Gospel

Black gospel music, often called gospel music or gospel, is the traditional music of the Black diaspora in the United States. It is rooted in the conversion of enslaved Africans to Christianity, both during and after the trans-atlantic slave trade, starting with work songs sung in the fields and, later, with religious songs sung in various church settings, later classified as Negro Spirituals (which shaped much of traditional Black gospel).
Black Gospel music has been traditionally concerned with the African-American quest for freedom. It has provided both "spiritual and communal uplift," first in the fields, and later in the Black Church; during the 1960s era in the South, it was described as the "soundtrack of the struggle for civil rights," helping create unity and faith for the work.
The modern iteration of the genre, contemporary gospel, emerged in the late 1970s as a fusion of the traditional genre with the musical stylings of the era in secular Black music, which resulted in popularizing a whole new generation of artists and songs, expanding the larger genre's reach.
(Read more at Wikipedia.)
== Links To Peel ==
Gospel music barely featured in Peel's programmes during the early stages of his British radio career A rare exception was on the Night Ride of 01 May 1968, when JP played the Reverend A Johnson's "God Don't Like It" from a limited issue EP aimed at collectors. The track had originally been issued on shellac in 1953 and was in an older gospel style, closely related to rural blues., but in 1969, he was the first Radio 1 DJ to play 'Oh Happy Day' by gospel choir the Edwin Hawkins Singers, which went on to reach #2 in the UK singles charts. 
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Although not a religious man, Peel was wildly enthusiastic about the "awe-inspiring" sermons of celebrated Baptist preacher CL Franklin, who the DJ had first heard on US radio. Later, the reverend’s daughters Aretha and Erma were among the many black gospel and gospel-influenced singers who Peel featured in his shows. In particular, the DJ was a big fan of Aretha’s gospel-style version of LFC anthem You'll Never Walk Alone, which he also played recorded by gospel group Blind Boys Of Alabama. 
Like Aretha, many American soul and funk artists had backgrounds in gospel music before turning “secular”, including Peel-played singers such as Sam Cooke (originally with the Soul Stirrers), Johnnie Taylor (Highway QC's, Soul Stirrers), Wilson Pickett (Violinaires), Little Johnny Taylor and Bunker Hill (both Mighty Clouds Of Joy).The Staples Singers, known for their civil rights activism, were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame. Peel hero Little Richard was a rock and roll pioneer who returned to gospel music after his initial success in secular music, while soul giant Al Green became an ordained pastor and also went back to his musical roots. Before leaving school at 15, Otis Redding earned $6 every Sunday by performing gospel songs for the local radio station.
With Peel featuring increasing amounts of contemporary black American music on his shows from the mid-1970s, it was not unexpected for the DJ to try to explore its origins and influences, similar to his longstanding interest in blues. Many early country blues singers, like Charley Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson had also recorded gospel material, while other singer-guitarists, like Blind Willie Johnson and Reverend Gary Davis, specialised in religious songs. Peel favourite Son House's declamatory style was heavily gospel-influenced; before turning to blues he had been a church pastor and one of his best-known tracks was called "Preachin' The Blues".The standard discographical work for pre-World War 2 blues is Dixon and Godrich's Blues and Gospel Records 1890-1943, its title expressing the close connection between the two genres.
One big problem Peel initially faced was getting hold of gospel records from outside the United States. In his Sounds column of 13 Oct 1973, he wrote with excitement of “gospel freak” neighbour Mick introducing him to music that “at its best has a rawness and an energy we seldom hear today,” by performers such as Ollie Nightingale, Clarence Fountain, and the Rance Allen Group. The DJ, however, also recounted failed attempts to acquire records by gospel artists via orders with import shops and begging letters to acquaintances in the States. Within a month, though, he was reporting a loan of records from gospel collector Steve Marriott (of Humble Pie) to play on Top Gear,On 06 December 1973, after playing 'The Keynotes Prayer' from the Gospel Keynotes LP 'Wide River', Peel said, "Very grateful to Steve…” (presumably directed at Marriott). as well as an order for all 118 LPs in the gospel-heavy catalogue of the Duke/Peacock group labels recently acquired by ABC/Dunhill, who had a London office.
In 1976, in the third programme of his Where It's At series, tracing the development and influence of black music from blues to disco, Peel played 'Way Down In The Hole' by the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama to represent the gospel genre. While acknowledging the form's limited popularity among white audiences compared with other types of black music, the DJ noted with satisfaction that its "intense and often startling vocals" were difficult for white rock singers to duplicate.Which didn't mean that gospel had no influence on white musicians and singers; in the early twentieth century a parallel tradition of white gospel developed in the rural south of the USA and deeply influenced the development of Country music, as well as rock'n'roll singers like Jerry Lee Lewis, who began his career in church and Elvis Presley, who in 1967 released a gospel album, How Great Thou Art. A few years later, artists with a southern background like Leon Russell produced gospel-influenced work, as did Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers. The Byrds issued a cover version of a Black gospel song, "Jesus Is Just Alright" in 1969.
