Author: chimesfreedom

Editor-in-chief, New York.

Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 3: Ready, Walk, Great

Marty Stuart Soul's ChapelTo those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter! This post concludes for now the Chimesfreedom series on Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers. Today, we feature a timeless pop hit, a relatively new country gospel song, and one of the most powerful performances ever recorded on film.

People Get Ready, The Impressions

“People Get Ready” was written by Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield performed the song well, as have others like Al Green, Eva Cassidy, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Crystal Bowersox, and Bob Dylan. But the original version by the Impressions, with Mayfield on guitar, is what sticks in one’s mind when you think of the timeless song.

“People Get Ready” was released in 1965, and we associate the call for change with the social and Civil Rights movements. Indeed, the song was inspired by the 1963 March on Washington. But Mayfield’s music is straight from gospel, and the lyrics are also a testament to faith: “Faith is the key / Open the doors / and board them / There’s room for all / Among the loved and lost.”

In a Curtis Mayfield biography, Peter Burns described “People Get Ready” as “a song of faith really, a faith that transcends any racial barrier and welcomes everyone onto the train. The train that takes everyone to the promised land, really.”

The Impressions and Mayfield also performed something of a miracle in creating a hit record that also became a gospel standard covered by so many artists. Bob Marley incorporated the guitar riff and some of the lyrics into “One Love.” And Bruce Springsteen incorporated part of “People Get Ready” into his moving “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the song as the twenty-fourth greatest song of all time. And one cannot really argue with that.

Can’t Even Walk, Marty Stuart

Marty Stuart has an interesting position in country music. He stands between the generations of authentic classic country music and the newer pop country music. As he has aged, he has generally chosen to reside in the former, paying tribute to the talented old guard of country, like Johnny Cash, while many other modern country singers try to emulate Billy Joel more than the Louvin Brothers.

Marty Stuart has recorded some excellent concept albums in recent years that are mostly overlooked. “Can’t Even Walk” is a beautiful song off his album of gospel songs, Souls’ Chapel (2005).

I thought that I could do a lot on my own;
I thought I, I thought I could make it all alone;
I thought, I thought of myself
As a mighty, mighty big man;
But I realize I can’t even walk
Without You holding my hand

Unfortunately, there is only the above amateur video of Marty Stuart’s “Can’t Even Walk,” but give it a listen. Also, if you like the song, check out this very sweet version of the song sung by what appears to be a talented grandmother and grandson [2016 Update: Unfortunately, the video is no longer available]. I love it and would have posted it here, but it would not be fair to put them adjacent to the next powerful professional performance. . .

How Great Thou Art, by Elvis Presley

Critics often give bad reviews to In Concert (1977), the album of Elvis Presley’s June 1977 performances recorded for a TV special. The recording of one of Elvis’s final performances may not be the quality of his earlier work when he was healthy, but the CD is worth it just for the recording of “How Great Thou Art.”

Here is Elvis, two months before he died. Overweight, sweating, with a body about to give out on him, but he still gave his gospel performances his all. The glitter on his jumpsuit seems inconsistent with the message of the song, and Elvis’s faith could not save him from his fated death.

But in his performance he finds something deep within himself to cry out for help in an incredible despairing voice. Starting at around 2:20, he builds to a note that will send chills down your spine. If you only watch one video in this series, watch this one.

There is nothing more to say after that.

Check out our other posts in the series, Gospel Songs by Pop Artists.

What are your favorite gospel recordings by popular artists? Leave a comment.

  • Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 2: Gold, Blessed & Sweet
  • Best Gospel Songs by Pop Stars (Part 5): Cash & Byrds
  • Land of Hope & Dreams, This Train, and People Get Ready
  • Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 4: Morning, Flying & Mystery
  • Best Gospel Songs By Pop Singers (Part 1): Nearer & Pressing
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    Better Than American Idol: “Rolling in the Deep” Edition

    This week on American Idol, Haley Reinhart sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” She did a good job, and it may have been the best song choice of the night. Her performance helped her avoid being the second person in three weeks to go home after singing a song with the word “deep” in the title.

    Adele’s version of “Rolling in the Deep” is hard to beat, as her voice perfectly balances the song’s heartbreak pain (“The scars of your love, they leave me breathless”) and kiss-off anger (“Think of me in the depths of your despair”). But there are some excellent covers of the song. John Legend does a great acappella cover of the song. While looking for a video of Legend singing the song, I ran across an abbreviated cover of John Legend’s version by a new rising artist named Jason Ray. [April 2014 Update: Unfortunately, Ray no longer has the “Rolling in the Deep” video on YouTube, but you should check out some of his other songs at his website, linked below.]

