... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue look at the amazing Clark Sisters – a fantastic gospel group, and one with a vocal depth that we'd put right up there next to any of our favorite soul acts of the time! The Clarks are maybe best known for their landmark track "You Brought The Sunshine" – a completely righteous blend of gospel, soul, and disco that crossed over very big back in the day – but the group have an endless amount of great music to offer, a great deal of which is brought together in this wonderful set! The sisters always kept a strong ear towards the secular soul styles of their day – but they also always pushed things with the sort of amazing vocal interplay that used to only be the territory of male gospel groups in earlier decades – fantastic harmonies, soaring leads, and really great group formation. And if you're not a completely huge fan of gospel, don't worry – because the message here is often a more general one of positivity, which really lifts up the spirit of the tunes in a universal way. Titles include "You Brought The Sunshine (single edit)", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright", "He Keeps Me Company", "Patience", "I'm Going To Have Just What I Want", "Power", "Overdose Of The Holy Ghost", "My Mind Is Made Up", "Nothing To Lose All To Gain", "No Other Name", "Keep On Looking Up", and "I Found What I'm Looking For". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A group with a name that might not easily roll of the tongue, but one who've got a sublime harmony sound that's wonderfully fluid overall – a combination of nine young voices from the scene in Soweto, working without any other instrumentation at all! The combination of vocals almost takes us back to the sound of Take 6 on their first album – and as with that group, the message here is spiritual, but not entirely pointed at the church – with much more of a universal appeal that's perfect for the subtly righteous power of the harmonies! Titles include "Too Late For Mama", "Nomalizo", "My Brother", "Who Knows", "Sip", and "Baninzi". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip gospel group – and one that features a young Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson! LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip gospel work by Sister Rosetta Tharp – singing here with her own guitar accompaniment, plus backing by small combos that include players like Ernie Hayes, Panama Francis, Ernest Richardson, and Harry Doc Bagby, who plays organ on about half the record. The sound is a folksy mix of gospel and blues styles, with traces of early soul as well – and titles include "When They Ring The Golden Bell", "Two Little Fishes Five Loaves Of Bread", "I Shall Know Him", "Fly Away", "How About You", and "99 1/2 Won't Do". CD

One of the more obscure albums from the great Rosetta Tharpe – an early 60s session for Verve! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer killer compilation – the sort we've been dying to own for years! It's a well known fact that there's plenty of funky nuggets hidden amidst 70s gospel recordings – massive grooves and break-heavy tracks that rank right up there with the best indie funk from the same time. Yet tracking down these tunes has always been plenty tough – given that most gospel records sold in different circles, had different distribution, and often are less easy to decipher for the crate digger than more conventional funk and soul. Enter the folks at Numero – who have really gone all out this time around, and dug through piles and piles of rare gospel records to come up with a whopping batch of great tracks! This set is definitely ground zero for getting into funky gospel – and it's filled with far more obscure work than the Soul Gospel set on Soul Jazz – all indie numbers from small labels that only got minor distribution at the time. As usual with Numero, the notes and package match the soulful depth and righteousness of the music – and the set is one of the most perfectly wrapped-up genre compilations we've ever seen! 18 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Thank The Lord" by Mighty Voices Of Wonder, "This Old World Is Going Down" by The Modulations, "Look Where He Brought Us" by The Apostles Of Music, "Thoughs (sic) Were The Days" by LaVice & Company, "Bad Situation" by 5 Spiritual Tones, "God Been Good To Me" by Mighty Walker Brothers, "O Yes My Lord" by Voices Of Conquest, "We Don't Love Enough" by Triumphs, "Heaven On Their Minds" by Sam Taylor, "God Will Dry My Weeping Eyes" by Horace Family, and "I Call Him" by Masonic Wonders. CD

