Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I've been waiting for a compilation like this one for years. Thanks to pioneers like Andrae Crouch by the '70s black gospel was finally beginning to awaken to the fact that despite all the superlative vocal talent at their disposal accompaniments consisting of little more than a guitar or an organ made their music anachronistic and out of step with the '60s soul music explosion. So some gospel acts began using full bands and slick arrangements in their recordings, no easy thing considering the limited studio time usually available. Such R&B gospel pioneers like Tramaine and the Clark Sisters were occasionally rewarded with "crossover" hits. In fact it's a track by the Clark Sisters that gives this album its arresting title, a simmering piece of slow funk penned by the redoubtable Twinkie Clark. This two CD package neatly celebrates church singers embracing the rhythms of disco and funk and in doing so offers a few cuts from some of gospel's biggest names (the aforementioned Clark Sisters, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar) together with a welter of obscure artists whose music is now finding an unexpected bit of exposure on Britain's jazz funk and rare soul scenes. No better example of this is Rahni Harris, represented here by "He's My Friend" from his 1977 'A Different Drummer' album. Rahni's instrumental "Six Million Steps", according to the sleevenotes, "made its way onto the dance floors of Essex, quickly gaining classic status." Those impressively researched sleevenotes were written by David Hill who compiled the album and we must thank him for bringing to the CD racks such gems as D J Rogers' "All I Gave Him Was My Heart" where the rasping R&B and gospel man's tones are perfectly offset by the McCrarys' repeated refrain; The Young Delegation's "I'll Keep Holding On" which sounds like a lost Womack & Womack track which it largely is; BeBe & CeCe Winans' "I Really Love You" taken from their hard-to-find 'Lord Lift Him Up' album from the era when the brother and sister were regular contributors on TV's subsequently discredited PTL (Praise The Lord) Club; and possibly best of all, the dazzling "Heavenly Father" where gospel matriarch Shirley Caesar shows she is able to sing across a slickly funky groove put together by producer Michael Stokes without losing any of her soul power. Once or twice the standards drop on this set, particularly when church acts try covering R&B hits of the day so that Ricky Womack & Christian Essence's attempt to gospelize "I Need You" or Kristle's "I'll Go" (which uses the Emotions' "Best Of My Love" as its foundation) are a little underwhelming. But with 24 tracks, some of which would cost you an arm and a leg to purchase in their original form, this is a compilation to be heartily recommended both to those music students wanting to understand how gospel moved from its "golden age" of the quartets and Mahalia through to the Kirk Franklins and Mary Marys of today and also to those who, like me, find soulful singers, tasty disco funk grooves and lyrics which lift up the living God an irresistible combination.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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