It may or may not be the “big news” that Gerald Wolfe hinted at on Facebook last week, but a surprising bit of information dropped today in the form of a SocialCam video from Mark Lowry: Gordon Mote will no longer be with the Gaither Homecoming tour. Lowry quickly points out that Gordon will still be at Gaither events like Family Fest, just not on the regular tour. Mote will still be on the road; presumably, that means he is embarking on a solo venture, in addition to his studio work. You can keep up with him at his website.

This marks the second major change in the piano position for the Homecoming Tour, the first being Mote’s hire after the passing of Anthony Burger. Let the speculation begin as to who will fill the piano bench now. Will they go with a relative unknown, or hire someone more established?  Two players come to mind, the first being Tim Parton. He has already done quite a bit of work on various Gaither Videos, and if he was willing to take the job, he’d be a fine accompanist and arranger for the tour.

Another would be Christopher Phillips, who has showed up on a couple of Gaither productions himself. Here he is doing a duet with Gordon Mote:

If I’m not mistaken, didn’t he also play on Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s Dream On DVD? In any case, he would be a strong choice if Gaither were to look for someone that is basically a newcomer to the scene.

Daniel Mount has the scoop today: it appears that Guy Penrod will not be appearing at the Gaither Vocal Band reunion event at NQC. Also not appearing are Terry Franklin & Jonathan Pierce, who were not present at the videotaped Reunions. Penrod’s schedule does not show the date, but Mount says that the wording in the press release (“will include”) may mean that Penrod will be added at last minute. My question is, why is he not on there in the first place?

First of all, let me say that this is not a knock to the GVB. I believe an event with the current group alone is worth going to, because this lineup is the best they’ve had in a while, IMHO. But I just don’t see the point of doing a reunion if one of your most recognizable members will not even be attending. Chances are, many current fans of the group will look back to past lineups and point to the ones involving Penrod as those that they remember most fondly. Indeed, Penrod’s lead is heard on many of the group’s hit songs in the past nearly twenty years. To have a reunion event when a member that has been so influential in the musical sound and success of your group will be absent makes very little sense.

I suppose that if they do Penrod features (a very likely circumstance, if they are doing many of their 90s-2000s hits), they can just divvy up the solos/lead parts between Michael English, Buddy Mullins, etc., and still make it a good concert. It will be interesting to see this unfold.

Rating: 5 stars

Producers: Bill Gaither, David Phelps, & Michael English
Label: Gaither Music Group
Website: www.gaither.com

Buy Here

This project was purchased directly from the artist. This fact has no bearing on the final rating.

1. Better Day – The project starts off with a song that will be familiar to those who have seen the last DVD that the Vocal Band put out, as it was the title track. There are a few subtle differences in vocal arrangement and instrumentation from the live version, which make it more than just the studio version of a song that was previously introduced in a live setting. This track displays the smooth harmonies of the five-man lineup right up front and whets the listener’s appetite for the rest of the project, which makes it a good choice for an opener.

2. When He Blest My Soul - Like the previous track, this song was already featured on a DVD release. There’s added instrumentation here also, most notably the driving brass section that work with the organ and piano to inject energy into the song. The vocal arrangement is outstanding, most notably with David Phelps and Wes Hampton’s parts interchanging throughout the final chorus. While Gold City is the group that comes to my mind when this song is mentioned, the Vocal Band has a version that is just as good.

3. Love Like I’m Leavin’ – This is the third and final track that has already been introduced elsewhere. Nothing much differs between this take and the live one, but the studio version better highlights some of the vocal subtleties in the group harmonies.

4. You Are My All In All – In the first “new” song on the project, David Phelps’ arranging skills are brought to bear on this CCM classic. A cello brings in the start, and Pachelbel’s Canon in D is interwoven throughout the song with an acoustic guitar and violins. Phelps is featured on the verses, and keeps it pretty low-key for the most part before taking it up into classic power-tenor mode for the final chorus. Phelps’ arrangements are something the Vocal Band sorely missed, and this is a perfect example of why.

