Holiday Music | Other Country Styles

Gabriel "Gabriel" (Herald Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Carlton Brown)
Though they were self-proclaimed Christian evangelicals, a fair chunk of the material this Baton Rouge bluegrass band recorded was secular, including covers of "Fox On The Run" and "Rocky Top," an Arlo Guthrie tune, "Washington County," and the nominally religious mainstream country hit, "Baptism Of Jesse Taylor." They also embraced more contemporary Christian twang, including a song called "The Outlaw," from born-again folk-rocker Larry Norman, as well as two Ken Munds songs, "Brush Arbor Meeting" and "God'll Do The Changing." Although they were from Louisiana, Gabriel recorded this session at a studio in Brookhaven, Mississippi... The lineup included Mike Clark (mandolin), Murray Clark (banjo) Candy Cole (piano), Dennis Smith (guitar) and Mark Worthen on bass... Not entirely sure when this came out, but it looks like a mid-'Seventies release.

The (Singing) Gadberrys "Family Album Of Gospel Singing" (Happy Time Records, 196--?) (LP)
Old-school southern gospel from a family band led by Rev. Doyle Edward Gadberry (1928-2022) and his son, Ron Gadberry, who was also a minister in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Gadberrys were a decades-long fixture around Norman, Oklahoma and the small rural towns outside of Oklahoma City. According to his obituary, Doyle Gadberry and his wife Evelyn grew up poor and started performing as an evangelical duo when they were quite young and still working in the orchards and canneries of their home state. They soon brought their children -- Donna, Jim and Ron -- into the act, and while various siblings cycled through at various times, the entire family appears on this album, which I think was their first. It is a very rough-hewn, back-to-basics set, so stark and primitive in both its keening vocals and stripped-down instrumentation that it could basically be considered a field recording of Middle-American pentecostalism. I wasn't into it at first (didn't seem "country" enough) but it grew on me, mostly through the raw power of rural authenticity, more than the musicianship itself. (Note: Rev. Gadberry also recorded with the Modesto, California gospel group, The Joaquin Singers, some time back in the mid-1960s...)

The (Singing) Gadberrys "Come Spring" (Happy Time Records, 19--?) (LP)

The (Singing) Gadberrys "When The Wagon Was New" (CAM Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by David Brown, Bobby Carlson & Dale McCoy)

The Bill Gaither Trio "Sings Warm" (Heart Warming Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Lee Hazen, Leslie Ladd & Bob MacKenzie)
A smooth vocal set from one of the most influential artists in the southern gospel and Contemporary Christian scenes... Sounds kind of like the sweet but snoozy pop-vocal style adopted by The Browns as part of the Nashville Sound of the late 1960s and '60s. The Gaither crew were definitely superior vocalists, though the music is terminally "white," and super-square. That being said, I also have to admit that right after I checked this one out, the last track, "Sit Down, Servant," was stuck in my head for quite some time... So, yeah, Gaither knew what he was doing.

Bill & Gloria Gaither/Various Artists "Mountain Homecoming" (Spring House Records, 1999)

The Gardenhire Family Singers "Jesus, Show Me The Good, And Hide The Bad" (Hire Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Rich Gardenhire & Tony Sciarrotta)
Great, real-rural country gospel by a family band out of Yuba City, California, in the northern end of the Great Central Valley. Formed in 1977, the group was led by Richard Gardenhire (1935-2015) who was was born in Hulbert, Oklahoma and moved to California with his family at a very young age. Like many of the country folks in the Valley, Mr. Gardenhire retained his Okie roots, and this album features some of the finest, most nasal West Coast hick vocals you're likely to find. The band is solid country as well, with some deft, plinky piano and plenty of mournful pedal steel, with simple arrangements that stick to the same moderate, plodding tempo throughout: if you're a fan of Gram Parsons's slower stuff, and in particular his covers of old hymns, this album might really wow you. The repertoire features two originals by Richard Gardenhire: the title track and a rapture hymn called "Could This Be The Year." Also included is "Pretty Soon I'm Gonna See Jesus," composed by Arlis Gardenhire, a slew of tunes from the Hinsons, a stray Dottie Rambo song, one from the Easters, and a plaintive rendition of "Brush Arbor." The Gardenhires cut at least one other album, and had a musical ministry that lasted well into the 1990s, after which they came off the road and devoted themselves to the local Faith Tabernacle Pentecostal Church of God. The credits on this album include Richard Gardenhire on lead vocals, his son Arlin playing drums and daughter Trudy on bass, along with Richard Applegarth (pedal steel), Glenn Davis (piano) and Rex Thompson on lead guitar. Great stuff. Wish I had their other album as well!

