Post Description

This wonderful four-disc, 105-track box of postwar Afro-American gospel releases from the 1940s and 1950s was compiled by record collector and gospel historian Opal Louis Nations, and it perfectly captures what was surely a golden age for black gospel. Gospel as we now know it emerged in the South in the early '30s, an outgrowth of the right to assemble and the advent of gospel songwriters like Thomas A. Dorsey (who had sung previously in the secular arena as Georgia Tom), who brought the blues to church, tossed in some ragtime piano rhythms, and almost single-handedly created the genre to the point that his compositions were simply known as "Dorseys." Then, in the early '40s, performers likeSister Rosetta Tharpe added a kind of theatricality (not to mention electric guitar) to the mix, and this generous box chronicles the confluence of all this. There is so much to marvel at here, including the opening track, "Walk Around," by the Five Soul Stirrers, Tharpe's jazzy, bluesy "Didn't It Rain" (complete with her concise electric guitar runs), the Five Blind Boys of Alabama's beautiful and haunting "Mother's Song,"
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CD1 1945 - 1953

   1. Robert H. Harris & the Five Soul Stirrers - Walk Around [02:51]
   2. Deep River Boys - I'm Tramping                          [02:27]
   3. Frank Sinatra & the Charioteers - I've Got A Home In That Rock[03:12]
   4. Hazel Chatman & The Golden Harmonizers - He Knows How Much You Can Bear[02:27]
   5. Golden Melodeers - He Knows My Heart                    [03:16]
   6. Sister Ethel Davenport & Brownee McGhee - The World Can't Do Me No Harm[02:24]
   7. Thomas Johnson & The Harmonizing Four - How Far I Am From Canaan[03:06]
   8. Sister Emily Bram - Each Day                            [02:22]
   9. Joe Van Loan & The Canaanites - Lead Me To That Rock    [02:29]
  10. Madame Edna Gallmon Cooke & The Mt. Vernon Men's Choir - Angels, Angels, Angels[02:37]
  11. Five Blind Boys of Alabama - Mother's Song              [03:01]
  12. Willie Mae Ford Smith - Jesus Is The Name               [03:07]
  13. Golden Gate Quartet - Same Train                        [02:26]
  14. Sonny Til & The Orioles - The Lord's Prayer             [02:18]
  15. Rev. C.L. Franklin - Wings of Faith                     [02:40]
  16. Angelic Gospel Singers & The Dixie Hummingbirds - One Day[02:17]
  17. Shirley Caesar - I'd Rather Serve Jesus                 [02:01]
  18. Flowers of Joy (Mighty Clouds of Joy) - At The Cross    [02:16]
  19. Mary Deloach - The Lord's Gospel Train                  [03:01]
  20. Royal Sons Quintet (5 Royales) - Bedside of a Neighbor  [02:26]
  21. Sister Wynona Carr - There Is Rest For the Weary        [03:04]
  22. Rev. Elder 'Gatemouth' Moore & The Bessemer Big Four - They Buried Sin (Part 1 - ends abruptly)[02:30]
  23. Rosa Shaw - On The Highway                              [02:39]
  24. Morgan Babb & The Radio Four - Sending Up This Prayer   [02:37]
  25. Cecil Shaw & The Union Spiritual Harmonizers - Jesus Be My Keeper[02:40]
  26. Sylvester 'Sly Stone' Stewart - Walking in Jesus Name   [02:40]
  27. Sister Lucille Barbee - Where Could I Go[03:05]
  28. Chuck Carbo & The Delta Southernaires (Spiders) - Bye and Bye (Part 1)[02:52]
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CD2 1953 - 1955

   1. Bessie Griffin & The Caravans - Let Us Run              [02:34]
   2. Fairfield Four - Come Over Here                         [02:37]
   3. Ann Cole & The Colmanaires - Out On The Ocean Sailing   [02:48]
   4. Phil Phillips & The Gateway Quartet - Four & Twenty Elders[02:43]
   5. Mahalia Jackson & The Belleville Choir - No Matter How You Pray[01:52]
   6. Jones Brothers Quartet - Amazing Grace                  [03:25]
   7. Mayflower Singers - Ship Of Zion                        [03:11]
   8. Keys Of Heaven - Jeasus Bears The Cross                 [02:19]
   9. Prisonaires - My God Is Real                            [02:31]
  10. Tony Harris & The Traveling Four - All On The Altar     [02:46]
  11. Violinaires - Another Soldier Gone                      [02:34]
  12. Sister Marie Knight & The Sam Price Trio - Trouble In Mind[02:33]
  13. Afro Quintette - Toll The Bells                         [03:34]
  14. Detroit Harmonettes - I Need Thee                       [03:08]
  15. Bells Of Joy - There'll Be No More Sorrow               [02:48]
  16. Ever Ready Gospel Singers - One Day When I Was Walking (I'm In His Care)[02:21]
  17. Gene Allison & Israelite Travelers - Send My Child Home To Me[02:46]
  18. Pilgrim Jubilees - Angel                                [02:32]
  19. Skylight Singers - Lord Have Mercy                      [02:45]
  20. Brother Bill Louis (Reverend Utah Smith) - Two Wings Flying Home (Parts 1 & 2)[05:43]
  21. Little Johnny Taylor & The Stars Of Bethel - There Is A Fountain[02:35]
  22. Swanee Quintet - Cry Sometime                           [02:54]
  23. Madame Ernestine Washington & The Milleraires - Holding On (Part 2)[01:50]
  24. Zion Travelers - Where Is My Wandering Child            [02:29]
  25. Reverend Ballenger & Willie Dixon - This Train          [02:57]
  26. Reverend James Cleveland & The Caravans - Old Time Religion[02:40]
  27. Rebert H. Harris & Christland Singers - Nothing Will Move Me (From The Love Of God)[02:51]
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CD3 1955 - 1957