Recorded live at Symphony Hall in Newark, NJ, with James Cleveland & The Cleveland Singers, Doc McKenzie & The Gospel Hi-Lites, Banks Brothers & The Revival Temple Mass Choir, and Debbie Austin & Unity. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty fantastic selection of rare disco tracks from the American underground – all of them infused with a spiritual message, but served up with grooves that go head to head with some of the best underground club of the time! The mix of positive energy and upbeat grooves is wonderful – and if you've ever heard the Clark Sisters club classic "You Brought The Sunshine", then you'll definitely know the spirit of these tunes! If you're worried about the message being one that you're not into, don't – because there's sort of a universal spirit going on here – one that gets past conventions of the church, and which really goes for a general uplifting message that's totally great – almost a precursor to some of the positive house in more recent decades. And speaking of house, there's less of that here than you'd expect – as most of the instrumentation and production are strongly in the best New York underground modes from the disco years – with less of any 80s or electro soul elements. Titles include "I Believe" by Calvin B Rhone, "Imitations" by Johnson Family Gospel Singers, "Change" by Wisdom, "On That Other Shore" by Harrison Jones & The Voices Of Harmony, "I've Been Converted" by The Converters, "Ain't No Way To Do Wrong" by New Creation, "Take It To The Streets" by Prophecy, "Let The Lord Come In Your Life" by Wisdom, "Keep The Fire" by Paradise, and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" by Mr Jesse R McGuire. CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. LP, Vinyl record album

8 tracks from Rev Milton Brunson's Thompson Community Singers, Greg O'Quin-N-Joyful Noyze, Marvin Sapp, Kelli Williams, and CD Hawkins & Singers. CD

An obscure session for Big Maybelle, but a great one too – a record that has her moving past the melancholy blues of her earlier work, into a lively gospel-based mode that's surprisingly great for her voice! The sound is quite upbeat and joyous – in a style that really has Maybelle's voice soaring to the skies – supported by arrangements from Alan Lorber and John Jacobs that are a bit like some of the backings Jackie Wilson received at Brunswick, including some additional chorus support. Tunes are a mix of gospel standards and a few secular tracks as well – and titles include "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen", "Do Lord", "Dry Bones", "Down By The Riverside", and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". LP, Vinyl record album

Dang, if it sounded like this at our church, we'd go to mass every Sunday! The album's got a unique crossover appeal that has the Rev kicking things off with a very funky combo in the lead – singing and speaking a spiritual message that's set to some massively heavy backings – so much so you'll forget the religion in the message and just let loose and groove! The record then moves into a sermon, but then goes back to more funky tunes – shifting back and forth with a sound that's incredibly lively! The band's not named on the set, but they're excellent – as jazzily strong as they are funky – and tunes include "The Dope Song", "Rockgospeltime", "Rock Message", and "Share It". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Includes 26 tracks from Jaybird Coleman, Charley Patton, Blind Willie Davis, Elder Otis Jones, Blind Roosevelt Graves, William and Versey Smith, Bo Weavil Jackson, and more. CD

A huge overview of female gospel material from the golden age of the genre – and a set that's a mighty nice contrast to some of the heavy male group reissues that have dominated the market! Most of the groups here are smaller ones – not the large choir of a church, but the quintets and quartets that got a chance to record material during the early years of gospel – helping to forge a style that went on to have a huge impact on the way the female voice sounded in soul music during the 60s! As usual with large sets like this on the Fremeaux label, there's detailed notes in both French and English – and a huge selection of 72 tracks that includes work by Sallie Martin Singers, Southern Harps, Ward Singers, Gospel Stars, Meditation Singers, Famous Davis Singers, Inez Andres & Andrewettes, Angelic Gospel Singers, Simmons Akers Trio, Clara Ward Specials, and many others! CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection from the legendary Rosetta Tharpe – no filler, just all greatness from her key 40s years! CD

Another masterpiece from the Soul Jazz collective – a collection of tunes that bridges the secular and spiritual worlds, and brings together a mixture of gospel and soul tracks from the 60s and 70s! It's no secret that soul music has drawn quite a bit of inspiration from gospel (as well as more than its share of stars!) – but rarely has that inspiration been so clearly traced than in this wonderful set! The tunes include gospel numbers that have a classic soul sound, and classic soul tunes that really lean towards the gospel side of the spectrum – and most of the artists on the set are familiar ones, but heard here in a style that links them all nicely together. Titles include "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" by Clarence Smith, "Let's Get Together" by Bobby Bland, "Grandma's Hands" by Marion Gaines Singers, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Pastures Of Plenty" by Odetta, "Love Lifted Me" by Jesse Dixon, "I Don't Know Where We're Headed" by Sons Of Truth, "Eleanor Rigby" by Kim Weston, "In Between Tears" by Irma Thomas, "Lort Is It" by Gospel Artistics, "Tripping On Your Love" by Staple Singers, and "Mama" by Esther Marrow. CD