5. Please Forgive Me – This Crabb Family hit gets an orchestrated treatment and features Michael English. The emotion with which English sings is evident throughout the first verse and carries throughout the song. Some very smooth harmonies are sprinkled into the second verse, and then after the second chorus, an arpeggiated vocal lead-in brings in a powerful final chorus. This is one of the highlights of the disc, showcasing both the group’s power harmony and how much vocal strength English still has.

6. Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored – Right off the bat, you get the sensation you’ve heard this song before. That’s because, technically, you have. This Larry Gatlin and Bill Gaither cooperation takes the melody and rhythm of the Gatlin Brothers hit, “All The Gold In California” and changes the words to convey the message of being a “Greatly blessed, highly favored, imperfect but forgiven child of God.” Wes Hampton takes the solo on the verse, and while the song is a definite re-write of a popular country tune, it thankfully manages to avoid the cheesiness factor and stands on its own two feet.

7. He’s Alive - Fans of Don Francisco or owners of David Phelps’ rare pre-Gaither solo project, Journey To Grace, will recognize this track. David Phelps displays that he can tell a story with a lyric like few other singers can, and while the final chorus is half a step lower than his solo take, the wall of five voices give it extra punch, and his suspended high note is no less powerful.

8. Ain’t Nobody - This song displays one of the most unique sounds on the album. This Michael English feature features some very precise group harmonies to start out, with Bill Gaither singing half a beat in front of the group, making for an interesting sound. I can’t quite put my finger on how to describe this track, but funky would be the best term. It’s bouncy, progressive, and different.

9. Clean - David Phelps displays a smooth, soft delivery on this Bill Gaither & Larry Gatlin creation. Wes Hampton is above Phelps on the tenor line, giving the backup lines by the rest of the group a very full sound that really takes the track to the next level.

10. Muddy Water - It’s back to the funky, gritty sound on this one. English’s vocal riffs at the beginning are reminiscent of those of Guy Penrod on the title track of the group’s 2008 project, Lovin’ Life. Gordon Mote supplies some very nice piano riffs throughout, and Bill Gaither’s standout bass lines on the last lines of the choruses are probably the strongest on the project.

11. That Sounds Like Home To Me - This Goodman’s classic hasn’t been covered all that much, so this was a good choice for a song to update. The group gives it a swing feel and the vocals display a tight sound not unlike what you would find on a Booth Brothers project. Michael English takes the first verse (which is only fitting, since he was in the 1982 Goodmans group that sang the song), and Mark Lowry is featured on the second. David Phelps leads an almost-acapella final chorus before the instruments come back in on the last half and bring the song to a soft close.

12. I Know How To Say Thank You - Mark Lowry gets his first full feature on the album with this song that many may know from when it was sung on a Homecoming video by Sarah DeLane and Marshall Hall. Mark’s tones have become fuller and richer with time, and this is one of his finest performances to date. A powerful final chorus brings all five parts in before softening up again for a quiet finish.

13. He Is Here - Wes Hampton takes a song that Kirk Talley is well-known for writing and singing and puts his own spin on it. Wes was a good tenor when he first joined the Vocal Band, but has really come into his own in his time with the group, and even more so in the five-man lineup, and this track proves it. The soaring melody brings out probably his best solo feature in his tenure with the group. A subdued choir in the background closes out the project with a fadeout.

Final thoughts: The past couple of projects that the Gaither Vocal Band had recorded had many people, including this blogger, wondering if Bill Gaither was bringing in the twilight of the Vocal Band and planning to retire. Other than a couple decent songs, there just seemed to be something lacking in the music. A lineup change that led to an unprecedented five members in the Vocal Band and the return of Michael English, David Phelps, and Mark Lowry to the ranks injected new excitement in the group, and the sound was incredible. The first project by the new group, Reunited, was good, but it had people longing for the group to do something truly new.

