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Dave's Top Eight
1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars) Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.
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Most Recent Articles
Why blog? (Three years and counting)
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-----------June 30, 2005Sing A Song For Heaven's Sake It's trivia time...Yes Virginia, there is a Southern Gospel movie. Sadly, it didn't do for Southern Gospel what Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? did for bluegrass and folk music, but nonetheless... In 1966, Marathon Pictures released a feature length film starring Merle Kilgore titled Sing A Song For Heaven’s Sake. It has a relatively undeveloped plot about a young boy who thinks attending a gospel music concert will hamper his reputation. He changes his mind after attending a concert in a small rural church. The movie is essentially a showcase for the top gospel acts of the mid-1960s with more than 30 songs included. The Stamps, Chuck Wagon Gang, Red Foley, Rangers Trio, Swanee River Boys, Blue Ridge Quartet, Lewis Family and others are featured during the course of the film. (See the entire lineup in the photo.) Sing A Song For Heaven’s Sake premiered at the 1966 National Quartet Convention, but failed to attract attention at the secular box office. Pierce LeFevre hated it so much that he wrote a scathing editorial in the LeFevre Family’s newsletter. He said all the copies should be bought up and destroyed. The LeFevre Family did not appear in the film. In recent years, the concert portions of the film have been repackaged and offered for sale at reunion events, but the full length film is difficult to find in a modern video format. Labels: Movies June 25, 2005Allegiance Concert Report Allegiance Concert, 6-25-05, Inman, SCI just got home from seeing Allegiance. These guys are VERY blessed with vocal skills. They did a great job tonight. It was just their third weekend out, so they are still getting used to each other...there was a bit of stop and go with the emcee stuff, but that type of thing is going to come more natural the more frequently they sing. Of course, there was one distraction there...SOME WOMAN kept heckling Jodi to sing "Mary, Did You Know?" But I'm not naming any names!!! I think you're going to like "The Allegiance" (as the pastor introduced them). :o) I've enjoyed hearing Jodi Hosterman sing from the first time I heard him with the Kingdom Heirs and I was very impressed with Jonathan Farley and Josh Spencer, tonight being the first time I'd heard either of them (at least I think...I may have heard them at NQC with previous groups, though). I got there fairly early...SOME WOMAN told me it started at 6:00 PM when it really started at 7. But no problem...it gave me a chance to chat with the guys for a while. Jodi mentioned that all their first names start with the letters "J-O," but he said they hadn't come up with anything creative using that common feature. I suggested that they rename themselves "The Joe-boys."  Tonight's program was made up of cover songs...no new material. One thing I observed is that they all seem to get along with each other and they don't seem to be in a huge hurry to "make it big." I may be wrong, but I think this is the type of group you'll gradually hear more and more about as time goes by. It may be a year from now before they get to the point of recording a full blown, "big budget" studio project with all new material, but they appear to be patient about it at this point, which is a real good sign. They plan for their first recording to be of favorites like they're singing in concert. Jonathan and I spoke afterwards about the fact that it has to be something you enjoy doing first, and the way you keep enjoying it is by not getting in so deep so fast. Financial debt has taken away the joy of performing and not only that, it has killed off many a good group who thought they had to have the slick product table and the big bus too soon. So see Allegiance and support them if you get the chance. I highly recommend them. Labels: Concert Review June 20, 2005Palmetto State Quartet Biography Palmetto State Quartet(late 1940s-present) Early members of the Palmetto State Quartet in the late 1940s included Greenville, SC residents Jamie Dill (pianist), Clarence Owens (tenor), Woodrow Pittman (lead), Malone Thomason (baritone), and Paul Burroughs (bass). The group had a 30-minute program on Greenville radio station WFBC on Sundays at 8:00 AM. Jack Earl Pittman replaced his first cousin Woodrow in 1954. Jack Bagwell replaced Thomason around the same time. The two Jacks would sing together in the group for more than 40 years. For many years, the group operated as a part-time regional group. Ken Turner sang bass for the group in the 1960s after Burroughs left. Laverne Tripp also filled in for Jack Pittman for a while when Pittman was having health problems. The group actually stopped singing for a while in the late 1960s, but formed again in 1971 with Dill, Bagwell, Pittman, Claude Hunter, and Cliff King. The next change came in 1981 when Joel Duncan replaced King at the bass position. Eddie