Soul and gospel, gospel and soul – a beautiful marriage in music that's summed up perfectly in this sweet little set! It's no secret that gospel music had plenty of influence on soul back in the early days – but as the genre went on, soul ended up throwing a mighty sound back at gospel too – so that by the late 60s, both musics were pretty well tied together in styles, themes, and spirit! This collection digs even deeper than the already-great first volume from Soul Jazz – and brings together a wide range of work that illustrates the powerful effect that soul had on gospel back in the late 60s and 1970s – righteous lessons learned from the secular side of the spectrum, folded back to make the spiritual even hipper than before! As always with Soul Jazz, plenty of care went into the set – and the music is provided with an extremely thoughtful track list that goes way past the obvious – as well as a good set of notes to back up the choices. Plus, the tunes here are often quite funky – almost making the package a "gospel funk" collection! 20 tracks in all – including "We Should All Thank The Lord" by The Lovers Of God, "I'll Keep A Light In My Window" by NYCC, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by Sweet Inspirations, "Let Him Come In" by Howard Lemon Singers, "Keep Trying" by Mildred Clark, "Dead End Street" by Clara Ward, "Since I've Been Born Again" by Martha Bass, "You'd Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Do Your Thing" by Marion Gaines Singers, "Praise His Name" by The Stovall Singers, "Let Them Talk" by Meditation Singers, "When Will It End" by The Sensational Cymbals, and "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing project – and a totally righteous little record – a set of songs all penned by Bob Dylan in the 60s, sung by a hip spiritual choir that includes performances from soul singers Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Edna Wright, and Gloria Jones! The mix of soul and gospel here is wonderful – very much in the spirit of The Voices Of East Harlem at the same time – with this progressive, positive vibe that goes way way past the original style of Dylan's music! Gene Page handled the musical arrangements, and Billy Page helped with the vocals – and together they really transform the compositions – creating a very different setting for the great lyrics of songs that include "The Mighty Quinn", "All Along The Watchtower", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Chimes Of Freedom", and "The Times They Are A Changin". A record that shouldn't work this well – but it does, and beautifully too! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

No gospel music here, but instead a fantastic debut from South African saxophonist Mthunzi Mvubu – no stranger to the scene, but an artist who's finally getting his chance to shine in the spotlight – which he does wonderfully, in this set of soaring and angular tunes! There's a bold sense of soul to the record right from the start – fresh energy in the rhythm section, as things cascade wonderfully, and really push the leader's own work on alto – as well as the tenor of Tobias Meinhart, who's a great partner on the set. Other players include Afrika Mkhize on piano and keyboards, Dalisu Ndlazi on bass, and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums – and titles include "Voice", "In The Wake Of Your Song", "Sea Line", "A Child Speaks", "7 Kings", "Mom Vs The Bad Man", and "Zig Zag". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful batch of gospel tunes recorded by Lou Rawls with the Pilgrim Travelers – his early group from pre-secular soul days, reunited here for a rare studio session! The album's a great bridge between Lou's two worlds in music – and is recorded with a great 60s soul approach that predates many later efforts to link together gospel and soul. Lou's vocals are in the lead, with great harmony support by the Travelers – and arrangements are by JW Alexander and Rene Hall, in a nicely punctuated 60s Capitol groove. Titles include "Didn't It Rain?", "Walking In The Light Of The Lord", "That's Heaven To Me", "Stand By Me Father", and "If He Holds Your Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work by one of the greatest lost soul bands of the late 60s! As the name would imply, Art and the group are a gospel outfit – but when they worked on Capitol, they got some great hip production that put them in an LA pop soul groove, similar to Friends of Distinction or other mixed vocal groups of the time. The tracks are not really so religious as they are spiritual, and the album's got a wonderfully progressive sound to it – very righteous, with none of the cliches you'd expect. These guys are a bit like the Staple Singers, but to our ears, they've got a style that's even fresher, and usually a lot tighter. Tracks include "My Possessions", "I've Made Up My Mind", "Go For What You Know", "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)", "Face The Day", and "Land Of Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of gospel group harmony soul – recorded by a group with a same name and a different style than the funky Soul Searchers – one who've got a wonderful approach to their vocals! Instrumentation is relatively lean – often just a drum and a guitar – which leaves plenty of room for the vocal interplay of the group – working here in a style that's a hip 70s update of some of the best harmony modes from the early years of gospel! Troy Ramey handles the lead vocals – and titles include "The Train is Gone", "Mother Take Your Rest", "Someone Watches Over Me", "Move To A Better Home", and "I Got Rid Of My Heavy Load". CD