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers "A Gatlin Family Christmas" (Columbia Records, 1982) (LP)

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers "Christmas" (Capitol Records, 1990)

The Gatlin Brothers "Christmas With The Gatlin Brothers" (Brentwood Records, 1999)

The Gatlin Brothers "A Christmas Celebration" (Intersound Records, 2003)

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers "Sing Their Family Gospel Favorites" (Dualtone Records, 2004)
This is a nice Christian country set, if that's a style you go for. Admittedly, Larry is sounding a little long in the tooth and slightly shaky as a soloist, but their obvious sincerity and love of the music lifts this album up, and when they sing in an upbeat jubilee style, the Gatlins can really get your toes a-tappin'. There are also some slower ballads sung in a more modern Southern Gospel style, though almost all the songs are older traditional tunes like "Amazing Grace," "Rock Of Ages," Albert E. Brumley's "I'll Fly Away," etc. Another nice thing is that the musical backup is pretty restrained: they just have the band play as much is necessary to get the message across, and leave the emphasis on their vocals and on the words, which is really where is belongs. Gospel fans and Gatlin fans alike should enjoy this record quite a bit.

The Ken Gaub Family "Feelin' Fine" (Songs Of Calvary Records, 1964) (LP)
A one-thousand percent authentic, immensely sincere evangelical set from tent revivalists Ken and Barbara Gaub, whose ministry was based in Yakima, Washington. This is really rough-cut stuff, with Mr. Gaub heartily intoning and plunking out some twang-tinged guitar with a rural fervor that suggests an earlier career in secular country, though that might just be his Kentucky background coming through. Mr. Gaub started his evangelical career back East, but two years in, he moved with his family to Washington state, and had been preaching there for six years before this album was made. (This may have been their first album; I'm not sure, though.) While Mr. Gaub holds some rugged charm for country fans, the rest of the family group may prove a little more challenging for most listeners. Mrs. Gaub (1936-2021) provided adequate harmony vocals, but faltered on solo numbers, while their kids -- Becky (age 3), Daniel (5) and Nathan (8) -- have all the foibles you'd expect from such young children, tinny voices, rough phrasing, etc. I would argue, though, that some of these little-kiddie tracks are actually album highlights; certainly Daniel Gaub's "I've Got The Joy" is one of the more effective performances of it's kind that I've heard. Though the kids seem to have taken a break from the family business in later years, they also appeared on some albums in the 1970s

The Ken Gaub Musical Family "Thanks Be To God" (Songs Of Calvary Records, 1967-?) (LP)

Ken Gaub "Profitable Principles For Dynamic Living" (Songs Of Calvary Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Ken Gaub Musical Family "Christ Is The Answer" (Ken Gaub Evangelistic Association/KGEA Records, 1967-?) (LP)

The Ken Gaub Gospel Team "Happiness" (Ken Gaub Evangelistic Association/KGEA Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Burkhardt)

The Ken Gaub Gospel Team "I'm On My Way" (Ken Gaub Evangelistic Association/KGEA Records, 197-?) (LP)

The Ken Gaub Gospel Team "I Came To Praise The Lord" (Ken Gaub Evangelistic Association/KGEA Records, 197-?) (LP)

Charles G. Geller "Cornerstone" (1972) (LP)
Perhaps the most country-sounding album by Christian folk troubadour Charles G. Geller, a long-ish haired guy who had a "folk concert ministry" in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This album was recorded in late 1972, and includes several original songs that have religious themes, though he also covers secular hits such as "City Of New Orleans," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "I Believe In Music" and "Song Sung Blue." Mr. Geller recorded several similar albums -- some seem more pop-oriented, while others delve much deeper into his religious vibe.

Gordon Gentry "Life's Railway To Heaven" (19--?) (LP)
Not a lot of info about this one. Gordon G. Gentry (1927-2002) was an old-school county gospel singer from Loxahatchee, Florida, near Palm Beach, who recorded several albums and performed locally with a group called the Gospel Strangers, which also included mandolin player Fran Gentry, who I think was his daughter. I'm not sure when any of these albums were made, though the Gospel Strangers performed regularly at the Florida Folk Festival during the early 1990s. Mr. Gentry also appears to have been the host of an evangelical lecture program, God's Miracle Hour, which he broadcast on shortwave radio.

Joel Gentry "Joel Gentry And The Skylarks" (Skylite Records, 1968-?) (LP)
One of southern gospel's most successful businessmen, Joel E. Gentry purchased two of the genre's most prolific record labels, Skylite Records, which had been co-owned by the Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen, and Sing Records, which had been owned by the LeFevre family. On this solo album, Mr. Gentry is backed by a small band notably anchored by hotshot guitarist Dwayne Friend, along with Bob Champion on (yikes) saxophone, LaWanda Jay (organ), Claude Ogle Jr (drums) and Gary Timbs on piano. Not exactly sure when this came out, but it seems to be a late 'Sixties album, probably around 1968 or so.

