Minneapolis spokesman., 1962-02-02

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had time to play Maurice White
all of them on the first broadcast.
The quality of both the music and
singers alike has greatly i'm
proved. There seems to be more
emphasis upon diction than in
years past. One can understand
more Of what the singers are say
ing.
In planning the first broadcast
had two major problems: one, a
theme song. Should it be fast and
lively or slow and serious? Should
it be group, a solo or an in
strumental?
The ether problem was what
songs to play on the first program
out of the hundreds that I liked.
Ordinarily, in other sections of the
country selecting records to be
played on a program of this sort
would not present a problem. How
ever, in the Twin Cities where this
type of broadcast is new, where
the broadcast audience must be
appealed to and where the audience
is more discriminating and sophis-
ticated than in other areas, selec-
ton of the right records does pre-
sent a problem.
Future programs will be guided
by the wishes of audience as they
are made known by letters and
postcards to me.
Returning to the theme song,
narrowed my choice down to two:
Come On Go With Me-, a moving
solo by Jimmy Jones and God Is
So Wonderful" by The Back Home
Choir of The Greater Harvest Bap-
tist Church of New Jersey.
Well, after listening to both re-
cordings a number of times, I fin
ally managed to select one as a
theme song. Those of you who have
heard the First Church of Deliver
ance broadcast Sunday nights in
Chicago will remember their theme
song, Jesus Is The Light Of The
World" Remembering how loved
to hear that choir sing that song,
I choose The Back Home Choir's
number - God Is So Wonderful"
I've never heard a more stirring
rendition.
The sixty voice choir was formed
by two brothers Charles and
Jeff Banks, both gospel singers
and composers - who once were
a gospel team travelling as "The
Famous Banks Brothers"
After settling the theme song
problem, I began building the pro-
gram body. Here are some of the
records under consideration: $50
Many Years" by The Gospel Har-
monettes; Somewhere To Lay My
Head" by The Highway Q.C''s; I'm
The Garden by Jimmy Jones; my
Rock" by The Swan Silvertones;
Morning Train" by The Sensation
al Nightingales; "Will This Circle
Be Unbroken" by The Staple Sing
ers; Let My People Go" by The
Jubilee Four; Devil Can't Harm
A Praying Man" by The Dixie
Hummingbirds; an instrumental of
Amazing Grace by Maceo
Woods; and a narration by Sid
Mccoy called my Mothers Knee"
This list is by no means COM
plete. There are so many I'd like to
play on the first broadcast. How
ever, these are just few.
AS I was selecting the records,
I discovered the backs of the al
buns contain some interesting in
formation. For example: The Cos
pei Harmonettes are a group of
Birmingham Alabama school teach
ers; The Highway Q.C.'s got their
name from a place Of worship
the Highway Baptist Church and
a place of learning-a high school
with the initials "Q.C." Also, Sam
Cooke was one of the original
Highway Q.C.'s before he became
famous on his own.
The Swan Silvertones were once
known as the Four Harmony Kings
before two more members were
added and they began singing on
the radio as the Silvertone Singers.
Their sponsor was the Swan Broth
ers Bakery. The group took the
Swan part and became the Swan
Silvertones, as they are now
known.
The Staple Singers consist of a