Various Artists / Voices Of Mississippi: Musicians Documented By William Ferris D2: Gospel
Album: Voices Of Mississippi: Musicians Documented By William Ferris D2: Gospel   Collection:Blues
Artist:Various Artists   Added:Jul 2018
Label:Dust-To-Digital  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2018-09-09 Pull Date: 2018-11-11
Week Ending: Sep 23 Sep 16
Airplays: 3 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 02, 2020: Brian Canada DEMO #2 (Mellow Fellow)
I Know The Lord Will Make A Way (Yes He Will)
4. Nov 18, 2019: Everything
He's My Rock, He's My Shield, So Glad I Got Good Religion
2. Dec 26, 2019: Clean Copper Radio & Gospel!
Glory, Glory (Lay My Burden Down)
5. Nov 13, 2018: Magnetized Toner
Children, Go Where I Send Thee, I'm Standing In The Safety Zone, You Don't Know Like I Know, Lord, I'm In Your Hand
3. Dec 24, 2019: Brian Canada DEMO (Mellow Fellow)
Thank You Jesus
6. Sep 18, 2018: Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics
So Glad I Got Good Religion

Album Review
Gil Howdler
Reviewed 2018-07-22
No Fccs.
These recordings are culled from a massive archive of a white man's scholarly study of black Mississippi culture. W. Ferris captured these artists in performance situations that vary greatly from track to track. Part two of a three cd set. You will hear live, unedited excerpts of tapes made between 1966 and 1978 and they come from homes, churches, prisons, recorded both outdoors indoors. Being a gospel collection, more of these are from churches than was the 1st disc in the set, which features blues. The third and final disc is called, "Storytelling" and will be reviewed separately.

Following are terse descriptions of set and setting w timings. An accompanying book offers the interesting and detailed results of Wm. Ferris' lifelong studies of the culture of African Americans living in Mississippi during the period covered '66-'78 There is a fourth dvd disc with the box-set as sold which offers a filmed glimpse into some of these historic recording sessions (we did not receive the DVD or the book).

1. (1:51) "My Mother's On That Train". Track is mislabeled on download list as "Lord, I'm In Your Hand" which is track 10. Mary And Amanda Gordon as listed but must be the two of them with Alan McGowan. A great little train ditty. I'll call this a studio recording, there is no audience or nature sounds in the background.

2. (3:46) "You Don't Know Like I Know" by The Southland Hummingbirds. An indoor recording of a small combo: Guitar/Handclaps/Lead and Backing Vocals.

3. (1:20) "I'm Standing In The Safety Zone" by Lovey Williams. Rough voiced street singing with acoustic rhythm guitar and second voice.

4. (3:27) "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" by Reverend Smith And Family. Male Lead and full backing vocal. Great counting song. Indoor - no Audience.

5. (3:21) "What Could I Do?" by Liddle Hines. Sweet Guitar and Solo Male Vocal. Do Wop influenced. Spoken intro, "This is a Spiritual..."

6. (2:06) "So Glad I Got Religion" by Providence Missionary Baptist Church. Full Congregation with M/F Leads and church full of devotees clapping and stomping along.

7. (2:26) "I Know The Lord Will Make A Way (Yes He Will") by the stars of our program, Church Of God In Christ. Female Lead Vocal with Piano accompaniment and full congregation backing vocals.

8. (3:50) "Home On High" by Walter Hood and Parchman Inmates. Powerful high voiced male vocal, possibly outdoors with inmates backing. Opens with line, "nobody's fault but mine", but turns into Home On High.

9. (2:57) "We're So Glad To Be Here" by Fannie Bell Chapman. Small group, sounds like drums and bass and guitar, being lead by female inviting congregation to join in singing, and thanking the host church for it's hospitality.

10. (2:27) "Lord, I'm In Your Hand" by Mary and Amanda Gordon. This is mixed up with number 1, "My mother's On That Train" on the disc's notation. It is a simple duo at home or out on a back porch.

11. (2:27) "You Don't Knock, You Just Walk On In" by Reverend Ott And Family. Stereo recording of a church meeting. Fun song enjoyed by congregation and featuring a nice electric guitar - goes with track 19...

12. (1:31) "They Tell Me Of An Uncloudy Day" by Walter Hood and Parchman Inmates. Solo Male Vocal. Goes with tracks 8 and 20.

13. (0:36) "Thanks For Bill Ferris" by Rose Hill Church. An announcement and it's response. The next track is from same session but there is a gap between them.