The Gibson Brothers "Ring The Bell" (Compass Records, 2009)
(Produced by The Gibson Brothers)
Over the last few years, the Gibson Brothers have made remarkable, multi-layered explorations into the folk-tinged field once called "progressive bluegrass..." Here, they return full-force into the high-lonesome traditional truegrass camp, with a beautiful, compelling set of secular and gospel tunes, and plenty of sweet, hot picking. Highlights include the uptempo "Jericho" and the joyous title track, "Ring The Bell," which each have an irresistible singalong chorus. The sentimental songs are nice, as well, in particular "Farm Of Yesterday," which philosophically reflects on America's disappearing rural heritage. If you like Del McCoury or old stuff by Jimmy Martin, you might want to check this out as well. Lots of great solos and solid musicianship all around.

Don Gibson "No One Stands Alone" (RCA Victor, 1958) (LP)

Don Gibson "God Walks These Hills With Me" (RCA Victor, 1964)

Don Gibson "My God Is Real/I Walk Alone" (Collectables Records, 2004)

Bobby Giles "Never Gonna Roam" (BG Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Abbott)
Contemporary Christian music, with a Texas country spin. This was recorded at Jerry Abbott's studio, Pantego Sound, in Arlington, Texas with a studio band that included Jerry Abbott on keyboards, pedal steel player Junior Knight, guitar picker Jerry Metheny and backup singer Sally Gardner, who also played on plenty of secular indie sessions. All the songs are originals written by Giles, though they seem to have primarily spiritual themes, and few nods towards country conventions. Kinda reminds me of 'Seventies stuff from John Denver at times, though with a little more country bite.

Mickey Gilley "Why Me Lord" (K-Tel Records, 19--?)

Mickey Gilley "Christmas At Gilley's" (Epic Records, 1981)

Mickey Gilley "I Saw The Light" (K-Tel Records, 1996)

Vince Gill "Let There Be Peace On Earth" (MCA Records, 1993)
His first Christmas album.

Billy Gilman "Everything And More" (Image Entertainment, 2005)
He made his mark as a pre-teen pop-country sensation, but after the novelty wore off, Gilman faded from sight for several years, sorting out what he characterizes as personal doubts... On his return disc, as a full-fledged adolescent, Gilman unveils his new voice, still youthful and thin, but presumably settled down after breaking with puberty, with a range that places him squarely in the Emerson Drive-ish boy band style... He's also found religion: although there are some good secular songs on here, the album is preponderantly inspirational and perhaps we can assume that religion helped Gilman sort out the pressures associated with being so famous so young in life. The opening track, a secular love song called "Something To Do With That," shows Gilman is top form, and could easily make it into the charts, even if the rest of the album is very pop and not very country. Even if a mainstream commercial comeback isn't in the offing, I'm sure he'll find an eager audience among faith-based listeners. Fans of his old albums will not be disappointed.

Johnny Gimble "I Saw The Light: Gospel Instrumentals" (Delta Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Darrell Holt)
Solid fiddling from Johnny Gimble, backed by drab, nondescript pop-tinged arrangements on this disco-era country gospel set. I guess it was a paying gig, but it's certainly not Gimble's finest work. Can't say as I'd really recommend this one.

Johnny Gimble "Glorybound" (Word Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Arnold, Larry Greenhill & Kurt Kaiser)
Another all-gospel set, recorded with an all-Texas crew convened at the Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin. The lineup included Johnny Gimble on fiddle, dobro, guitar and mandolin, his son Dick Gimble on bass, as well as Maurice Anderson (pedal steel), Ray Hollingsworth (piano) and Tom Prisk on drums. A nice chance to hear gospel standards such as "Amazing Grace," "Yes, Jesus Loves Me," "Just A Closer Walk" and "Precious Memories" performed in the soulful, elegant Johnny Gimble style...

The Glad Tones "Give Me Jesus" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)

The Glad Tones "A Happy Way To Live" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)

Tompall Glaser "Outlaw To The Cross" (Clint Miller Music, 2007)
An all-gospel outing from this notorious ne'er-do-well...

The Glory Gang "Nice Guys Finish First!" (BOC Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by B.J. Carnahan & Gene Reasoner)
A country-gospel featuring several members of the house band at BOC's Audioloft recording studios, as well as guys who were in various "oprys" in the orbit of Missouri's homegrown country scene. At the time, drummer Perry Edenburn and steel player Myron Smith were in Chuck Watkins' Ozark Jubilee show, while bassist Brad Edwards and pianist Gene Reasoner were working on numerous projects with Grandpa Jones and his wife Ramona; guitarist Stan Friend worked with several of these guys on this and other albums. The album is also noteworthy for the abundance of original material, written by Mills Caraway, Don Hulse and Steve Shotts, who are listed simply as "performers," which probably meant they were singing their own songs with backing from the studio band.

