This May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel on 45RPM, 1957-1982

Description

This May Be My Last Time Singing, sub-titled Raw African-American Gospel on 45RPM, 1957-1982, is a multi-artist 3CD box set released on Tompkins Square in September 2011.

It was preceded by the release of the three-CD boxed set Fire in My Bones: Raw, Rare & otherworldly African-American Gospel, 1944-2007, and followed by the four-CD boxed set I Heard the Angels Singing: Electrifying Black Gospel from the Nashboro Label, 1951-1983 and the three-CD boxed set When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel, 1926-1936.

This release is a follow-up to the much praised ‘Fire In My Bones: Raw + Rare + Other-Wordly African-American Gospel (1944-2007)’ reviewed elsewhere on this site. The compiler is the same Mike McGonigal and likewise the format is unchanged: three CDs and an informative booklet. The Tompkins Square website says this about the new release: “Get ready for fiery sanctified soul, heavy Pentecostal jams, drum machine gospel, slow-burning moaners, glorified guitar sermons and righteously ragged a cappela hymns! The music on this compilation was originally released on small label 45s, mostly in the 1960s and ’70s. At least one-third of the records were self-released, paid for by a church congregation or the artists themselves. Others were on regional labels (typically run by one single producer) little known today outside of a small circle of collectors. This vibrant music is incredibly honest and almost criminally unknown.” Amen to that. Frankly, I did not recognise a single name from the 72 acts represented here and none of them crop up in my trusty copy of Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia and yet there are some songs here that I am never going to forget. The title track is by Missionary Mamie Sample and there is a similar «May Be My Last Time» by Jerry and Naomi Jerkins with some seriously heavy guitar just about audible in the background. Then there is «On The Right Road Now» by the wonderfully named Crump Brothers, «I Believe I Will Go Home» by Big Dan and the Gospel Heavyweights with that rare bird, the bass singing the lead and so many others that I cannot hope to list them all. Even if I did the chances are that you haven’t heard of any of them either. These are recordings that today would be on My Space or You Tube to promote the band, the preacher, or the church. None of them were hits and none of this matters. There are some great recordings here and although the sound quality is variable, it truly delivers the promised “fiery sanctified soul”. [Steven Whitehead, Cross Rhythms, July 2012]