14. (2:46) "Over Yonder Where The Sun Will Never Shine" by Rose Hill Church. Solo Vocal, backed by Church Congregation, with Piano Accompaniment. Melody is similar to "will The Circle Be Unbroken"

15. (3:18) "I've Been Born Again" by The Southern Hummingbirds. Fast Male lead vocals with hand clapping and multi voiced backing. fast.

16. (2:49) "The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow" by Lovey Williams And Family. Similar to track three. Acoustic Guitar and mixed voices

17. (4:08) "How Did You Feel When You Came Out Of The wilderness" by Providence Missionary Baptist Church. Full Congregation with M/F Leads and church full of devotees clapping and stomping along.

18.(2:56) "I Don't Have To Worry About Where I Spend Eternity", by Church Of God In Christ. Female Lead Vocal with Piano accompaniment and full congregation backing vocals. This is a younger lead vocalist than track 7 who is really tremulous and emotional sounding. Among the best examples on the set.

19. (3:58) "He's My Rock, My Sword, And Shield". This is by Fannie Bell Chapman And family. Similar to track number 9, a HI-Fi Stereo recording of small group, which includes Bass Guitar and Drums. Lead vocal by female and mixed backing. High energy and fun. In church with congregation.

20. (2:21) "Thank You Jesus" by Walter Hood and Parchman Inmates. This one seems innocent enough and might be from the same session at Parchman Farm that gives us numbers 8 & 12, but the working part at the 2/3's point explodes into wild male falsetto singing and reaches the set's highest emotional peak of feeling. Just wow!

21. (2:48) "Cross Of Calvary" by Mary And Amanda Gordon, this one goes with 1 and 10 and features a short spoken introductory remark by one of the gals. On this recording you can hear birds sing in the background.

22. (2:57) "My Grave's Gonna Be Decorated On That Day" by Church Of God In Christ. Possibly taped at a practice as there is no indication of an audience. Goes with numbers 7 and 18 probably a third lead vocalist...

23. (2:56) "There Are Days" by The Southern Hummingbirds. Male Lead, similar to track 2, indoor recording of a small combo recorded in a church. Guitar/Handclaps/Lead and Backing Vocals

24. (2:41) "You Can't Hide Sinner" by Church Of God In Christ. Male lead vocals in front of full congregation at church.

25. (2:49) "Lord, Remember Me" by Reverend Isaac Thomas. This is a unique track in the set and catches a kind of half sung and half spoken sermon. The recording fades out, and leaves one wondering how it ended..

26. (8:36) "Glory, Glory (Lay My Burden Down)"
The Church Of God In Christ at work here. Full Congregational singing behind male and female leads backed by a combo with tambourine and one or two electric guitars wailing real loud. This is your basic "get right" with the joyful noise and it is real long and roof raising... If you want the scene in Blues Brothers with James Brown in reality this is it!


Track Listing
 ArtistTrack Name
1. Gordon, Mary And Amanda Lord, I'm In Your Hand
2. Southland Hummingbirds, The You Don't Know Like I Know
3. Williams, Lovey I'm Standing In The Safety Zone
4. Reverend Smith And Family Children, Go Where I Send Thee
5. Hines, Liddle What Could I Do?
6. Providence Missionary Baptist Church So Glad I Got Good Religion
7. Church Of God In Christ I Know The Lord Will Make A Way (Yes He Will)
8. Hood And Parchman Inmates, Walter Lee Home On High
9. Chapman, Fannie Bell We're So Glad To Be Here
10. Mary Alice And Alan Mcgowan My Mother's On That Train
11. Reverend Ott And Family You Don't Knock, You Just Walk On In
12. Hood, Walter Lee They Tell Me Of An Uncloudy Day
13. Rose Hill Church Thanks For Bill Ferris
14. Rose Hill Church Over Yonder Where The Sun Will Never Shine
15. Southland Hummingbirds, The I've Been Born Again
16. Williams And Family, Lovey The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow
17. Providence Missionary Baptist Church How Did You Feel When You Came Out Of The Wilderness?
18. Church Of God In Christ I Don't Have To Worry About Where I Spend Eternity
19. Chapman And Family, Fannie Bell He's My Rock, He's My Shield
20. Hood And Parchman Inmates, Walter Lee Thank You Jesus
21. Gordon, Mary And Amanda Cross Of Calvary
22. Church Of God In Christ My Grave's Gonna Be Decorated On That Day
23. Southland Hummingbirds, The There Are Days
24. Church Of God In Christ You Can't Hide Sinner
25. Reverend Isaac Thomas And Rose Hill Church Lord, Remember Me
26. Church Of God In Christ Glory, Glory (Lay My Burden Down)