Greatly Blessed is that something new. Every vocalist is at the top of their game here, and the song selection and arrangements hearken back to both the vocal prowess of Phelps’ days with the group and the creativity of both that era and English’s first run. Part of the beauty of having five people is hearing how the parts are structured on each song; Wes Hampton and David Phelps do their fair share of swapping the tenor part, which make for some interesting background harmonies on each song.

Bottom line: This Vocal Band’s first real product of new material is a breath of fresh air into their discography, as it gives the group a chance to explore with different styles and use the five vocal parts to create a unique sound. There is simply no reason that Greatly Blessed should not get 5 stars.

It seems that when I went on vacation, the Southern Gospel world decided to go on overtime with newsworthy items. Here’s some of the things I missed out on:

1. Check out Daniel Mount’s short interview with Gold City tenor Josh Cobb. In it, Cobb mentions two of his features on the upcoming mainline release from the group. The first is the song that he is probably most recognized for from his Legacy Five days, “I Stand Redeemed,” which he mentions Gordon Mote has arranged this time around. The second is a Michael English song from the early 90s, “Heaven.” With a singer well-known for performing the song producing the project, it will be interesting to see just what he brings out of Cobb for that particular track.

2. The master schedule for NQC 2010 has been posted. A quick perusal shows that up-and-coming groups like Liberty Quartet and The Ball Brothers have finally made it to mainstage, and there is a showcase highlighting young artists called “Legends of Tomorrow” that has a Wednesday afternoon slot. That will be worth going to, especially if it is like the “Torch” video that was released a couple years back.

3. Speaking of legends of tomorrow, check out this clip of a recent Remember The Music concert: A quartet comprised of tenor Danny Funderburk, lead Scott Fowler, baritone Mark Trammell, and bass Pat Barker sing “Movin’ Up To Gloryland,” and this is the first time I’ve seen an instance where Glenn Dustin didn’t take the bass on the song.

At a Mark Trammell Quartet concert I attended a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Joel Wood and Dustin Sweatman beforehand, and both of them mentioned how, since Barker had joined the group and gotten his own mic, he had adopted a George Younce style of bass singing that showed a lower range he didn’t get to display often with the Dixie Echoes’ two-mic style. I certainly noticed it during that concert, but this clip is by far the greatest evidence of that fact. Whether intentionally or not, young Barker’s tones and placement are very reminiscent of those of Younce’s, especially here. This well-rounded bass will only improve with age.

4. My friend Andrew Graham attended a recent Kingsmen concert, and got several videos. You can view the four that he posted at his Youtube channel, but the one that perhaps best highlights the impact that Randy Crawford is having on their sound is this clip of a song originally led by Phillip Hughes, “Mountain of Grace.”

5. I noticed that Wes Hampton posted the track list and features for the upcoming Gaither Vocal Band project, Greatly Blessed, on his blog. Interestingly enough, ChristianBook.com also has a preview of five songs from the new project here. The first three songs were already featured on the latest GVB videos (although, the studio versions have added instrumentation), but about halfway through the preview comes two new songs. Check out the heavily orchestrated Crabb Family cover, “Please Forgive Me,” featuring Michael English. The vocal lead-in is stunning, and the entire arrangement sounds like it will be stellar.
Update: Looks like a preview for the entire project is up here.

6. As a last-minute addition to this roundup, Greater Vision just posted a sneak preview of their upcoming project at their Facebook page. It’s a re-recorded version of “You Were Faithful Yesterday” from their 2009 project, Not Alone, released with Jacob Kitson. The difference is almost indiscernible until the second verse when Chris Allman takes a solo. This says good things about both Kitson and Allman; Kitson’s vocal style is close to that of the stellar Allman’s, and Allman’s ability to seamlessly blend after so many years is impeccable.

