The Lewis Family "Singin' Time Down South" (Starday Records, 1960) (LP)
Although they signed with Starday in the late 1950s, the first Lewis Family LP didn't come out until 1960... A fine, sharp set of country and bluegrass gospel with foundations in the same rich tradition as the Carter Family, the Louvin Brothers, Jim & Jesse and others. Although they clearly draw inspiration from melodically-inclined gospel pioneers such as Alfred G. Karnes and Albert Brumley, this alum is mostly packed with original material, penned by Pauline Lewis ("Mom"), or Wallace Lewis, and other members simply credited as "Lewis."
The Lewis Family "Anniversary Celebration" (Starday Records, 1962) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Gospel Special" (Starday Records, 1962) (LP)
A delightful early album, showcasing the Lewises in a variety of styles, ranging from mandolin-led hillbilly harmonies reminiscent of all them old Jim & Jesse records to bluesy numbers like "Ain't No Room In The Church For Liars" and "My Lord's Gonna Move This Wicked Race" which draw directly from the proto-rock recordings of pioneering black singer-guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe. (Please note that while they do deserve credit for good taste, the Lewises lose a few points for also claiming copyright on songs that Rosetta Tharpe wrote, published and recorded over a decade earlier... It's a pity, though that they didn't also record Tharpe's "Strange Things Are Happening Every Day," which would have been a real hoot.) Also included is a space-age "science" novelty song, "God's Great Stratosphere," written by the marvelously named John Skye. What can I say? This is a great record, even with all the cultural appropriation and whatnot. Recommended!
The Lewis Family "All Night Singing Convention" (Starday Records, 1963) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Sing Me A Gospel Song" (Starday Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Don Pierce)
Another solid set with a lot of country-gospel chestnuts -- including classics like "Dust On The Bible," "Family Bible," "There's A Higher Power" -- though also some lesser-known numbers, including several tracks with real emotional resonance. Most of the songs are rather speciously credited to "York" on the liner notes, as seems to have been Starday's habit at the time, though clearly The Louvin Brothers and others may have lodged a few objections. Regardless of the label's clumsy legal shenanigans, this record is packed with delicious, traditionally-oriented gems and plenty of sweet, slick picking. The guitar work is particularly nice on several tracks, and the vocals are equally rewarding... The gals sound less shrill than on some other Lewis Family albums, and the group harmonies are pretty evocative. Recommended!
The Lewis Family "Singin' Time Down South" (Starday/Nashville Records, 1964) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Singin' In My Soul!" (Starday Records, 1964) (LP)
More great stuff... plenty of twangy picking and rootsy vocals, and some great mandolin riffs that bring Jesse McReynolds to mind... Includes a trio of Wallace Lewis originals...
The Lewis Family "The First Family Of Gospel Song" (Starday Records, 1965) (LP)
The Lewis Family & Carl Story "The Lewis Family Sings The Gospel With Carl Story" (Starday Records, 1966) (LP)
Okay: put this one on my wantlist. Man, what a lineup!
The Lewis Family "The Lewis Family Album" (Starday Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Hill, Jack Linneman & Don Pierce)
A super-plangent, somewhat shrill set of true country gospel -- maybe not for everyone, but if you're looking for real, all-acoustic gospel twang, this is another Lewis Family doozy. The lineup included Roy "Pop" Lewis, and six of his kids: "Little" Roy Lewis on banjo and guitar, Wallace Lewis on guitar, and siblings Janis, Miggie, Polly and Talmadge in unspecified roles. The liner notes detail their busy, mid-1960s schedule, with an ongoing weekly show on TV station WJBV, in their hometown of Augusta, Georgia -- at this point in its eleventh year! -- as well as weekend broadcasts on KTVE, located in El Dorado, Arkansas. (I'm not sure if the Arkansas broadcasts were pre-recorded, but I sure hope so, since that's about five hundred miles away from Augusta, and that sure would be a lot of time on the road!) Anyway, another great record from the Lewises. [Note: This album is sometimes identified on some sites as There's A Little Pine Log Cabin, although that's really just one of the song titles.]
