Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Hundreds of the gospel singles released in the '40s and '50s are now recognised as coming from a golden age when fiery quartets and soulful soloists made thrilling, spirit-lifting music which became the musical foundation stone for the secular scene's soul music. Now with all those recordings having slipped into the public domain, opportunist companies large and small are furiously compiling this music in seemingly endless various artists albums. This download only release offers a staggering 200 tracks and though this old school reviewer would have liked a box set and sleevenotes no one can deny that such a huge quantity of exceptional music for less than £8.00 is stunning value. There are major gospel hits here ("Touch Me, Lord Jesus" by the Angelic Gospel Singers; "Move On Up A Little Higher" by Mahalia Jackson, "Didn't It Rain" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe) and there are other names here (Sister Lottie Peavy, The Drexall Singers, The Blair Gospel Singers) that only a tiny clique of collectors will recognise. Sometimes there are peculiarities in the compilation. The inclusion of white Southern gospellers the Blackwood Brothers and country crooners Tennessee Ernie Ford and Holly Dunn is surely a mistake and the inclusion of Deacon Tom Foger & The Camp Meeting Choir sounds like what it is - a field recording made by earnest folklorists helping to preserve folk art. But as the good Deacon's "Working On The Building" is such a magnificent tour de force I'm happy to overlook the jarring stylistic change. With such a quantity of cuts, it's impossible to pick out every great track but some standouts are the dirge-slow and soulful Prof Charles Taylor on "Watching And Waiting"; the Staple Singers' breathtakingly original version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" which slowed down and with Pop echoing blues guitar chords and Mavis' gaspingly soulful lead takes on a dimension you'd never have suspected from a rugby crowd rendition; The Caravan' "A Place Like That" that demonstrates that the gospel institution were at their very best in the late '50s when Shirley Caesar had the lead mic; The Mello-Aires Of Rochester who get up a great head of steam with a righteous hard lead feeding off the hypnotic chanting of his fellow group members; the rasping hard-style vocal of Brother Cecil Shaw over a chanting group and a drumbeat on "Living' My Life For Jesus"; the gradual building of rhythmic tension on The Bells Of Joy's hypnotic "Do Lord Remember Me"; the bluesy and doomy "Jesus Came At Midnight" by The Kansas City Soul Revivers; The Christland Singers doing a slow and soulful version of "Too Close To Heaven" - here oddly titled "Am I Too Close"; Della Reese demonstrating she should never have switched to pop jazz with an elegant version of "Hard To Get Along" with the Meditations; the sighing soulful "Night Prayer" by the Blind Wonders Of Washington DC; the raw rasp and scream song-cum-sermonette "Lay This Body Down" by the Spiritualaires; the female led near acapella "The Glory Land" by the Pilgrim Singers; the wonderful Bessie Griffin accompanied by bluesman Brownie McGhee on "Heaven's Radio"; the haunting "Another Soldier Gone" by the Violinaires with an exquisite falsetto lead vocal from Bob Beatty; the Rev Ballinger running through the evergreen "This Train" accompanied by a jazz trio which included dominant double bass from blues giant Willie Dixon; the solemn doowop version of "The Lord's Prayer" by the Orioles (credited here solely to lead singer Sonny Til); the soulful "I've Been Lifted" by the Dixie Nightingales made before Ollie Hoskins and his compatriots switched to soul music as Ollie & The Nightingales. I could go on but as this review is now nearing the length of this epic compilation I'll stop here. As I've said earlier, it's a shame 'The No 1 Classic. . .' doesn't have a physical release with comprehensive sleevenotes. But as a value-for-money compilation suitable for long time connoisseurs of gospel or fans new to '40s and '50s gospel, this mammoth download is essential.

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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