Singing News
30th Anniversary Collection

The album I recommend for your collection this week can be rather elusive when you try to get your hands on it.  If you purchase it, then you have gotten the best songs from 1970-1999 according to Jerry Kirksey of the Singing News. 

Daywind released this compilation CD to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Singing News National Chart for Southern Gospel Music.  This ratings chart was the first of it’s kind for Southern Gospel music.

The song list for the project is as follows:

1970 – The Oak Ridge Boys – Jesus Is Coming Soon
1971 – Wendy Bagwell & The Sunlighters – Here Come The Rattlesnakes
1972 - The Rambos – Build My Mansion
1973 – The Oak Ridge Boys – King Jesus
1974 – Inspirations – When I Wake Up To Sleep No More
1975 – Thrasher Brothers – One Day At A Time
1976 – Blackwood Brothers – Learning To Lean
1977 – Inspirations – A Rose Among The Thorns
1978 – The Imperials – Sail On
1979 – Teddy Huffam & The Gems – Gone
1980 – Squire Parsons – Sweet Beulah Land
1981 – The Hemphills – He’s Still Working On Me
1982 – Heaven Bound – Canaanland Is Just In Sight
1983 – The Cathedrals – Step Into The Water
1984 – Gold City – I Think I’ll Read It Again
1985 – Gold City – John Saw
1986 – The Kingsmen – Called Out
1987 – The Cathedrals – Boundless Love
1988 – Gold City – Midnight Cry
1989 – The Speers – Saved To The Uttermost
1990 – The Speers – He’s Still In The Fire
1991 – Perfect Heart – Somebody Touched The Lord
1992 – Greater Vision – New Wine
1993 – Gold City – There Rose A Lamb
1994 – The Cathedrals – Jesus Saves
1995 – The Greenes – Jesus’ Rocking Chair
1996 – New Hinsons – Oasis
1997 – The Steeles – We Want America Back
1998 – The Hoppers – Shoutin Time
1999 – Greater Vision – My Name Is Lazarus

I’ve found that FYE carries this project in stock and it is available to purchase online here:

Singing News 30th Anniversary Collection

The Nelons
Seasons Of Songs

This album is a must have for your Southern Gospel library.  Released in 2000, it’s a greatest hits compilation from the Nelons that include the following tracks:

1. I’ll Talk To The Father
2. Jesus Is Alive And Well
3. Hallelujah
4. Bring My Children Home
5. We Shall Wear A Robe And Crown
6. I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is
7. You’ve Got To Walk That Lonesome Road
8. Walk Right Out Of This Valley
9. Way Up In Gloryland
10. Oh For A Thousand Tongues

While not my favorite group, this CD IS one of my favorites.  You need this project in your collection.

The Dixie Melody Boys
Gonna Praise The Lord – Live!

My recommended project for week #2 is by The Dixie Melody Boys.  Although the Dixie Melody Boys are sometimes referred to as the “Minor League Farm Team” of Southern Gospel Music, they’ve had their share of good singers pass through the group.  This project is a good example of some of the best talent that has passed through Ed O’Neal’s Dixie Melody Boys.

Gonna Praise The Lord – Live! was released in 1992 and the group consisted of:

• Derrick Boyd (Tenor – now with the Blackwood Gospel Quartet)

• McCray Dove (Lead – now Owner and lead singer for The Dove Brothers Quartet)

• Rodney Griffin (Baritone & Bass Guitar – now with Greater Vision and multiple winner of the Songwriter of the Year award)

• Ed O’Neal (Bass – still singing bass for the Dixie Melody Boys)

• Eric Ollis (Piano – now playing Piano for The Whisnants)

• Larry Delawter (Utility Musician, Harmonica – I have no idea where Larry is now, sorry

The song list for this project is as follows:

1. I’m Feeling Just Fine

2. Peace In The Valley

3. Listen To The Bells

4. He’s Alive & Well

5. I’ll Have A New Song

6. Stand By Me

7. He Touched Me

8. I Just Gotta Praise The Lord

9. When Morning Comes

10. He Didn’t Move Mt. Calvary

11. Larry DeLawder: Instrumental

12. When I Cross To The Other Side Of Jordan

There were several upbeat songs on this project and those are usually the ones I listen to the most.  My favorite tracks from this projects are “He Didn’t Move Mt. Calvary”, “I’ll Have A New Song”, “I Just Gotta Praise The Lord”, and “I’m Feeling Just Fine”.

This project is a must have for the serious Southern Gospel Music collector, but you’ll have to search ebay.com, Amazon.com or Google.com to try and get your hands on it.  This project is available on CD and shouldn’t be too hard to find.

The Best Of The Primitive Quartet
Volume 2 

While not a true SG album, The Primitive Quartet of Candler, NC, have been consistant in their contributions to gospel music.  Year after year they produce high-quality, bluegrass style music that gets a lot of airplay on Southern Gospel stations in the south.  Normally, I wouldn’t recommend a bluegrass-style album, but this album of “Greatest Hits” if you will, gives you the some of the best music that the Primitive Quartet put out.

The song list for this 2-CD project includes:

1. The Blessings Of A Friend
2. Safely Home
3. A Letter From Home
4. Lord Lead Me On
5. He’s Still Passing By
6. Family On Both Sides
7. I’m Changing Houses
8. You’ve Been An Inspiration
9. Love Came Down
10. We’ve Been So Blessed
11. Far Side Banks Of Jordon
12. A Bright Home (Where Grief Cannot Come)
13. Reunion In Heaven
14. If I Could Telephone Heaven
15. God Can’t See Through The Blood
16. God’s Only Son
17. It’s Him
18. Only Gone From Our Sight
19. Walking In The Highway
20. I Can’t, But God Can
21. Hallelujah, He’s Risen
22. Where The Roses Never Fade
23. No Longer An Orphan

My personal favorite tracks from this project are “If I Could Telephone Heaven”, “Hallelujah, He’s Risen”, “No Longer An Orphan”, “Only Gone From Our Sight” & “He’s Still Passing By”.  Most tracks are good, but those are by far my favorites.

This double-disc project, along with their library of other projects, is available online, directly from the Primitive Quartet here:

http://www.primitivequartet.com/