The Lewis Family "...Takes You To A Gospel Sing Out" (Starday/Nashville Records, 1967) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Shall We Gather At The River" (Starday Records, 1967) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Time Is Moving On" (Starday Records, 1967) (LP)
The Lewis Family "The Gospel Singing Sensations From Dixie" (Starday/Nashville Records, 1968) (LP)
The Lewis Family "All Day Singing And Dinner On The Ground" (Starday Records, 1968) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Golden Gospel Banjo" (Starday Records, 1968) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Did You Ever Go Sailing Down The River Of Memories" (Starday Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Don Pierce)
A solid, straightforward set of back-to-basics country gospel, largely framed by Roy Lewis's bright, declarative banjo, which is placed front and center in the mix. No big surprises, just a solid set of Christian twang with plenty of good songs and complete sincerity from the family band.
The Lewis Family "Sing In Gospel Country" (Canaan Records, 1970) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Lewis Country" (Canaan Records, 1971) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Best By A Country Mile" (Canaan Records, 1971) (LP)
The Lewis Family "Just Us" (Canaan Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Don Light & Marvin Norcross)
I assume, from the album title, that all the musicians on this album were Lewis Family members, though since it was recorded at the RCA studios in Nashville, it's ever so slightly possible they got a little assistance from a ringer or two. Anyway, this is another delightfully anachronistic, bluegrassy album by these stubbornly rural singers. I like how the lead vocals are kind of on the sharp side, but the rest of the group chimes in with their own unique family harmonies... and of course, there is not questioning their religious devotion and unflagging sincerity. The production is a little flat and lacking in texture, which gives some tracks a slightly unrelenting feel, but overall, this is winner from the Lewis Family, one of many.
Little Roy & The Lewis Family "Gospel Banjo" (Canaan Records, 1972) (LP)
The Lewis Family "We'll Keep Singing And Praising His Name" (Canaan Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Don Light & Marvin Norcross)
Great record. Plenty of plangent, twangy picking and pleasantly rough vocals, where they seem to lean way, way into their rural roots, harkening back to the backwoods sounds of Depression-era mountain music. Honestly, if you find the southern gospel scene a bit too slick and saccharine, hard to imagine a better antidote than an album like this one. Recorded in Nashville, this album features plenty of top-flight musical assistance, including picking from folks like bluegrassers Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne (both on mandolin) as well as Music City pros such as drummer Buddy Harmon, Billy Linneman (bass), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Jerry Smith (piano), Buddy Spicher (fiddle), Hank Strzelecki (bass), and Wallace Lewis picking some guitar and of course Roy Lewis on the banjo. The rest fo the family seems to be sticking to vocals, both solo and as a family chorus... Do they sing out of tune sometimes? Why yes, though personally I count that as a positive. Also of interest is a profusion of original material, including one by Patsy Osborne ("Everybody's Singing For The Lord") and one called "The Only Way To Fly," by bluegrass luminary Randall Hylton, a longtime family friend. My kinda country gospel. For real.
The Lewis Family "Gospel Banjo" (Canaan Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Herman Harper, Johnny Rosen & Bill Vandevoort)
An amazingly good concert album of old-fashioned country bluegrass/twang, drawing on the Lewis Family's long history of live performance, with an abidingly rural feel, plenty of classic tunes, and some purty darn solid picking. This set was recorded live at Opryland, USA's Gaslight Theatre, with the extended family getting a little instrumental boost from Nashville session players Buddy Harmon (on drums), Hargus Robbins (piano) and Buddy Spicher (violin). Not that the Lewises need much help: they remained a solid, vital band and still kept in touch with their authentic roots, despite the ongoing waves of slick production and citified sensibilities that had overtaken both the commercial country and southern gospel scenes. I didn't have high hopes for this one, given the late date, but boy was I pleasantly surprised. Plus, that Little Roy Lewis sure could pick some banjo!
The Lewis Family, from Lincolnton, Georgia, were one of the preeminent country gospel groups of the 1950s and '60s. Led by Polly Lewis and Roy Lewis ("Mom" and "Pop") the original group included their children, notably banjo prodigy "Little Roy" and guitarist-songwriter Wallace Lewis, who wrote a steady stream of new material for the band. The Lewises stuck to an old-fashioned formula, mixing stringband country and bluegrass styles, in a style that would sound familiar and friendly to fans of Martha Carson, Jim & Jesse, or the Louvin Brothers. They recorded numerous albums for Starday Records, Canaan Records, and other Christian-oriented labels; this discography only looks at the first couple dozen of the over sixty albums they've recorded over the years...