The (Singing) Goad Family "One More Valley" (MWGS/Mid West Gospel Sounds Records, 1968-?) (LP)

The Goads "You Can Do It" (Goad Ministries, 1980-?) (LP)
A family band Piqua, Ohio who presented themselves as a Christian group, but unapologetically dipped into secular Top Forty material from both the country and pop charts. This included some crypto-religious tunes and optimistic ditties that could be interpreted as dialogues with deities, tunes like "Let Me Be There," "You Are So Beautiful" and Andrew Gold's "Thank You For Being A Friend." This is only one of many, many albums released by the band, and seems to have been their second album, after which they steadily went in a more explicitly contemporary Christian/southern gospel direction...

God's Singing Messengers "On The Road Again" (Jewel Records, 197-?) (LP)
A vocal trio from Covington, Kentucky, directly across the river from Cincinnati. The singers included Ben Russell, Donna Russell and Dan Roundtree, with instrumental backing by pianist Debby Perkins and Jim Thacker on guitar and bass, along with at least one session players from the Jewel studios, Chuck Rich on steel. Though they were performing in the shadow of Cincinnati's considerable hillbilly country-gospel legacy, this is a pretty tame album, maybe a little more rooted in country than many southern gospel bands, but pretty tame overall. Ms. Russell was the central performer and while she and the guys had pleasant enough voices, they weren't really a super-professional group, occasionally wobbling on some of the harmonies. Heartfelt, but not electrifying.

Buzz Goertzen - see artist discography

Slim Goins "Sings" (Carris Records, 19--?) (LP)
Super-rough country gospel with a delightfully amateurish edge. Carris Lee Goins (1909-2000) was, as far as I can tell, born in South Carolina but settled down around Baltimore, Maryland for most of his life. He started writing music decades ago, with copyrights going back at least as far as 1945, with some songs on this album written around 1971. His earlier work, including some songs that got recorded, was at least partly secular material, though this is all gospel. Although the record label bears his first name, Goins performed under the nickname "Slim," while song credits and later song publishing were usually as "C. L. Goins." As mentioned earlier, he was really on the rough side, a clunky but compelling guitarist and ukulele strummer, and an equally unusual-sounding vocalist. There are strong hints of Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb in there, though with an alluring lack of finesse; you can start getting all into his timbre, but the phrasing gets a little odd. I mean that in a good way. Anyhoo, this is about as authentic a "real person" artist as you'll ever hear. Alas, there's little information about Goins and his career, much less his life outside of music, and this low-budget LP is about as barebones as possible, just the album title and song names on the front cover, and a blank white back cover. The inner labels offer little else, although some Carris singles provide an address on Baltimore, presumably Goins's home.

The Golden State Quartet "The Golden State Quartet" (Goldstate Records, 196-?) (LP)
A very churchy vocal quartet from Long Beach, California, featuring first tenor Roger Bankson, bass singer Kenna Martin, baritone Leroy Park, pianist Jerry Pippin, and second tenor Dewey Short, with additional backing by guitarist Bob Summers and country/jazz bassist Red Wooten. There's a little bit of country guitar on the first track, though the group quickly falls back almost entirely onto the piano and organ for the rest of the record, and sadly for twangfans, there's not much to recommend this record -- it's basically an old-fashioned Southern Gospel set. Towards the end of Side Two there's an uptempo tune called "Something Within" that has a little twang, but nothing to write home about.

Rev. Frank Gonzales & The God Squad "The King Is Coming And Other Favorites" (Imperial Sacred Records, 1971-?)
For those of you who just cannot resist a good, kitschy gospel album cover, behold: "The King Is Coming," which not only has some super-square looking Midwestern chorus (in matching outfits) and also some guy sitting on a Honda motorcycle for no reason at all, except that maybe it would make Jesus look cool to all those crazy kids wearing their sandals and beads and whatnot. You're welcome. I should probably clarify that this is not a country record but rather a fairly standard-issue chorale album, primarily piano-led, with a little rock music buried in the mix. Trumpet-playing evangelist Frank Gonzales recorded several LPs and seems to have originally been from Los Angeles, but laid down roots in Elkhart, Indiana sometime in the late 'Sixties; this album was recorded at a studio in nearby Mishawaka, while other albums came out on labels from Ohio, Canada, and elsewhere. The sound engineering on this album isn't great, but the cover's pretty classic.