Here’s a couple interesting tidbits from the weekend you may have missed:

First, check out this video that David Bruce Murray blogged about last week and recorded at a recent Dove Brothers concert. The song is “I’ll Fly Away”:

A couple thoughts:
1. The low G that bass singer David Hester hits actually vibrates two Bose speakers right off the stage. Wow.
2. The Dove Brothers are a good quartet to begin with, but throwing a live band into the mix takes them to a whole new level. Look to see how that affects the arrangements on their recordings from now on.
3. Speaking of which, the group has a full preview of their upcoming release, Unstoppable, available on their website’s music player. It’s well worth the listen.

In other news, Daniel Mount has posted both the song list and cover art for the upcoming Gaither Vocal Band project, Greatly Blessed, on his site. The songs are as follows:

1. Better Day
2. When He Blest My Soul
3. Love Like I’m Leavin’
4. You Are My All In All – this is possibly the popular Praise & Worship song, and if so, it will be interesting to see how the group can present it to an SG audience without being too polarizing. Then again, the GVB has never been strictly SG. I can see this as a David Phelps or Wes Hampton feature.
5. Please Forgive Me – An interview I was fortunate enough to do with Michael English indicated that he would be out front on this Crabb Family classic.
6. Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored
7. He’s Alive – There is a song of the same title about Jesus’ resurrection that has been featured on a Homecoming video, and was also recorded by David Phelps on his very first solo project, Journey to Grace, that came before his time with the Vocal Band. A solo by Phelps with the whole group kicking in on the final choruses would be a powerhouse sound for sure.
8. Ain’t Nobody – if this is the same song by Soul’d Out Quartet, it would be one of the most unique sounds the GVB has ever adopted. Keep an eye on this one.
9. Clean
10. Muddy Water – The group has adopted a country flavor to several of their songs recently (Jesus & John Wayne, anyone?), so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the tune made famous by Trace Adkins. A Michael English lead could possibly come from this, especially since the lyric is essentially the story of the prodigal son.
11. That Sounds Like Home To Me – This Happy Goodmans classic was mentioned in the interview. It will be interesting to see how the group arranges this song.
12. I Know How To Say Thank You
13. He Is Here – Michael English stated that this would be a big song for Wes Hampton, and I’m sure that Wes will do great on this Kirk Talley staple.

This is one of the most exciting posts I’ve been able to make in this blog’s existence! As the very first interview done on Swain’s Musings, I got to sit down and chat with Michael English backstage at a Gaither Homecoming concert on February 12, 2010, and we covered topics from his background, to his testimony, to coming back to the Gaither Vocal Band, to future projects, and much more.

Hope you enjoy it, and thanks to Michael English for taking the time to do this!

Michael English Interview from Aaron Swain on Vimeo.

According to a Wes Hampton facebook post, the Gaither Vocal Band has completed vocals on 9 songs for a new CD. The untitled CD should have a total of 14 songs and is due out probably early summer. I am personally looking forward to some new material becuase I thought there would be more on the 2 CD / DVD combo that was just released.

NQC has but one night left before it’s all winded down. It’s time, once again, for a brief look at what transpired:

1. Most poignant moment of the night goes to Jeremy Lile’s feature on “Save Me A Seat At The Table.” For those who don’t know why this particular performance was different than any other, I’ll explain. Jeremy’s father was dying of cancer this week, which is why Jeremy wasn’t there Monday and Jeff Chapman filled in. His dad passed away on Wednesday, the funeral was today and Jeremy took off as soon as the burial was over and got there 45 minutes before Assurance’s set.

Brian announced all that from the stage and had Jeremy sing “Save Me A Seat At The Table” as a tribute to his dad. He faltered a little bit on the first chorus, then regrouped for the rest of the song and made it all the way till the last phrase and just broke down. The guys made a circle around him and he got a standing ovation, and yes, the whole place stood. Easily one of the most touching and moving moments this week.