   1. Reverend H B Crum + The Golden Keys - So Glad I'm Here  [02:39]
   2. Dixieland Singers - Our Prayer                          [03:23]
   3. Little Joe Cook + The Evening Star Quartet - Jesus, I'll Never Forget[02:45]
   4. James Phelps + The Gospel Song Birds - God's Creation   [02:49]
   5. Kelly Brothers - Prayer For Tomorrow                    [02:41]
   6. Royal Travelers - Yes It's Me Lord, That Came To Thee   [02:30]
   7. Nappy Brown + Selah Jubilee Singers - Who So Ever Will  [03:09]
   8. Sam Cooke + The Soul Stirrers - Pilgrim Of Sorrow       [03:10]
   9. Southern Travelers - I Can See Everybody's Mother       [03:03]
  10. Argo Gospel Singers - He's Alright With Me              [03:09]
  11. Johnnie Taylor + The Highway QC's - I Was So Hapy       [03:00]
  12. Candi Staton + The Jewel Gospel Trio - Jesus Is Listening[02:55]
  13. Mitchell Aires Quintet - Lord, Will I Meet Them Again   [02:44]
  14. Original Gospel Stars - I Want To Go To Heaven          [02:42]
  15. Julius 'June' Cheeks + The Sensational Nightingales - Burying Ground[02:36]
  16. Roscoe Robinson + Huey Bown + The Silver Quintette - Sinner's Crossroads[03:10]
  17. Joe Hinton + The Spirit Of Memphis - I Need Thee        [03:13]
  18. Mavis Staples + The Staples Singers - Uncloudy Day      [03:00]
  19. Claude Jeter + The Swan Silvertones - Jesus Remembers   [02:50]
  20. Judy Clay + The Drinkard Singers - That's Enough        [06:29]
  21. Morgan Babb + The Philco Singers - Wonder How Long      [02:39]
  22. Bessie Griffin + The Gospel Consolators - Every Now And Then[02:58]
  23. Archie Brownlee + The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi - Let's Have Church[03:48]
  24. Lou Rawls - Come Home                                     [02:28]
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CD4 1957 - 1958

   1. Cleophus Robinson & Sister Josephine Jones - I Can See So Much[02:24]
   2. O.V. Wright & The Sunset Travelers - Sit Down and Rest Awhile[03:43]
   3. Evelyn Freeman & The Exciting Voices Chorus - Didn't It Rain[02:17]
   4. Inez Andrews & The Caravans - I'm Not Tired Yet         [02:44]
   5. Hardie Clifton & The Brooklyn All Star Singers - Careless Soul[02:59]
   6. Consolers - Glad To Be In That Number                   [02:41]
   7. Lou Rawls & The Chosen Gospel Singers - Walk With Me    [02:22]
   8. Jackie Verdell & The Davis Sisters - I've Been Changed  [03:08]
   9. Ira Tucker & The Dixie Humming Birds - Let's Go Out To The Programs (Part 2)[02:31]
  10. Ollie Nightingale & The Dixie Nightengales - I've Been Lifted[02:31]
  11. Dorothy Love Coates & The Gospel Harmonettes - Love Lifted Me[03:01]
  12. Leon Lumpkins & The Gospel Clefs - Open Our Eyes        [03:48]
  13. Rosie Wallace & The Imperial Gospel Singers - My Father's House[02:34]
  14. Gospel Tones - Roll, Jordan, Roll                       [02:39]
  15. Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Didn't It Rain                  [02:05]
  16. Roberta Martin & The Roberta Martin Singers - Rock My Soul[03:00]
  17. Paul Arnold & The Gospelaires - It's A Pity             [02:16]
  18. 'Little Sugar' & The Hightower Brothers - Come By Here  [02:27]
  19. Della Reece & The Meditations - Hard To Get Along       [05:20]
  20. Brother Joe May - Mother Bowed                          [02:28]
  21. Willie Joe Ligon & The Mighty Mighty Clouds Of Joy - Jesus Is Real[02:49]
  22. Johnnie Taylor & The Soul Stirrers - The Love Of God (Take