One of the key gospel greats of the postwar years – caught live here in a show in New York, with some great small combo backing and a quartet of supporting female singers! LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of gospel from one of the greatest labels in the business – the early Excello Records, which later morphed into gospel powerhouse Nashboro, but already had a great ear for the best of the genre right from the start! Excello's roots in the south gave it key access to some of the best groups of the period – the kind of acts who were really pushing gospel forward with the same sort of inventive harmonies and richly expressive phrasing that secular acts were bringing to R&B and vocal group work at the time! The collection is wonderful – one of Ace's very well-done collaborations with Excello, still yet to be topped as a representation of that label's work – and titles include "On The Beautiful Shore" by The Hendrix Sisters, "Step By Step" by The Boyer Brothers, "In My Heart" by The Silvertone Singers Of Cincinnati, "I'm Waiting & Watching" by Sons Of The South, "After Awhile With Jesus" by Jewel Gospel-Aires, "One Day" by Sons Of The South, "Trust Him Today" by The Waldo Singers and "I Can Call Jesus Anytime" by The Young Gospel Singers. CD

A really really beautiful little compilation – one with a sound that's every bit as powerful as the image on its cover! The music here all comes from the Gospel Roots label of Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – a key force in mainstream soul in the 70s, but also a company who issued some excellent spiritual material at the time! The work here isn't rootsy gospel – and instead reflects all the hip, righteous changes that were coming into the music during the 70s – bits of blacksploitation funk in the rhythms, powerful lead singers upfront, and an impeccable production style that often mixed deep soul vocals with modern soul presentation. This side of the TK legacy has been crucially ignored over the years – but this wonderful package more than corrects that fault – by offering up some of the key tracks from the Gospel Roots label, alongside a lavish booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images – all recounting the overdue tale of this great music. Not all artists are southern – there's a number from up north, and even a few from Chicago – and titles include "Tell Me" by The Fantastic Family Aires, "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett, "Will You Save Me" by The Jordan Singers, "Never Say What You Want" by The Phillipians, "Help Me To Carry On" by The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, "I've Got To Make A Change" by Bright Clouds, "Wake Up Everybody" by The O'Neal Twins, "On Jesus Program" by The Original Sunset Travelers, "Blessed Be The Name Of God" by The Brooklyn All Stars, and "Christians Catch Hell" by Reverend Edna Isaac & The Greene Sisters. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Harold Sutton & The Pastors Choir, The St.Luke Youth Choir, The Hellen Hollins Singers, The Weeden Family Singers, DJ Rodgers, Elder Curtis Rodgers, Benny Cummings Directs The Temple Choir, Roslyn & Charles, Gwen Carter, HIS, and more. CD

Includes music by Mahalia Jackson, The Trumpeteers, Roberta Martin Singers, Famous Blue Jay Singers of Birmingham, Angelic Gospel Singers, Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, Georgia Peach & Her Gospel Singers, the Soul Stirrers, Swan Silvertones, Shirley Caesar, and more – 18 tracks in all! CD

Music from Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, the Louvin Brothers, the Carter Family, Roy Acuff & His Crazy Tennesseans, Webb Pierce, Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Ernest Tubb, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and more. CD

They definitely got the title right on this one – as the box set's overflowing with rare gospel tunes from the late 40s and 1950s – a period when the style was really coming into its own, thanks to a confluence of great talents, key songwriters, and important indie labels! The package was put together and annotated by Opal Louis Nations, who clearly knows his stuff – and the 4CD set features 105 tracks in all, all remastered too! Includes work by Deep River Boys, The Charioteers, Hazel Chatman, Five Blind Boys Of Alabama, Brownie McGhee, Golden Gate Quartet, The Orioles, Dixie Hummingbirds, Golden Melodeers, and many others. CD