The Goodnewsmen "Straight From The Heart" (QCA Recording Studios, 1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Novell & Chuck Seitz)
A southern gospel group from Lansing, Illinois with roots stretching back to the 1970s, this was one of several "Goodnewsmen" bands, although on some of their records they spelled the name "Goodnews Men." This is a pretty solid album with strong musical backing by a studio band which provides a sleek pop-country sound -- Ken Bobinger (drums), Richard Burton (piano), Eddie Drake (lead guitar), Chuck Rich (steel guitar), and bass player Mike Sharf. Unfortunately they neglected to give the names of the vocalists, who were a quintet in this edition, or to note who sang lead on which tracks. The only member called out by name is Wayne Leibengood, who was in the earlier lineups and probably led the group. The repertoire is notably modern, spotlighting three Hinsons songs, and lots of other contemporary material -- the vocal style is a bit milky for my tastes, but comfortably adjacent to secular bands like Alabama or The Oak Ridge Boys, and easier on the ears for twangfans who might be allergic to churchy 700 Club-style crooners.

Charlie Gore "...Sings Hymns Most Requested" (Lake Records, 1967-?) (LP)
A hard-country honkytonker from the post-war, pre-rockabilly era, Charlie Gore recorded for King Records back in the day, and was a well-known regional performer, particularly around Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. He was born in Champmansville, West Virginia and was an early 'Fifties cast member of The Midwestern Hayride, which was hosted by TV station WLW, Cincinnati. Mr. Gore was still a Hayride regular decades later when he cut this gospel album, which was produced and promoted by his bass player Steve Lake, a Franklin, Ohio native who also organized live country music shows at his Chautauqua Park venue. The backing band was called the Country Swing Masters, with Charlie Gore on lead vocals, along with Junior Dison (drums), Bob Hamilton (tenor vocals), Wendy Hargraves (steel guitar), Steve Lake (bass), and Jim Parsons playing lead guitar. These guys were regular at Chautauqua Park, though the time frame's a little unclear. There's no date on the disc, but it looks like it may have come out around 1967, which fits in with newspaper show notices around from the late '60s and early '70s featuring Gore and the band. Likewise with the instrumental showcase below, which may have been the Jim Parsons "solo" album mentioned in the liner notes as still being in the works.

Vern Gosdin "If Jesus Comes Tomorrow" (Compleat Records, 1984) (LP)
A fine, low-key country gospel album, a real throwback to simpler times and simple pleasures... Hard country crooner Vern Gosdin opens with an old-fashioned quartet vocal number, "Jesus Hold My Hand," and swings smoothly between archaic gospel styles and more modern-sounding country, although seemingly without any concern for finding a radio-friendly hit. More power to him: with backing from folks like guitarist Fred Carter, Jr. (Deana's dad) and erstwhile Quicksilver harmony vocalist Lou Reid, along with numerous session pickers from the rootsier side of the avenue, this album has exactly the right feel to it. Recommended, for the religious and the secular alike.

Vern Gosdin "The Gospel Album" (Music Mill, 1995)
The CD reissue of his 1984 album, If Jesus Comes Tomorrow (What Then), which originally came out on the Compleat label. (See above.)

The Gospel Lads "The Gospel Album" (Vibra-Gold Record, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Ziegler)
Fairly standard-issue southern gospel from a nondescript Southern California quintet: singers Pete Engstrom, Murray Hollis (baritone), George Melton and Dave Scroggins (bass), with backing by nineteen year-old pianist Mel Taylor and an unidentified set of studio musicians led by Jimmy Owens. They're competent, but not very country, relying on keyboards and cookie-cutter arrangements to buoy their energetic, robust vocals. Talented, I suppose, but not my cup of tea... After having to get up a couple of times to move the needle off of a few lugubrious slow songs, I wound up just auditioning the rest of the record and finding nothing surprising.

The Gospel Messengers "I'm Gonna Move Up To The Mountain" (Raymar Sound Productions, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Timothy E. Green)
A country-flavored early 'Seventies DIY set, recorded in Russellville, Arkansas by a youthful, amateurish group split between male and female vocals, and a healthy dose of rural twang on several songs. These folks are appealing due to their apparent lack of show-biz savvy, heard largely in the sometimes-murky sound production and the we-only-did-one-take vocal imperfections. The lead singers generally feel a bit stilted and stuffy, but earnest and heartfelt, so you're always kind of rooting for them, despite the album's ample flaws. The vocalists included Levan Hubbard, Wayne Langle, Frank Matchett, Gary Rice, Davelle Riker, Rhonda Riker and Joyce Simmons, with several of the singers doubling as instrumentalists on bass, guitar and piano, with additional studio help from Tim Green on lead guitar and steel player Rudy Osborne. It'd be nice if the sound mix were stronger and some of the zippier pedal steel riffs weren't so muted, particularly on uptempo numbers such as "It'll Be Joy," which is one of the album's "real people" highlights.

