A budget Sunday afternoon gospel, from a ten-inch Royale reissue of sides recorded in 1946 for Majestic. I got decent sound out of this cheap piece of wafer-thin vinyl, but only because I used my widest LP needle--a conventional .07 mil needle doesn't do the job. Excellent, traditional Southern gospel material, with the numbers by the Thomas Family (a Chuck Wagon Gang-style group) especially bouncy, save for the slow-gospel standard, Farther Along, which quick on-line research reveals to have words and music by William B. Stevens, from 1911 (the words, at least).
I Ain't Gonna Study War No More is, of course, is a spiritual also known as Down By the Riverside.
The Southern Joy Quartet is a very solid group--kind of a less showy Statesmen Quartet. Nice to find gospel of this high quality from the least of the cheap label groups. This was a last-minute job, as I'd put a lot of work into restoring a more recent (1968) black gospel LP that I should have Amazon-checked right off the bat. A common sense lapse, since the artist was super-popular. The album took a lot of work, and it was only until I had it almost ready to go that I checked Amazon and, of course, found it in digital-download form. I was initially so happy to have thrifted such fine material, I didn't stop to think. Of course, not thinking is an American tradition, so perhaps I was simply fulfilling my patriotic duty.
Luckily, today's LP gave me little trouble, ripping-wise, and it turns out to be excellent. Can't complain. For both groups, these tracks appear to be their entire Majestic/Eli Oberstein output. I kind of like the minimalist art on these ten-inch Royales, art which is credited, in this case, to "Design House," which I doubt is the artist's name. But you never know. ("Hey, Design! Mr. House! We need same art. Are you free this afternoon?")
DOWNLOAD: Southern Joy Quartet, Thomas Family
I'm a Debtor, I Know--The Southern Joy Quartet (1946)
My Labor Will Be O'er--Same
There's a Little Log Cabin--Same
He Set Me Free--Same
I Ain't Gonna Study War No More--The Thomas Family (1946)
Farther Along--Same
I Can't Sit Down--Same
You Better Get Down on Your Knees and Pray--Same
Southern Hymns (Royale 18121, 10" LP)
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