The Rambos "The Singing Rambos" (Vista Records, 1964) (LP)
The Gospel Echoes "There's Nothing My God Can't Do" (Heart Warming Records, 1964) (LP)
The Gospel Echoes "Those Singing Rambos: Reba Rambo Joins Her Famous Mom And Dad" (Heart Warming Records, 1965) (LP)
The Rambos "Come Spring" (Heart Warming Records, 1966) (LP)
Dottie Rambo & The Imperials "Dottie Rambo & The Imperials" (Heart Warming Records, 1965) (LP)
The Rambos "The Soul Singing Rambos" (Heart Warming Records, 1967) (LP)
The Rambos "Gospel Ballads" (Heart Warming Records, 1967) (LP)
Dottie Rambo "The Good Ole Days" (Heart Warming Records, 1967) (LP)
The Rambos "If That Isn't Love" (Vista Records, 1968) (LP)
The Rambos "An Evening With The Rambos" (Heart Warming Records, 1968) (LP)
Dottie Rambo "Sunshine, Shine On" (Heart Warming Records, 1968) (LP)
Dottie Rambo "Dottie Rambo Sings Spirituals: It's The Soul Of Me" (Heart Warming Records, 1968) (LP)
The Rambos "The Soul Singing Rambos" (Heart Warming Records, 1969) (LP)
The Rambos "This Is My Valley" (Heart Warming Records, 1969) (LP)
The Rambos "The Real Thing" (Heart Warming Records, 1970) (LP)
The Rambos "Nashville Gospel" (Heart Warming Records, 1970) (LP)
Dottie Rambo "Heart Prints" (Heart Warming Records, 1970-?) (LP)
The Rambos "Soul Classics" (Heart Warming Records, 1971) (LP)
The Rambos "Rambo Reflections" (Heart Warming Records, 1971) (LP)
The Rambos "Songs Of Love And Hope" (Vista Records, 1971) (LP)
The Rambos "If That Isn't Love" (Vista Records, 1971) (LP)
The Rambos "Soul In The Family" (Heart Warming Records, 1972) (LP)
The Rambos "The Best Of The Rambos" (Heart Warming Records, 1972) (LP)
The Rambos "Buck, Dottie, And Reba: The Singing Rambos" (Vista Records, 1972) (LP)
Although mostly too slick and pop-oriented for me, this album is stylistically diverse and does seem to retain a few of their country roots. Buck Rambo sings a mid-tempo folkie rendition of the gospel oldie "Life's Railway To Heaven," while the banjo-based "The Good New Got Around" and "It Is Sweet To Look Beyond" both have kind of a Dolly Parton-esque vibe, and "Lord To It Again" sounds like The Statler Brothers being backed by Chet Atkins. Other musical diversions include a poppy tune called "The Way, The Truth, The Life" (with a perky arrangement, ala Petula Clark) as well as "I Have A Father Who Can," which is a not-unsuccessful appropriation of bluesy black gospel, with an unidentified vocal group who may well have been studio pros such as the Blackberries... (Unfortunately, none of the backing musicians are identified.) Not a super-country sounding album, but interesting enough.
The Rambos "Sing Me On Home" (Heart Warming Records, 1973) (LP)
The Rambos "Spotlighting The Rambos" (Vista Records, 1973) (LP)
The Rambos "Belief" (Vista Records, 1973) (LP)
There's no producer or musician info, although this was recorded in Nashville. Though mostly syrupy and overproduced, there are a couple of country-flavored songs: the twangy, uptempo "I'm Gonna Leave Here Shoutin'," and "When Payday Comes," a half-recited ballad about growing up poor. The guitar picker on "Shouting" was pretty good, and seems like they must have been a Nashville pro; other than that, though, this is a pretty dreadful set of gooey, lavishly orchestrated pop/countrypolitan slow ones. Overall, this ain't my cup of tea.
