The Lord's Day under covers (following on from Cody B)
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Artist:The Brentford Choir
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Album:Man From Galilee
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Track:Amen
A few days ago, Cody B posted some tracks by 1940s gospel singer/guitarist Reverend Utah Smith. Tonight, i am returning to the music of the Lord, and to Jamaica.
Most books that purport to tell the history of Jamaican music present it as more or less a linear progression; r'n'b to ska, to rocksteady, to reggae, to rockers, to dancehall and ragga. This, however, airbrushes a whole set of strands of Jamaican music out of the picture. For example, Coxsone Dodd continued to release records on his Port-O_Jam label, devoted to jazz, mento, calypso and even devotional Bengali chanting, until the early 1970s. Likewise, the series of ultra-cheap gospel LPs issued in tiny numbers on the Tabernacle label remain unknown, and virtually unlocateable these days. the only one that is even vaguely traceable is "Man From Galilee", from which this track is taken.
"Amen" is a very old traditional song, doubtless recorded in the gospel style over sixty years ago. A successful version by the Impressions in 1964 persuaded Coxsone Dodd to record a version by the Wailers, featuring Peter Tosh on lead guitar and vocals, and Dodd himself in the chorus. a few years later Otis Redding enjoyed success with the tune, and this version, dating from about 1969, is from that era. Lead vocalist of "The Brentford Choir" here is unmistakeably Larry Marshall, but as to the other musicians and vocalists, apart from Enid Cumberland almost certainly being on this, I have no idea.
Comments (9)
Even though the song, the band and the arrangement are without fault, it's the men's pipes make this a top-drawer item. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is an old song, but until now had thoughtlessly assumed that the Impressions had created it. Do you know of an earlier recording of it than theirs?
I haven't heard an earlier recording than the Impressions, but it's interesting to note the absence of any songwriting credit, only an arranging credit, on the original 45
Strong lead singing. Thought of Elvis when he started singing.
About the song, I was hearing something a little different. I think the verse is another song. This Little Light Of Mine. The combination works so naturally, one hardly questions it. Wikipedia says:
"This Little Light of Mine" is a gospel children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes (1895-1965) in about 1920. Loes, who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music, was a musical composer, and teacher, who wrote, and co-wrote, several other gospel songs. The song has since entered the folk tradition, first being collected by John Lomax in 1939. Often thought of as a Negro spiritual, it does not, however, appear in any collection of jubilee or plantation songs from the nineteenth century.
Here's how it goes:
This Little Light of Mine Words and music by Harry Dixon Loes. Public Domain. G This little light of mine, G I'm gonna let it shine. C This little light of mine, G I'm gonna let it shine. G This little light of mine, G B Em I'm gonna let it shine, G D7 G Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm gonna let it shine... Won't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine... Let it shine 'till Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine...See Matthew 5:16, Luke 11:33, Matthew 5:14-15,
Here's Amen from the Impressions record:
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
sing it over
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
See the little baby
Wrapped in a manger on Christmas morning
singing in the temple
Talking with the elders
Tomorrow there's wisdom
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
Hallelujah
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
Down at the Jordan
John was baptizing and saving all sinners
See him at the seaside
Talking with the fisherman
And made them disciples
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
Keep on pushin now
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
Hallelujah now
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen
Publisher Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Songwriter GOLDSMITH, JERRALD K
Spike1: Otis unquestionably added the words of "This Little Light of Mine" to his 1968 cut of "Amen", which did not feature the Baby Jesus lyrics of the Impressions cut. The Brentford Choir take their cue from Otis. Mind you, this means I'll need to revisit the Wailers ska cut...
Here are the Wailers, with Peter Tosh on guitar and vocals, recording "Amen" in a ska stylee in 1965, using none of the verses from the Impressions cut, nor any recognisable gospel verses, just the odd interjections about the fishermen. this was probably released on 45 on the Tabernacle label, but I've never seen a vinyl copy.
allmusic.com says this about the song:
"The roots of "Amen" lie in a Negro spiritual, but the song first gained notice when Sidney Poitier sang it in the motion picture drama Lilies of the Field, which opened in the fall of 1963. A low-budget film about a handyman who builds a chapel for a group of nuns, Lilies of the Field was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, winning Poitier the best actor award. With that, the movie became a substantial hit, and a soundtrack album charted in the spring of 1964. "Amen," its title repeated throughout the course of a stirring melody, with brief verses relating to incidents in the Bible, was credited to Jerry Goldsmith, the composer of the film score. But when the Impressions recorded it for their Keep on Pushing LP, released in July, with an arrangement that began with a suggestion of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Amen" was credited to John W. Pate Sr. and Curtis Mayfield of the group. The Impressions' recording was released as a single in October 1964, probably to take advantage of its references to the Nativity for Christmas. It topped the R&B charts and reached the Top Ten of the pop charts. Thereafter, the song was recorded frequently by religious and pop artists. A posthumously released version by Otis Redding (which credited Redding as songwriter) placed in the pop Top 40 and the R&B Top 20 in 1968"
another facinating post/thread
Thanks guys!
It's possible, therefore, that both the Wailers and the Impressions had roughly the same idea at the same time. The Wailers cut certainly is not a "cover" of the Impressions, as the term is generally understood.
Bau: Entirely different, melodic verse in the Wailers version. Nice. I especially enjoy the sax solo. Creativity goin' on all over da place!
Spike, mon, what a difference context and such make. Of course, "Goldsmith, Gerrald K." Jerry Goldsmith is a fave movie music composer. His sccores are generally very creative and crafted with particular relevance to the picture. What a breackthrough Lillies of the Field was on a number of levels. Good info.