Broom joined as the group’s guitar player in 1984 and became their tenor singer when Hunter left in 1986. The Palmetto State Quartet began to expand their horizons in 1989. Dill had passed away in 1987 and was replaced by David McCabe at the keys. Jack Pittman took over as the group manager. In 1989, the legendary Hovie Lister replaced McCabe following his stint with the Masters V. The presence and personality of Lister opened up new doors for the group to travel more. Woody Beatty joined them a few months later to augment Lister’s keyboard with his synthesizer work. Beatty became the full time pianist when Lister left in 1992 to re-organize the Statesmen. By 1987, the Palmetto State Quartet was working a full time schedule. Bagwell and Pittman decided to retire in 1997. Bass singer Harold Gilley made his exit from the group at the same time. The restructuring that followed brought in Kerry Beatty to sing lead, Tony Peace at baritone, and Jeff Pearles on bass. The group has had a series of changes in recent years. Former Kingsmen pianist Andrew Ishee succeeded Woody Beatty at piano. John Rulapaugh joined the group to sing tenor in 2002. Aaron McCune became the group’s bass singer in 2003, and Rick Fair replaced Tony Peace in 2004. Despite the changes, the group’s song “Knock, Knock, Knock” reach the number one position on the Singing News Top 80 radio airplay chart in 2004. Labels: biography June 13, 2005Ben Speer Biography Speer, Ben Lacy Speer (1930 - ) Ben Speer was born in Double Springs, AL in 1930 and began performing with his family group at the age of two. The youngest of the four Speer siblings, Ben eventually made “The King Is Coming” his signature song. He also arranged music for the group and developed a reputation as a comic emcee for the group. Ben retired from the Speer Family in 1992, but continued to appear with them at select dates until the group itself retired in the late 1990s. The Speers still appear from time to time on reunion events. In addition to performing, Ben Speer established the Ben Speer Music Company in 1946, the first major publisher of sheet music. In more recent years, he has been active as a record producer in the Southern Gospel music industry, most notably for the Homeland label and the Gaither Homecoming videos where he’s also frequently a featured performer and functions as Gaither’s music director. In addition to artist projects, Speer has produced numerous accompaniment tracks for Homeland’s EZ Key series and sang with the Homeland Quartet alongside label owner Bill Traylor. Speer has also operated the Ben Speer’s Stamps-Baxter School Of Music, a two-week summer program on the campus of Trivecca Nazarene University, for a number of years. Labels: biography June 11, 2005Oak Ridge Boys Biography Oak Ridge Boys(1943-present) The Oak Ridge Boys grew out of Wally Fowler’s Georgia Clodhoppers. The town of Oak Ridge, TN drew national attention after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in August 1945. Fowler, whose group had been popular in the area since 1943, subsequently re-named the group after the town. At first they were known as the Oak Ridge Quartet, but they also referred to themselves using the “Boys” moniker dating back to the early 1950s. Starts and Restarts Over the next 20 years, more than 30 members passed through the group including Calvin Newton, Joe Allred, Cat Freeman, and a teen-aged Glen Allred who played guitar and sang baritone whenever Fowler didn’t appear with the group. Fowler actually started a group called the Oak Ridge Quartet at least four times. The first group left Fowler to form the Stone Mountain Quartet. Fowler hired a new group, which he sold to Bob Weber in 1952. It folded in a couple of years. Fowler reclaimed the group name with a third lineup in 1956. Smitty Gatlin was the group manager/lead singer and Ronnie Page sang baritone with the 1956 group. The group members secured the ownership from Fowler in 1958 and with the addition of tenor Willie Wynn, bass Herman Harper, and pianist Tommy Fairchild, they became one of the more popular quartets in the early 1960s.  The 1960s: Success In Gospel MusicDuring the 1960s, the Oak Ridge Boys had their own television program, which was geared for youth. The program was called It’s Happening. They also popularized a stage routine called “Go Out To The Program” which featured the Oaks mimicking the popular songs of other artists. (The routine was actually originated in 1953 by the Dixie Hummingbirds, a popular black gospel group.) In one skit, for example, tenor Willie Wynn and the rest of the Oaks would sing the song “Higher” in the style of Rose Carter with the Chuck Wagon Gang. This was especially popular on multi-artist events, because the artist they were spoofing would often join them on stage to the delight of the crowd. By this time, the group was known and marketed as the Oak Ridge Boys, so Fowler started a fourth group and again named it the Oak Ridge Quartet. A lawsuit filed by Gatlin and the other Oak Ridge Boys forced Fowler to stop using the name, though. When Gatlin left the group a few months after the resolution of the lawsuit in 1966, Duane Allen was hired to take his place. William