The Rambos "Sonshine" (Heart Warming Records, 1973) (LP)
The Rambos "Too Much To Gain To Lose" (Vista Records, 1973) (LP)
The Rambos "Yours, Until He Comes" (Heart Warming Records, 1974) (LP)
The Rambos "Alive! ..And Live At Soul's Harbor" (Heart Warming Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bob MacKenzie)
A two-LP live concert set, recorded at Soul's Harbor church, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the Rambos providing their own rural-themed barnyard set, which looks like something off of Hee-Haw. Some of the performances seem a little over the top, or lay it on a bit thick, but mostly this seems like a pretty good snapshot of the Rambos as a working band, albeit one working in the upper atmosphere of the southern gospel industry. But it is nice to get the away from the countrypolitan studio scene, and these live performances have a brisk, uncomplicated feel that redeem them as rural musicians. Side Two showcases a massive medley of Dottie Rambo compositions, with her singing lead on most of the songs, in her bright Dolly-meets-Loretta voice. The backing band was The Sonshine Express, which included Johnny Cox (steel guitar), Ernie Harris (drums), Wendell Jimerson (bass), James Lowery (guitar), Carolyn McMillan (violin) and Jack Vandiver on piano, and they provide some fine, reasonably rootsy accompaniment, though they were one of many bands to use that particular name. Anyway, for late-vintage Rambos, this is a pretty strong offering.
The Rambos "There Has To Be A Song" (Heart Warming Records, 1975) (LP)
The Rambos "These Three Are One" (Heart Warming Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Johnson, Ron Dean & Ron Reynolds)
This was recorded in the heart of the Nashville studio system, with an A-list cast of Music City pickers, including Buddy Harman on drums, Shane Leister (piano), Weldon Myrick (steel guitar), Bill Pursell (piano), Hargus Robbins (piano), Hank Strzelecki (bass), Pete Wade (guitar) and Reggie Young (guitar)... Unfortunately, though, this was at the tail-end of the countrypolitan era, and the whole album is a gooey, unctuous mess. Not much here for a twangfan to enjoy, though I'm sure Rambo fans found something to celebrate within.
The Rambos "Christmas at Our House " (Impact Records, 1975) (LP)
The Rambos "The Son Is Shining" (Heart Warming Records, 1976) (LP)
The Rambos "Rambo Country" (Heart Warming Records, 1976) (LP)
The Rambos "Naturally" (Heart Warming Records, 1977) (LP)
The Rambos "Queen Of Paradise" (Heart Warming Records, 1978) (LP)
The Rambos "Silver Jubilee" (Heart Warming Records, 1979) (LP)
The Rambos "Crossin' Over" (Heart Warming Records, 1979) (LP)
The Rambos "Rambo Reunion" (Heart Warming Records, 1981) (LP)
The Rambos "Memories Made New" (Heart Warming Records, 1983) (LP)
The Rambos "Masters Of Gospel" (Riversong Records, 1992) (LP)
The Rambos "Lost Recordings Of The Rambos/Gospel Echoes" (1992) (LP)
The Rambos "Twenty Gospel Classics" (Riversong Records, 1992)
The Rambos "The Very Best Of The Rambos" (New Haven Records, 1992)
The Rambos were a family gospel band centered around songwriter Joyce "Dottie" Rambo (1934-2008) a Kentucky gal who became one of the most popular and well-known contemporary gospel songwriters of the late 20th Century. The Rambos started as a duo in the 1950s, then expanded into a trio when Dottie Rambo and her husband Buck were joined by their daughter Reba Rambo in 1965. Though the Rambos had been plugging away for years, they were catapulted into national fame after being championed by country elder Jimmie Davis, who helped them get their first national recording deal, when they were still known as The Gospel Echoes. The group soon became one of the most famous gospel acts of the 1960s and '70s, while Dottie Rambo's compositions were widely recorded by the artists across the world. Here's a quick look at their work...
