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| The Soul Stirrers - His Eye Is On The Sparrow |
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HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
Originally written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D.
Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel.
Sung here by R.H. Harris
Recording date: not yet known, but probably years
before Sam Cooke joined the group. However, I do
have one picture posted showing that Sam Cooke was
later a member of the group.
HISTORY OF THE SOUL STIRRERS
(Article from Wikipedia)
One of the most popular and influential gospel
groups of the 20th century, The Soul Stirrers were
pioneers in the development of the quartet style
of gospel and, without intending it, in the
creation of soul music, the secular music that
owed much to gospel.
The group was formed by ROY CRAIN, who had
launched his first quartet, which sang in a
jubilee style, in 1926 in Trinity, Texas. In the
early 1930s, after Crain moved to Houston, he
joined an existing group on the condition that it
change its name to "The Soul Stirrers." Among the
members of that group was R.H. HARRIS, who soon
became its musical leader.
Harris, also from Trinity, Texas, brought several
changes to the Soul Stirrers that affected gospel
quartet singing generally. He used a falsetto
style that may have its antecedents in African
music, but which was new to the popular jubilee
singing style of the time. He pioneered the "swing
lead", in which two singers would share the job of
leading the song, allowing virtuoso singers to
increase the emotional intensity of the song as
the lead passed between them. That innovation led
the Soul Stirrers, while still called a quartet,
to acquire five members; later groups would have
as many as seven but still consider themselves
quartets, which referred more to their style than
their number.
The Soul Stirrers made other important changes in
those years: ad-libbing lyrics, singing in delayed
time, and repeating words in the background as
both a rhythmic and emotional support for the lead
singers. The Soul Stirrers dropped the
"flatfooted" style of jubilee quartets before them
and expanded their repertoire from spirituals and
traditional hymns to the newer gospel
compositions. The group also loosened the rigid
arrangements that jubilee quartets had favored to
permit individual singers within the group more
space for individual development.
In 1936 Alan Lomax recorded the Soul Stirrers for
the Library of Congress's American music project.
They later moved to Chicago, where they broadcast
a weekly radio show. Their nationwide touring
gained them an even larger audience, as they
delivered the emotional fervor that popular
jubilee groups, such as the Golden Gate Quartet,
did not. The Soul Stirrers signed with Specialty
Records, where they recorded a number of tracks,
including "By and By" and "In that Awful Hour".
Harris, the most popular member of the group, soon
quit, however, in order to form a new group. He
was replaced by the then-unknown SAM COOKE.
One of the first singles with Cooke was "JESUS
GAVE ME WATER", a major hit that brought the Soul
Stirrers massive acclaim. T.L. Bruster was
replaced by Bob King and, briefly, Julius Cheeks.
When Cooke left in 1957 to pursue a career in pop
music, the Soul Stirrers' preeminence in gospel
was essentially over, though a brief period of
success with Johnnie Taylor sustained the group
for a time. Various line-ups continued touring and
recording throughout the last half of the century
to a small and devoted following. The group —
and all of its members — was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as one of
rock's Early Influences, and into the Vocal Group
Hall of Fame in 2000.
Tags : Soul Stirrers Sam Cooke His Eye Is On The Sparrow |
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Affichage : 22963
Durée : 171 s |
| Jesus Be A Fence By:The Soul Stirrers |
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The soul Stirrers rose to fame under the
leadership of late R.H Harris and then later under
the management of J.J Farley. This famous group
was and still remains one of Gospel's oldests top
quartets of that era. Famous personnel of that
group went on to have great success in popular and
R&B Soul music such as Sam Cooke and Johnnie
Taylor. Other front men included Paul Foster,
Martin Jacox and the remaining Willie Rodgers.
There were the other Soul Stirrer group under the
leadership of Crume Brothers who also apart the
group during the Cooke years. Hits include:Be With
Me Jesus,Touch The Hem Of His Garment, The Love Of
God,Keep Toiling On.
Tags : Gospel Quartet Men Chicago Illnois Soul Stirrers Sam Cooke R.H Harris |
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Affichage : 12085
Durée : 162 s |
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