard Sterling, Carl Hunter, Charles Obie, Donna McElroy, LeRoy Caesar, Mike Mathis, Ron Meadows, Steve Twyman, The Caesar Singers
Bass – Jessie Boyce, Tom Robb
Drums – James Stroud
Engineer – Ken Corlew, Rick McCollister
Executive-Producer – Ken Harding
Guitar – Larry Byrom, Reggie Young, Steve Buckingham
Horns – The Nashville Hornworks
Keyboards – Lisa Nelson, Mike Mathis, Randy McCormick, Tony Brown
Liner Notes – Carolyn Sanders, Attorney Richard Manson*
Mastered By – Hank Williams
Percussion – Micky Buckins
Photography By – Rick Blumen
Producer – Tony Brown
Strings – The A Strings

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Pressed By – Monarch Record Mfg. Co. – △25970
Recorded At – Woodland Studios
Mixed At – Woodland Studios
Mastered At – Woodland Studios