Lee Golden was already singing with the group by this point, succeeding baritone Jim Hamill in 1965 (who succeeded Gary McSpadden in 1964). Noel Fox replaced Herman Harper in 1969. The 1970s: Moving From Gospel To Secular Allen and Golden got to know Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban over the next few years. When the bass slot came open in 1972, Sterban was hired. He had been singing backup bass for J. D. Sumner in the Stamps and touring with Elvis Presley previously. Bonsall joined in 1973, replacing the 15 year veteran tenor Willie Wynn. The group continued to sing gospel music until 1975, but their increasingly progressive stage presence had begun to worry some promoters. Many fans were bothered as well. 200 people stood and marched out in protest when they performed in Roanoke, VA in 1975, an act the Oaks accused the Kingsmen of putting into motion, but the Kingsmen denied. Jim Hamill was particularly outspoken about the direction the Oak Ridge Boys were going at this time, referring to them as a “night club act.” Les Beasley would also speak positively about the image of the Statler Brothers, saying they weren’t “Oak Ridge types.”  The turning point came when they were booked to open a tour for Roy Clark and were told they were just “three minutes” away from making it big in Country music…that is to say, they had everything they needed to succeed in terms of talent and stage presentation except one hit song. After a couple of lean years attempting to break in the Country industry and failing on the Columbia label, they had success with their 1977 MCA album called Y’all Come Back Saloon. Any doubts about whether or not the Oaks were switching to secular were resolved at that point.The 1980s and 1990s: Secular Successes A string of hits in the late 1970s and 1980s established the Oaks alongside the Statler Brothers as Country music’s top male vocal groups. With novelty songs like “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue” and a Gospel/Christmas/Country genre-crossing classic in “Thank God For Kids,” their popularity reached new heights. After Bonsall joined the group in 1973, their only change in membership came in 1987 when William Lee Golden was voted out of the group for failing to modify his “mountain man” appearance among other issues. Band member Steve Sanders took Golden’s place, and Golden sued the group for $40 million. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. Golden returned to the group at the beginning of 1996, still a mountain man. Sanders died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1998.  Back To RootsFor most of their secular career, the Oak Ridge Boys recorded for MCA and RCA. In 2001, the Oak Ridge Boys signed a recording contract with Spring Hill and released From The Heart, an all gospel project containing new material. With several Spring Hill recordings now under their belt, the Oaks have won their way into the hearts of gospel fans again, although they still receive criticism from some for continuing to appear at questionable venues such as casinos. The group has been featured on the Gaither Homecoming videos in recent years and has a daily show at the Grand Palace in Branson, MO. Labels: biography June 10, 2005Dad Speer Biography George Thomas "Dad" Speer(1891 - 1966) G. T. Speer was born in Fayette County, Georgia in 1891 and was raised near the town of Double Springs, Alabama. He taught in singing schools for the Vaughan and Stamps-Baxter based schools and had a reputation for being a stickler when it came to proper singing. In 1921, Speer and his new wife, Lena, organized The Speer Quartet along with G. T.’s sister and brother-in-law, Pearl and Logan Claborn. The Claborn’s left the group in 1925. As G. T. and Lena’s children Brock, Mary Tom, Rosa Nell, and Ben matured, they were trained and developed into the Singing Speer Family, a group that continued traveling into the 1990s. Dad Speer also wrote over 600 gospel songs. Many are standard repertoire for groups today. Some of his more popular tunes include "Heaven's Jubilee," "I Never Shall Forget the Day," and "The Dearest Friend I Ever Had." Labels: biography June 8, 2005Tracking the Dove Brothers Tracking the Dove BrothersFirst impressions of their latest studio session The Dove Brothers were/are laying down vocal tracks for their new project at the Crossroads recording studio June 7-9. At the invitation of McCray Dove, I dropped by (if hanging around for seven hours and driving them to Sagebrush for lunch can be called "dropping by"). At any rate, I was there long enough to hear them record most of the vocals for four new songs. If the tracks I didn't hear are similar in style to the four I did, one thing is for sure about this upcoming project...it ain't your daddy's Dove Brothers. I don't want to spoil your sense of anticipation by being overly descriptive or analytical about their new sound, but I will go so far as to say their current single from the Tribute To Mosie Lister CD provides a hint as to the direction they're taking. Two of the songs I heard have great potential for airplay, IMO, something that has eluded the Dove Brothers in the past. I heard one that could be called a