The Soul Stirrers "Joy In My Soul" The Complete SAR Recordings 1959-1964

The Soul Stirrers provided Sam Cooke his launching pad toward stardom, so when he started SAR in 1960, he decided to return the favor by making the gospel group the first act signed to his label. Indeed, the mere availability of the Soul Stirrers prompted Cooke and his partners J.W. Alexander and S.R. Crain to form SAR, an unusual and risky move for black artists at the start of the '60s, but the Soul Stirrers inspired that kind of passion, even if Specialty Records wound up cutting the group from its roster in 1959. Cooke rushed the Soul Stirrers into the studio and they cut a session in 1959 with Sam's replacement Johnnie Taylor, but he would soon depart for his own solo career, with the group bringing in Jimmie Outler to sing lead. Outler wasn't as indebted to Cooke stylistically, but the records on Joy in My Soul: The Complete SAR Recordings -- an ABKCO/Ace release from 2015 that marks the first-ever digital release of this material (there are also four previously unreleased cuts here) -- still bear the imprint of Cooke, who produced a good chunk of this material and wrote many tunes to boot. Much of the similarity derives from a shared sensibility. While the harmonies may be firmly planted in the church, the production on these 33 tracks often resembles the nimbler sides Cooke recorded for RCA, a modernity that's accentuated by the Soul Stirrers' reliance on original material from Cooke, Alexander, Crain, Outler, and Leroy Crume. All this makes the Soul Stirrers' SAR recordings quintessentially contemporary gospel music: it's rooted in tradition but open-hearted and open-minded. Sometimes, the group might slide into sappiness ("Heaven Is My Home"), but these slight missteps are forgiven because this attitude also gave the group the slinky "God Is Standing By," the rolling "No Need to Worry," a wildly imaginative rearrangement of "Amazing Grace," and many other lively surprises that keep this feeling fresh and alive, even when the production sometimes bears all the hallmarks of its time. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)The legacy of The Soul Stirrers will always be the quality of their music, their innovative style, stage presence, longevity and a wealth of talent they had as members and lead singers. From their inception in Texas in 1936 until the present, there have been many members of this group and unfortunately, many of the namse have been lost in time. Those that made a name as stand outs and were able to thrill audiences both here and abroad, will never be forgotten. From the late forties until his departure in 1951, R. H. Harris was the voice that powered this quintet. Considered by many, one of the greatest voice of the era, his leaving creating a void thought too great to overcome, but in stepped nineteen year old Sam Cooke. Cooke who would immediately propel the Stirrers into a string of hits that would make the group a household name and one of the biggest acts in the gospel field. Their finest recordings on the Specialty Label out of Los Angeles during the mid fifties are arguably the finest ever recorded. The Cooke era ended in 1957 when Sam chose to record secular music. His replacement would be Johnnie Taylor, who, from 1957 to 1961 would record some of the sweetest Gospel Classics that can be heard on the cd " Heaven Is My Home ". namely, " Out On A Hill ", " There's Not A Friend ", " My Life Belongs To Him ' and " Heaven Is My Home ", had these songs been included, I would have given this volume five stars, but, that's okay as well. Johnnie Taylor would also leave the group for a number of reported reasons and he would be replaced by Jimmy Outler, ( after Cooke's pursuit of Joe Ligon Failed ). Jimmy's work with the group would not equal that of any of the former lead singers, but he would record another Stirrers classic, " Jesus Be A Fence Around Me ". On this volume he can be heard on lead on one of my personal favorites, " Since I Met The Savior ". During all this time, the one constant, was the presence of Paul Foster and J J Farley whose bass and baritone would anchor this group for many, many years. Outler's farewell came in 1964 and he would be replaced by James Phelps who would become the last lead singer of the group at the SAR Label. In December of 1964, Sam Cooke would be tragically and mysteriously killed in Los Angeles. But greatness can not be defeated by tragedy. The Stirrers would survive the death of Sam Cooke and the demise of SAR Records and they would ultimately wind up in the windy city with a totally new lineup with the exception of Farley. Eventually the group would be set with Willie Rogers, Arthur Crume, Sonny Mitchell, Martin Jacox and Farley. They would go on to record some very fine music for the Chess / Checker Group, again proving the resillience and resourcefulness of this group. Through the years and many lineup changes the Stirrers have remained elite in the field of gospel. Which of the group's composition or who was the best lead singer is the source of many conversations, but Joy In My Soul is the only place where you'll get to hear three of their lead singers being produced by the fourth and perhaps, the greatest of them all, but, to be completely fair and correct about the matter, I consider Paul Foster a great asset and one of the best singer the Soul Stirrers were lucky enough to have in the group. They come along only once in a lifetime and truly are ...irreplaceable.(A. D. Bowman, The Gospel Monthly)

trax cd 1:
01 I'm A Pilgrim 02 Listen To The Angels Sing 03 Jesus Be A Fence Around Me 04 Toiling On 05 He's Been A Shelter For Me 06 Stand By Me Father 07 Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone 08 Don't Leave Me Alone 09 I'm Thankful 10 I Love The Lord 11 He Cares 12 Wade In The Water 13 Lead Me Jesus 14 Heaven Is My Home 15 God Is Standing By 16 Oh How I Love Him 17 Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
trax cd 2:
01 His Love 02 No Need To Worry 03 Since I Met The Savior 04 Praying Ground 05 Amazing Grace 06 Free At Last 07 Something Here Inside 08 Time Brings About A Change 09 Joy In My Soul 10 Where Jesus Is 11 Looking Back 12 Oh Mary, Don't You Weep 13 Mother Don't Worry 'Bout Me 14 Lead Me To Calvary 15 All Over This World 16 When The Gates Swing Open
…served by Gyro1966...