The Gospel Messengers "I'm Building A Bridge" (Applewood Studios, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Harlan Michael)
A country-flavored gospel quartet from Forks, Washington, featuring Rev. Ralph Dean Blankenship (lead guitar and lead vocals), David Hamilton (rhythm guitar and baritone vocals), Linda Woody (tenor), Ron Woody (bass and bass vocals). The liner notes say they had a ministry in their hometown of Forks, and performed at a couple of local rest homes, but I'm not sure they were really all that professional about it, probably a pretty humble footprint.

The Gospel Quartet "Sacred Country Music" (Coronet Records, 196-?) (LP)
A budget label set which probably is a reissue of previously released material, with the provenance purposefully obscured, with a suspiciously generic band name. Sure enough, a little poking around and you may find that this is actually a set from from 1960 by a group known as the Sunshine Boys Quartet. The original album title was The Word, first released Starday Records and reissued here sometime in the mid-1960s. The Sunshine Boys were originally from Macon, Georgia, and recorded under a few different names; another one of their alter-ego names was the Johnson Brothers, which they used for several other budget-label releases. At any rate, this is good stuff, livelier-than-usual southern gospel, with a little bit of bounce.

The Gospel-Aires Quartet "City Of Gold" (Hallmark Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Hall & Gene Lawson)
Not to be confused with the Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno (below) or the Country Gospelaires (led by Zeke Hoskins) this youthful gospel ensemble from Louisville, KY included Terry Gardner, Sharon Hicks, Greg Land and Pamela Lawson. As far as I know, this was their only album.

The Gospel Notes "The Third Man" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
A gospel group from Porterville, California, down near Visalia. This album drew my attention because of the presence of gal singer Bobbie Kellerhals, who later recorded solo album which was an excellent set of Christian twang. It turns out she didn't stay in the Gospel Notes that long, and the band was more or less a showcase for lead guitarist Dick Phillips and bass player Kim Phillips; other members in this edition included Terry W. Baker on drums, pianist Joyce Bradford and Ms. Kellerhals on rhythm guitar, though the lineup had completely changed by the next album.

The Gospel Notes "Souls Harbor" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)
A pretty laid-back set, which at first seemed too "churchy" for me, but gradually accrued a more resonant country feel as the album progressed. According to the liner notes, at this point the Gospel Notes seemed to consider themselves a trio with Dick Phillips (lead guitar and steel), Kim Phillips (bass guitar) supported by Paul Landrus on piano, though there was also friend of theirs on drums, Roy Harbin, who lived in nearby Lindsay, CA, though he wasn't able to tour with the group, and so was just an honorary member for these recording sessions... Mr. Phillips switched off between electric guitar and steel, which made a difference in how "country" certain tracks did or did not feel (I prefer the pedal steel riffs, as he was a very good player...) Also worth noting, his solo vocals had a nice rural tone that reminds me quite a bit of a young Rodney Crowell... I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn Mr. Phillips was originally from Texas as well. Anyway, this is kind of a sleeper album -- like many Vision releases, it dips deeper into the country wellspring than your typical southern gospel set, and is pretty satisfying for more open-minded twangfans.

The Gospel Notes "Guilty Of Love" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)
Another superlative set from Dick and and Kim Phillips, who sang with increasing confidence while backed by a solid local band. This edition of the Gospel Notes included Dick Phillips on lead vocals, playing some pretty hot country guitar, Kim Phillips on bass, Dave Glasgow (piano), Dorothy Glasgow (harmony vocals), Gary Jordan (rhythm guitar) and Central Valley stalwart Ivan Ward providing some particularly tasty steel guitar. (The pickers show off their chops on a great instrumental version of "I'll Fly Away," and Dick Phillips definitely held his own with the more accomplished Ivan Ward.) There are several standards in the set, though there may have also been a few originals; sadly, there were no composer credits to be found. The title track, which ends the album, is a novelty number about the Romans charging Jesus as a criminal... it includes a bit of high-kitsch recitation, but is also a solid country gospel number. This one's a winner!

The Gospel Notes "Gospel Treasures" (Vision Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)

The Gospel Rangerettes "He Loves Me" (Rubytone Records, 19--?) (LP)
An adorable mother-daughter duo from Portland, Oregon. Elizabeth Van De Venter (1928-2009) and her teenage daughter Karen are backed by guitar picker B. F. "Lucky" Mason and fiddler Reverend Roy Sims. Most of the songs were composed by Mrs. Van De Venter, with some additional tunes coming from the Gaithers and Rambos, as well as one called "When The Storm Passes," written by Mosie Lister of the Statesmen Quartet. Mrs.Van De Venter was not a professional musician, and in the liner notes even demurs about her own guitar work, while Mr. Mason was a multi-instrumentalist from Tennessee who played banjo, bass, lap steel and mandolin, and who hosted a long-running "Shut In Club" radio show on KVAN, Portland. Mr. Sims also played several instruments and was a former rodeo rider who switched to circuit rider, evangelizing up in Alaska for a couple of years, and presumably in the Pacific Northwest as well.