Over the following decades, gospel would become more widely available and better known in the UK, with Peel continuing to play occasional tracks from CD reissues of vintage material. On 26 November 1984 and 28 November 1984, his show featured a promo by Lenny Henry offering tickets for a Radio One concert by the London Community Gospel Choir, who would later feature with Blur in the 1999 Festive Fifty, at #40 with 'Tender’. Earlier the same year, indie favourites Hefner recorded a Peel session of gospel covers.
== Compilations ==
(Known plays by Peel from various artist (v/a) compilations of gospel music, in order of first play. Please add more information if known.)
	
	
(LP - A Christmas Dedication) Checker
*23 December 1975: Violinaires: The Sound Of Christmas
*20 December 1978: Violinaires: The Sound Of Christmas
*24 December 1992: Meditation Singers: Blue Christmas
*08 December 1999: Meditation Singers: Blue Christmas
*08 December 1999: Violinaires: The Sound Of Christmas
(2xLP - Black Gospel: Classic Recordings of The Gospel Sound) MCA
*27 May 1985: Rev Robert Ballinger: 'Little Black Train
*28 May 1985: Reverend Robert Ballinger: Moving Up The King's Highway
(LP - The World's Greatest Gospel Artists Sing The Favorite Gospel Music Of Our Time) Peacock
*03 September 1985: Highway QCs: Condition Of The World
(LP - The Golden Age Of Gospel Singing) Folklyric
*14 January 1987: Nightingale Jubalaires: A Dying Veterans Plea
*21 January 1987: Bessie Griffin: Too Close
(2xLP - Aretha Franklin - One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism) Arista 
*15 December 1987: Jesse Jackson: Speech
*19 April 1988: Jesse Jackson: Speech
(LP - To Mother) Specialty 
*23 March 1988: Original Five Blind Boys Of Alabama: Goodbye Mother
(CD - 20 Gospel Greats) Cascade
*18 November 1990: Chosen Gospel Singers: 'Prayer For The Doomed
(CD - It's Jesus Y'All: Soulful Sound of Nashboro Gospel) Ace
*14 May 1994: Gospel Keynotes: Jesus, You've Been Good To Me
*27 May 1994: Troy Ramey & The Soul Searchers: I Can't Stop Holding On
*28 May 1994: Tommy Ellison & The Singing Stars: I Want To Be Loved
*03 June 1994: Salem Travelers: Hungry Child
*04 June 1994 (BFBS): Gospel Keynotes: Jesus You've Been Good To Me
(CD - The Best Of Excello Gospel) Ace
*15 July 1998: Sons Of The South: Didn't It Rain Children
*21 July 1998: Silvertone Singers Of Cincinnati: Run On To The End
(LP - Gospel: Negro Spirituals/Gospel Songs 1926-1942) Frémeaux & Associés 
*02 March 1999: Bessie Johnson: He Got Better Things For You
(CD - Loaves & Fishes (19 Inspirational Songs From Gospel's Golden Age)) Ace
*23 September 1999: Zion Travellers: The Blood
*26 September 1999 (BFBS): Zion Travelers: The Blood
(CD - Prayers From Hell (White Gospel & Sinners Blues)) Trikont
*13 January 2000: Dixon Brothers: Didn't Hear Nobody Pray
*19 January 2000: Dorsey & Beatrix Dixon: Shining City Over The River
*01 February 2000: Monroe Brothers: What Would The Profit Be?
*07 February 2000 (BFBS): Monroe Brothers: What Would The Profit Be
*09 February 2000: Bill Carlisle's Kentucky Boys: Unclouded Sky
*17 February 2000: Byron Parker & His Mountaineers: I Love My Saviour
(CD - Flashbacks #5: Hallelujah 1926-1946 Gospel & Prayers) Trikont
*17 July 2001: Roberta Martin Singers: The Old Ship Of Zion
== See Also ==
*Religion
*Paul Johnson(2)
*Swan Silvertones
*Together(2)
*Singles Reviews: Peel's reviews of new 45s for Sounds from 1973 to 1975 included gospel performers Dixie Hummingbirds (with Paul Simon).
*Sounds Playlist: Peel's lists of recently played LPs in Sounds in 1973 and 1974 included gospel performers Gospel Keynotes.
*Pig's Big 78 2000: 02 November 2000: Reverend J M Gates: Death's Black Train Is Coming
*Pig's Big 78 2004: 24 August 2004: Rev Kesley with the Congregation: Where Is The Lion In The Tribe Of Judea (Vocalion)
*Record Collection: G: Marion Gaines Singers: This Too Is Gospel
*Record Collection: J: Mahalia Jackson: Mahalia Jackson sings best-loved hymns of Dr. Martin Luther King
*The Collection (Peel Acres - Damon Albarn): Mahalia Jackson: We Shall Overcome
*The Collection (Peel Acres - Nabihah Iqbal): Reverend C.L. Franklin: Two Fish and Five Loaves Of Bread
== Links ==
*Wikipedia
== References ==
Category:Genres
Category:Compilations