The Introduction of The Black College Independent Conservative: Why I Like 1950s and 1960s Gospel Music?

The Five Blind Boys (with Archie Brownlee) - 45 record of "Something Within Me".
Led by Archie Brownlee and Percell Perkins.

The Spirit of Memphis Quartet - Calvary. Led, written and arranged Wilmer Broadnax (although it says William). Sermon by Silas Steele.

The Highway QC's - Done Got Over. Credited as Public Domain.
Arranged by A. Flowers and Spencer Taylor.
Led by Spencer Taylor.



The logo of Specialty Records


My musical taste is very obscured. I say this because since I am in the younger generation, also known as the millennial generation, not many younger children and teenagers listen to the musical era of the 1950s and 1960s. Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley: the list can go on and on. However, there is one type of music that focuses more on a religious level, and that base on the musical history of the United States of America, this type of music would be the start of early rock and roll, soul, R&B, the doo wop sound, Motown sound, and even country.

Despite this type of music not having much radio airplay (even back then), Christian radio stations would put gospel solo singers and groups as their head start of the music industry, the gospel community and especially the black community and also have their own shows. Not only that, talent agents and A&R (artists and repertoire) scouts would recruit these artists to record labels such as Specialty, King, Peacock, and VeeJay, four of the biggest independent record labels recording for artists like The Soul Stirrers and The Pilgrim Travelers from Specialty, The Swan Silvertones (known as The Swan's Silvertone Singers) and The Spirit of Memphis Quartet from King, The Five Blind Boys (Mississippi) and The Dixie Hummingbirds from Peacock and The Highway QC's on VeeJay. All of these groups were part of the 1950s era of gospel, which was also known as the Golden Age of Gospel.

One of my favorite groups is VeeJay Records' The Highway QC's. (Picture below) This group was founded in 1945 which Sam Cooke first started as a young teenager before he joined the Soul Stirrers in 1951. They were known as the Teenage Highway QC's at Chicago Highway Baptist Church. Over the years, a change of members occurred, from Johnnie Taylor to the current lead Spencer Taylor (no relation), but it did not stop the group for having falsetto harmonies. In the leadership of Johnnie Taylor, songs such as "Somewhere To Lay My Head", "I Dreamed That Heaven Was Like This", I'll Trust His Word", and "He Lifted My Burdens" are only a few to name. Like Sam Cooke, he sings in a raspy, but calm and nice voice and great yodels ( recommended to listen to "Somewhere To Lay My Head", "I Dreamed That Heaven Was Like This", and "I'll Trust His Word"). However, as much as I like J. Taylor, Spencer Taylor made the group's performances way interesting, with his lead and hits of Johnny Broderick's and Barbara Ruth's "The Way Up The Hill" (picture below) and its B-side of his own composition of "There's Something On My Mind".

Spencer Taylor's vocals, in my opinion, sounds very similar to Johnnie, which is understandable to think that they were related, but Spencer was born in Alabama and Johnnie was born in Missouri. Spencer is known for his yells and his way of singing "I" in some songs like "I Don't Know Why". Other singers like James Davis (bottom right of picture) is known for leading "Nobody Knows", "My Cry", "This Is My Song", and "Speak To Me". I think he sounds like a lighter Paul Foster of the Soul Stirrers. He goes underrated, like S. Taylor, but I believe groups like this need to be talked about.

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The 78 rpm record of The Way Up The Hill by the Highway QC's. It was led by Spencer Taylor.

 



The Highway QC's with Spencer Taylor (far left) and Johnnie Taylor (center).