theme song for the internet rumor mill. It's a borderline novelty tune about gossip...I say borderline, because the verses are relatively tongue in cheek; it's one of those deals where you could say it would be really funny if it weren't so true. The chorus has a strong message and a memorable lyrical hook. The melody is pretty catchy as well. Regarding the other entities involved in the recording process...I was impressed with the efficiency of session engineer Van Atkins. While a track is being recorded for the first time, for example, he's busy inserting cue points that will make it simpler to do overdubs later. Producer Jeff Collins has an excellent knack for giving directions to the singers without stifiling their creativity and input. As for the musicians, I'm glad to see them getting the opportunity to call attention to themselves on this project. Virtuoso session musicians should be called upon to blow the soot out, IMO. From what I've heard, the musicians who played on the new Dove Brothers CD got the opportunity to do just that. Don't fear...the group's trademark brand of vocal harmony is still intact and they (along with Collins) came up with a number of difficult vocal licks to add during the session. The difference in their sound is that now the music itself is more of an element...it's conceptual, giving them a distinct style that has the potential to define what is expected of them in the future. I say "potential," because it will ultimately hinge on how well the fans respond. Again now, that's based on my hearing only four tracks out of what will be at least ten in the process of being made...it's a bit like being in the kitchen and sampling the cookie dough before you put your cookies in the oven and saying, "Hey, those are going to be great cookies!" I caught the work while it was still in progress along with all that goes with that...but I really like the direction they're going. When all is said and done, this project should attract a new generation of fans to the Dove Brothers. June 7, 2005Brock Speer Biography Jackson Brock Speer(Dec. 28, 1920 – Mar. 29, 1999) Brock Speer began singing professionally with his parent's quartet while still a small boy in the 1920s. Aside from a stint as a soldier in World War II, Speer sang with his family group his entire life. Ultimately moving to the bass position, Speer became the leader of the group after the death of his parents in the mid-1960s. Under Speer’s direction, the group was one of the top drawing groups in the industry until their retirement, recording on the RCA, Benson, and Homeland labels among others. In 1972, Speer served as president of the GMA. He also served the organization as chairman of the board and was a permanent board member. He was inducted into the GMA Hall Of Fame in 1975. The SGMA inducted Brock into their Hall Of Fame in 1997, also inducting his parents that same year. Labels: biography June 6, 2005Mom Speer Biography Lena Brock "Mom" Speer(1900 - 1967) Lena Brock grew up in a musical family. Her father, Charles A. Brock, taught music in the South and trained his children to sing at an early age. Her brother Dwight Moody Brock was one of the more innovative piano players of his day, introducing what became a common practice of instrumental turnarounds between verses and being one of the first to establish the five man “quartet,” four singers plus a piano player. He was with some of the earliest versions of the Stamps Quartets. After marrying G. T. Speer in 1920, Lena joined him in forming the Speer Quartet the following year. She was the group’s original soprano and continued to perform alongside her husband and with their four children as the Singing Speer Family until her death in 1967. She was best known for her moving renditions of songs like "Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All" and "Time Has Made A Change In Me." In 1997, Speer and her husband were inducted into the SGMA Hall Of Fame. Labels: biography June 3, 2005Jimmie Davis Biography James Houston "Jimmie" Davis(1899 - 2000) Jimmie Davis got his start in the music business writing country songs in the 1920s and 1930s. His most popular tune was “You Are My Sunshine,” written in 1940. He also played roles in several westerns filmed by Columbia Pictures in the 1940s. It was also in the 1940s that Davis pursued a political career, ultimately becoming governor of Louisiana in 1944. In his later campaigns for political office, Davis would sing gospel music while the Plainsmen Quartet backed him up. This endeared him to voters, and he served a second term as governor in the early 1960s. Davis recorded on the RCA Victor label and also on Decca, and was best remembered for his performances of the songs “Suppertime” and “Mansion Over A Hilltop.” He also wrote a number of gospel songs including "Someone To Care" and “Sheltered In The Arm Of God” (co-written with Dottie Rambo). Davis served a term as President of the GMA in 1967, and later married former Chuck Wagon Gang member Anna Carter Gordon. The Nashville Songwriters, Country Music, and the SGMA have inducted Davis into their respective Halls Of Fame. Labels: biography 
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