An insanely fantastic look at the strong legacy of gospel music from Savoy Records – a company who were initially a powerhouse in the fields of jazz and R&B, but who moved into the gospel world and dominated that market for decades! Savoy is a bit like Chess Records – a company who really learned how to record blues singers and soulful styles from the secular world, then used that same ability to work some real magic on songs from the more spiritual side of the spectrum – an approach that really made for top-shelf music, even as the decades moved on! Savoy's gospel legacy has always been a bit underground – not nearly as reissued for larger audiences as their jazz and blues material – but this collection does a great job of correcting that lack, by presenting their music in a wonderful format – all in a mix of rare cuts and classics from the gospel underground. This second volume features work from Savoy's prime 70s gospel years – 20 tracks by artists who include The Metro Tones, Betty Hollins, Gene Martin, Swan Silvertones, Artistic Sounds, James Moore, Holy Lights Of Baltimore, Brooklyn Skyways, World Wonders, Myrna Summers, Brockingham Ensemble, Prof Charles Taylor, Exciting Supreme Highlights, and Highway QCs. LP, Vinyl record album

An insanely fantastic look at the strong legacy of gospel music from Savoy Records – a company who were initially a powerhouse in the fields of jazz and R&B, but who moved into the gospel world and dominated that market for decades! Savoy is a bit like Chess Records – a company who really learned how to record blues singers and soulful styles from the secular world, then used that same ability to work some real magic on songs from the more spiritual side of the spectrum – an approach that really made for top-shelf music, even as the decades moved on! Savoy's gospel legacy has always been a bit underground – not nearly as reissued for larger audiences as their jazz and blues material – but this collection does a great job of correcting that lack, by presenting their music in a wonderful format – all in a mix of rare cuts and classics from the gospel underground. Savoy kept going strong into the 80s, in a mix of styles that includes some funk and boogie – served up here on 17 tracks by artists that include Solomon Burke, Genobia Jeter, World Wonders, Edith Moreno, Glenn Jones & The Modulations, Hollywood Stars, James Cleveland, Holy Lights Of Baltimore, Sensational Williams Brothers, Gospelaires Of Dayton, Helen Hollins Singers, Edith Moreno, and The 4th Of May. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of earlier work by Aretha Franklin – issued by Chess after her fame on Atlantic, but featuring tunes cut when a younger woman, working with famous father Reverend CL Franklin! Given that CL was one of the biggest stars of Chess' gospel recordings, there was plenty of material recorded back in the day – and Aretha's heard here on some great live tunes that mostly just feature piano backings. Nice raw energy here – 9 tracks in all, including 'Precious Lord", "You Grow No Closer", "The Day Is Past And Gone" and "He Will Wash You White As Snow". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A record headed up by the famous Adam Clayton Powell – and which also features solo vocals by jazz singer Joe Williams, and the Stamps Baxter Quartet! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

With selections by Robert Anderson, Delois Barrett Campbell, Irma Gwynn, Gladys Beamon Gregory, and Lucy Smith. LP, Vinyl record album

A really really beautiful little compilation – one with a sound that's every bit as powerful as the image on its cover! The music here all comes from the Gospel Roots label of Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – a key force in mainstream soul in the 70s, but also a company who issued some excellent spiritual material at the time! The work here isn't rootsy gospel – and instead reflects all the hip, righteous changes that were coming into the music during the 70s – bits of blacksploitation funk in the rhythms, powerful lead singers upfront, and an impeccable production style that often mixed deep soul vocals with modern soul presentation. This side of the TK legacy has been crucially ignored over the years – but this wonderful package more than corrects that fault – by offering up some of the key tracks from the Gospel Roots label, alongside a lavish booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images – all recounting the overdue tale of this great music. Not all artists are southern – there's a number from up north, and even a few from Chicago – and titles include "Tell Me" by The Fantastic Family Aires, "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett, "Will You Save Me" by The Jordan Singers, "Never Say What You Want" by The Phillipians, "Help Me To Carry On" by The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, "I've Got To Make A Change" by Bright Clouds, "Wake Up Everybody" by The O'Neal Twins, "On Jesus Program" by The Original Sunset Travelers, "Blessed Be The Name Of God" by The Brooklyn All Stars, and "Christians Catch Hell" by Reverend Edna Isaac & The Greene Sisters. CD