The Gospel Rhythm-Aires / The Singing Harris Family -- see artist profile

The Gospel Sons "Getting Ready Today" (Vanco Records, 197--?) (LP)
Christian harmony vocals from the Pacific Northwest. Alas, there's no liner note info giving us the musicians' names, or the producer, or where these guys were from, although Vanco was a subsidiary of Ripcord Records, so we know they were probably from that Washington state/Oregon/Idaho axis... Any info is welcome!

The Gospel Sons "Love Him So" (Vanco Records, 197--?) (LP)

The Gospel Travelaires "On The Cross" (1983-?) (LP)

The Gospelaires Quartet "Closer To Thee" (Super Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Hall & Gene Lawson)
Yet another group with a similar name... These guys were an old-school vocal group from Illinois, with Riss Bachman (first tenor), Bud Oyer (second tenor), J. Arthur Gingrich (bass vocals) and Paul Schrock (baritone), accompanied by keyboardist Bud Bardette.

The Gospelaires Quartet "Musical Moments Of Inspiration" (Gospel Records, 1957) (LP)
This was the first album by a long-running southern gospel quartet based in Fresno, California led by bass vocalist Don Smith and his son, baritone Ron Smith, who had released over a hundred(!) singles on 45 and 78 before cutting their first full album. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Don Smith was a veteran of a couple of other bands, notably logging a stint with the Blackwood Brothers before forming his own quartet. The Smiths owned and operated a gospel-oriented music store on the city's sprawling main drag, Blackstone Avenue, and recruited talent from their employees, such as lead guitarist Cletus Clark who had previously been in Wally Fowler's big jamboree and acted as the bandleader on this album. Also performing are tenor vocalists Ray Cooper and James Farmer, who worked with the Don Smith on subsequent albums. To differentiate themselves from countless other groups using the Gospelaires monicker, they initially called themselves Don Smith's Gospelaires Quartet, then Don Smith's Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno, but shortened the name on later releases.

The Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno "Something Old, Something New" (Gospel Records, 19--?) (LP)
On this album they are joined by first tenor Dan Pollard and second tenor James Farmer, although the quartet's lineup seems to have changed many times over its lifetime. Musical backing was provided by a small local band led by guitarist Charles Daniels, and though there's no producer credit, it seems likely this was engineered by local legend Stan Anderson, who is listed on their later albums.

The Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno "One Day At A Time" (Gospel Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
A long-running southern gospel group from Fresno, California, the Gospelaires Quartet had a pretty traditional harmony sound, familiar to country fans from its secular iteration when the Oak Ridge Boys brought the style into the Top Forty. On this album the group included Ray Cooper on tenor vocals, Jim Farmer (second tenor), with bass vocalist Don Smith or Ron Smith often taking the lead as the group's baritone. Although the vocals are pretty corny, they got a modest dose of country twang from the backing band, notably from steel player Paul Dobbs, who injects a little bit of Bakersfield zing, notably on the album's uptempo opener, a robust rendition of Albert E. Brumley's "Turn Your Radio On." Mostly this is too stuffy-sounding for me, though there's enough twang woven in that the next time I see one of their albums in a used bin, I'll probably pick it up and give it a whirl.

The Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno "Old Time Religion" (Gospel Records, 19--) (LP)

The Gospelaires Quartet Of Fresno "Yes I'm Satisfied" (Gospel Records, 1966-?) (LP)

Cecil Graham "Jesus, Hold My Hand" (Songs Of Calvary Records, 19--) (LP)
A solo set from Yakima, Washington's Cecil Graham, featured organist for the tour band of the Ken Gaub Crusades... Mr. Graham is backed by David Valla(?) guitar and Norman Gaub on bass.

Wally Gravlin "Wally Gravlin Sings Country Gospel" (Praise Custom Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by James Q. Rich)

Wesley Green "Wesley Green's Old Favorites" (Cam Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Dale McCoy)

The Green-Bo Valley Sound "Eyes Of Faith" (K-Ark Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Capps)
Lead singer and songwriter Joe Hicks was a self-taught five-string banjo player from Kentucky whose idiosyncratic style, by his own admission, didn't fit in with the local mountain music scene. He played in several in several small groups before landing a gig in the house band of the Green-Bo Valley Jamboree, a short-lived "opry" venue that started in the summer of 1968, housed in an old barn in rural Boyd Country, but had folded by the time these two albums were recorded in the early 1970s. Hicks memorialized the show by naming his own band after it, and seems to have cut two albums worth of material at the same time during a trip to Nashville. This first album unfortunately doesn't list all the musicians, notably omitting two gals pictured on the cover, one of whom may have been his wife(?) and another gal who looks like she was in her teens or early twenties. Mr. Hicks seems to have been the oldest member of the band, and one of the kids in the picture is probably drummer Mike Hicks (his son?) who played on the other LP. (The folks pictured on this album look much younger than the other, though the catalog numbers are quite close; I think this one is using an older picture, possibly from their jamboree days...) The songs are all originals written by Mr. Hicks, and most had an overt spiritual theme ("Eyes Of Faith," "Railway Station In Life," "Trinity," etc.) though others ("Everybody's Talking But Nobody's Listening," "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em,") "Slick Pickin' Chicken") stray from a strictly gospel path. Mr. Hicks seems like he was a real character: other than the albums themselves, though, there's not a lot of information out there about him or the band. Alas, no dates on these discs, though some sources place them as 1970 releases.

