Good News in Hard Times

The Sisters of Glory
Thelma Houston, CeCe Peniston, Phoebe Snow, Lois Walden, Albertina Walker
1995

album coverPhoebe is all over this album. She solos on two tracks. The Sisters of Glory made their official debut by opening on Sunday morning at Woodstock '94.

Rough Side of the Mountain

I Love the Lord

Precious Lord

Surely God is Able

Will the Circle be Unbroken

How I Got Over

His Eye is on The Sparrow (sound clip below)

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

I Won't Be Back No More

Precious Memories

He's Right on Time

No Charge

Move on up a Little Higher

Walk Around Heaven All Day

Oh Happy Day

Yes

The liner notes to this album, written by Jennifer Cohen and Lois Walden, are an education in the history of gospel. Here is a direct quote of the two paragraphs about the songs in which Phoebe solos:
While many of the most important solo artists of gospel music are women, the role and influence of the great male groups cannot be overstated. Formed in the mid-1930's, The Soul Stirrers were probably the first traveling male group devoted exclusively to gospel and are credited with creating the modern quartet sound. Immensely popular, their lead singers had a habit of giving women fits. In fact, it is said that in 1947, their founder and lead singer R. H. Harris sang "I Love You Lord" with such power that a woman had a seizure in the aisles. Ten years later, his successor in the group, Sam Cooke, had teenage girls lined up around the block and women swooning in the aisles of the Apollo Theater. "His Eye is on the Sparrow" was one of the groups best-known songs. Recorded by many women artists through the years, Phoebe Snow first performed it for us at Songmasters Inside-Out. On our record, this song soars to new heights because of her remarkable instrument and unique interpretation.
One of the defining characteristics of gospel music is the melismatic vocal style. It is a series of improvised notes wrapped around a word, a syllable or a sound. One of the greatest melismatic gospel singers of all time was Mahalia Jackson. Her first big hit was Rev. Brewster's "Move on up a Little Higher," which sold over two million copies after she recorded it in 1951. Fascinated with blues singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, Mahalia Jackson helped bring the blues to gospel. Here, we bring the blues to this classic song with Phoebe Snow's melismatic vocal reflecting the best tradition of gospel music.

1995 Warner Bros. Records, Inc.

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