2. The Gaither Vocal Band’s set was a good one, with each vocalist being featured in equal prominence. Wes Hampton impressed me with his verse on “I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary,” and also taking the final chorus. Listening to the Reunited project, I had thought those were David Phelps’ features, and maybe they are on the CD, but Wes really did a bang-up job with them.

Another highlight was Bill playing the piano while the rest of the GVB (minus Hampton until the encore) sang “Hide Thou Me,” joined by surprise guest Gene McDonald to fill the bass part. If Bill ever retires, he needs to tap McDonald to fill that spot in the Vocal Band. I would have liked it better if the sound technicians had actually had Gene’s mic set at a decent level.

3. Is it just me, or do The Inspirations sound very similar to that of the lineup of the 70s? Tenor Dallas Rogers sounds like the Archie Watkins of that era, and the group’s overall sound is familar enough to please older fans, while fresh enough to catch others’ attention.

I’m not even going to give the sound a point tonight. Anybody who’s been reading this week probably can guess what I’d say anyway.

Anything else?

It’s been another news-filled week for Southern Gospel music. Let’s look at some things that took place in the past few days:

1. Mike & Kelly Bowling have experienced change again. Tenor Chris Whitaker came off the road to be with a sick family member, and stepping up to round out the group is Terah Penhollow. With the personnel change comes yet another name change for the group to The Bowling Family. Read more about it here.

2. Elsewhere in personnel changes, the Blackwood Gospel Quartet has hired a new tenor. Dale Evans is filling the tenor position for the group. The former tenor, Daniel Childs, came off the road due to health issues. The BGQ is currently at work on a new project slated for release sometime this September.

3. The Gaither Vocal Band’s new project, Reunited, is now available for preorder. This highly anticipated project will be available everywhere on Sept. 8, but you can hear it now by getting the download at gaither.com.

Be looking for a review on this blog in the weeks following NQC.

4. Legacy Five is also taking pre-orders for their upcoming Daywind release, Just Stand. The project will be making it’s official debut at this year’s NQC. Lari Goss is producing, and you can tell the guys are excited about this latest effort. One thing about Lari is that if he has a hand in it, it will be a quality product; he’s a master of the production craft. Be looking for a review on that project as well.

Update: They have clips of this and the Jubilee! project with the Booth Brothers and Greater Vision up here.

Upcoming Review: Gold Harbor – It’s All Good

Hat tip goes to Nate at Burke’s Brainwork for this one. Nate had a friend who attended the taping and gave him a set list from memory and in no particular order:

Alpha and Omega

There’s Always A Place at the Table (featuring Wes, Michael, and David)

I Am Loved

I Believe In A Hill Called Mt. Calvary

Loving God, Loving Each Other

Better Day

Mary, Did You Know

He Touched Me

Something About That Name

At The Cross

Hide Thou Me

Low Down The Chariot

Cant Stop Talking About Him (featuring Michael and Wes)

The Love Of God

Lord Feed Your Children

Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go

Worthy The Lamb

Where Could I Go?

I’m Forgiven

Go Ask

God’s Church Triumphant

This is shaping up to be an incredible video project. I noticed that some of the songs on the list are ones I haven’t heard of the new lineup doing in other concerts. It will be interesting to hear five parts on “Low Down The Chariot,” “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” and “Worthy The Lamb.” “I’m Forgiven” should be pretty cool as well.

I noticed that a lot of the songs will be featured on the Reunited project, “God’s Church Triumphant” in particular. Seeing that made me wonder if they were going for a combo release of Reunited and this video in September (although, it seems to me that would have been pretty early).

The press release on Gaither.com, however, had this to say:

“… The DVD of this Gaither Vocal Band taping in San Antonio is scheduled for release in January 2010. Watch Gaither.com in late November or early December for the chance to put in your order. This is one you will not want to miss! …”

That would put it right around the time of the group’s project of all-new songs. “This is one you will not want to miss” is right!

Head over to Gaither.com for pictures of the night.