Jack Greene "I Am Not Alone" (Decca Records, 1968) (LP)

Jack Greene "He Is My Everything" (Step One Records, 1991)

Jack Greene "Highway To The Sky" (Step One Records, 1995)

Lee Greenwood "Christmas To Christmas" (MCA Records, 1985)

Lee Greenwood "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (Free Falls Records, 2001)

Lee Greenwood "Inspirational Songs" (Curb Records, 2002)
In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Lee Greenwood found a new audience for his patriotic gospel number, "God Bless The USA," which, in a re-recorded version, became a staple of the first wave of patriotic and topical songs that raced up the country charts. The album that accompanied the single was made up of more re-recordings, including gospel standards such as "Amazing Grace" and "Rock Of Ages," as well as Greenwood's "Totally Devoted To You," and a few covers songs including Kris Kristofferson's "One Day At A Time" and the old Carpenters hit, "You Light Up My Life." I'm personally not a fan of the synthetic, tinkly keyboards that are a hallmark of modern country gospel, but for Greenwood's fans, this album may be a delight.

Lee Greenwood "Gospel" (K-Tel Records, 2003)

Clinton Gregory "For Christmas" (Step One Records, 1993)

Judy Gross "Sinner's Dream" (The Barn, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Boyer & Darrell Powell)
A very glossy album with a commercial country look, but definitely a gospel set. Not sure what Ms. Gross's story was -- she gives a mailing address in Houston, Texas, though this was recorded at a studio in Alexandria, Indiana called The Barn, so I'd imagine she was originally a Hoosier gal. The musicians backing her include producer Don Boyer on acoustic guitar and slide, Dane Clark (drums), Steve Dokken (bass), JoAnne Gentry (fiddle), Steve Millikan (piano) and Rex Thomas playing banjo, guitar and pedal steel, as well as a whole slew of backup singers. (Not sure if any of these folks were local performers, but I assume they were hired by the studio and not Judy Gross's own band.

Bobby Grove "...Sings It Was For You" (King Records, 1963)

John Gunter "Old Hymns For A Young Heart" (Captive Audience Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Darrell Powell)
An all-gospel set by "the singing sheriff," with some overlap in musicians, but basically an all-new backing band, notably steel guitarist Rex Thomas. The album was recorded at a studio in Alexandria, Indiana called The Barn, which was run by Danny Gaither, brother of southern gospel legend Bill Gaither. The group included Don Boyer on harmonica, Danny Daniels (keyboards), John Govro (banjo), Ron Jakeway (drums), Dan Marler (guitar), Randy Melson (bass), Tom Silvey (fiddle), and steel player Rex Thomas.

Wylie Gustafson "Glory Trail: Cowboy And Traditional Gospel Songs" (Cross Three Records, 1994)
Some cowboy gospel music from neo-western revivalist/goofball Wylie Gustafson. Fun stuff!

Gwen & Earl "End-Time Handmaidens Presents: Sunrise In The Morning" (End-Time Handmaidens Records, 19--?) (LP)
Now, you know me: I'm not all that big on making fun of gospel records just because they're gospel records, or because they represent particular fringe sects. But, come on, I'm only human. When I saw this in the quarter bin at the local Record Hut, I have to confess I got a little nervous. This appears to have been the only release by the "End-Time Handmaidens" label, which had an address in Jasper, Arkansas. Gwen Shaw is the main artist, having composed most of the music on here, while her brother, Earl Bergman, apparently had his own congregation somewhere up in Ontario, Canada. They co-wrote the title track, while other songs were from John Dykes, Bill Gaither, Stuart Hamblin, Mosie Lister and Wanda Smith. I don't know how country this was -- too terrified to bring it home -- although there's probably not as much twang as I'd like, the liner notes only mention the "beautiful accompaniment" by violinist Dorothy Buss, as well as an organist named Marion Russo. And don't bother tracking this down and sending it to Marge Piercy... I'm sure she's already been given a copy or two. (Feel free to send as many as you want to Amy Coney Barrett, though... I hear she's a big fan!)

Hick Music Index