Purified

Description

Purified is the gospel debut album by the American soul singer Ben Moore, released on Priority Records in January 1982, a short-lived gospel label established by CBS Records i 1981. Also released on the CBS Special Products label. The album was recorded by Don Schroeder and Chuck Ainlay at The Sound Lab in Nashville, Tennessee; with Schroeder producing for Papa Don Productions. Mixed by Schroeder and Bob Sowell at Cheshire Sound Studio in Atlanta. Featuring covers of “Someone’s Got A Hold On Me”, a song written by Marty McCall and originally recorded by his band Fireworks on their live-album released in 1980, and “He’s Coming Back”, a song written by David Huff and originally recorded by his band David & the Giants on their album This One’s For You released in 1978.

Ben Moore is backed by a session band consisting of Bobby Wood on acoustic piano, Bobby Emmons on electric piano and Moog synthesizer, Reggie Young on guitar, Mike Leech on bass, and Jerry Carrigan and Jerry Croon on drums. Backing vocals provided by The Lea Jane Singers.

Over at CBS, the winter of 1980 saw plans to create Priority, a new label and publishing company to deal entirely with gospel, and in May, 1981, Buddy Huey was appointed to the position of vice president/general manager of the label, which is now based in Nashville. Prior to his appointment, Huey was vice president of A&R with Word Records for six years. Priority handles production, sales, distribution, marketing, promotion and publishing of approximately 11 artists today, and Huey plans to keep the roster of talent to about 15 recording acts. This January, the label released its debut outing, an album by R&B artist Ben Moore, and February saw the release of its second endeavor, a disc by contemporary Christian singer Carman. Two other albums – “Country Gospel” by the Statler Brothers and a country gospel anthology – have also been released under the Priority logo. Much of CBS’s past catalog, including religiously oriented material by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and the Oak Ridge Boys, will be distributed to Christian Booksellers Assn. (CBA) stores in hopes that the well-known performers will become viable attractions in the bible store marketplace. [Excerpt from an article by Jeffrey Ressner entitled “Major Labels Intensify Involvement in Gospel Music”, published in the March 6, 1982 issue of CashBox Magazine]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “He’s Only A Prayer Away” – 4:08
A2. “Someone’s Got A Hold On Me” – 2:56
A3. “He Belives In Me” – 2:28
A4. “Jesus Saves” – 2:47
A5. “Spreadin’ Like Wildfire” – 3:08

Side Two
B1. “I’ll Keep My Light In My Window” – 4:29
B2. “In These Changing Times” – 3:55
B3. “He’s Coming Back” – 3:10
B4. “He’s Reaching Out” – 2:48

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Priority Records. Also released on CBS Special Products.

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A full-page advertisement for various new releases on CBS Records’ gospel label Priority, including Ben Moore’s album Purified, was featured in the January 1982 issue of Campus Life, the magazine’s annual music issue.

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