    Jason Ray, whose real name is Jason Raymond Garrett, is a classically trained pianist and singer-songwriter from Houston with influences ranging from Prince to Led Zeppelin. He started off with a successful YouTube page, and his website states that his first album will be released soon. The website appears relatively new, so it seems like he is just starting out. Check him out, as you likely will hear more of him soon.

    Jason Ray

    For those looking for the American Idol version of the song, here is the link to Haley Reinhart’s version. There is not an official video of John Legend’s acappella cover, but you may hear his excellent version here. Finally here is a link to Adele’s official video of “Rolling in the Deep” and a live version from a performance on Ellen.

    What do you think of the various versions of “Rolling in the Deep”? Leave a comment.

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    Mary Surratt Arrest: The Conspirator (Review)

    Mary SurrattOn April 17 in 1865, Mary Surratt was arrested for conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. In 2011 on that date, the American Film Company released its first film, The Conspirator.  The movie is about Mary Surratt and directed by Robert Redford and starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, and Tom Wilkinson.

    From a young age, we learn the name of John Wilkes Booth.  We know he is the man who shot Abraham Lincoln.  His chase and capture are recounted in the recent book, Manhunt (2006), by James L. Swanson.

    But the names of the others who allegedly conspired with Booth are less heard: Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold, John Surratt, and Mary Surratt. A number of additional people were also arrested and convicted of crimes, including Dr. Samuel Mudd.

    Mary Surratt: “The Conspirator”

    The Conspirator centers exclusively on one of the more interesting accused conspirators, Mary Surratt. In doing so, Redford maintains focus in what might otherwise be an unwieldy long story.

    We may be curious to know more about the other conspirators and to spend a few minutes with Lincoln before he is killed.  But Redford keeps the story tight and aimed on the stoic Surratt (Wright) and her passionate lawyer Frederick Aiken (McAvoy), following Aiken as he struggles with his responsibility to defend Surratt.

    Currently on the Rotten Tomatoes website, the critics rating for The Conspirator is 56% and the audience rating is a much-higher 71%, which makes sense. The movie is not an exciting historical romp like The King’s Speech (2010), and the story is told somewhat conventionally. But it is an interesting story that audience members may appreciate more than critics, who might want a film that is more daring.

    Still, the fine acting and look of the film make it well above a History Channel special. All of the principal actors do a very good job (although Justin Long seems out of his time period even with the goofy mustache). And, as in Redford’s A River Runs Through It (1992), the lighting effects seem like another character, making for numerous scenes bathed in beautiful clean natural sunlight.

    The ConspiratorOverall, the movie is engaging and addresses a lesser known aspect of the Lincoln assassination. I will not reveal how everything comes out, but during the prosecution of Mary Surratt and even until today, there are still questions about whether or not she had any involvement in the conspiracy of which she was accused.

    Parallels With Modern Issues

    Others have noticed that the movie has some parallels to the modern debate about military tribunals. Kevin Kline’s Secretary of War Edwin Stanton spouts concerns that echo in our Age of Terrorism. Anthony Lane at The New Yorker believes that Redford belabored the parallels with today’s debates about military trials for accused terrorists a little too much.

    By contrast, I did not think the parallels were overdone. Instead, the movie would have been much more topical and challenging for viewers had it been released several years ago instead of in 2011. Just as more people spoke up on Mary Surratt’s behalf years after her trial, this aspect of the movie seems a little late too.  Yet, the issue is still topical.

    Another contemporary issue underlying The Conspirator is how innocent persons accused of outrageous crimes may be convicted or almost convicted of crimes they did not do. The Death Penalty Information Center website notes that since 1973, there have been more than one hundred people released from death row because of evidence of their innocence.

    Additionally, there are a number of people who have been executed with genuine questions remaining about whether they were innocent. One may debate the extent of the problem and the exact number of condemned innocent who spent years on death row, but the clear risk is certainly troubling. Even in civilian trials with our current constitutional protections, the innocent still may be convicted and condemned, and this realization has contributed to several states eliminating capital punishment in recent years.

    Conclusion

    Conclusion? Conspirator is a well-made straightforward drama about an important event in American history. Although it may not be one of the top few movies of the year, it is a period courtroom drama in a league with Amistad (1997) as less than awe-inspiring but nonetheless engaging, educational, entertaining, and worth your time.

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    What did you think of The Conspirator? Leave a comment.

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    Me and the Eagle

    The eagle looked down on the river below,
    And he wrapped his wings round him and he fell like a stone.
    And the big salmon fought but the talons held true,
    And he shuddered as the world turned from silver to blue.
    I stood there in awe though I’d seen it before,
    I was born in these mountains and I’ll die here for sure

    “Me and the Eagle”

    Horse Whisperer Soundtrack

    The lyrics above are to Steve Earle’s song, “Me and the Eagle,” which is from the soundtrack of songs from and inspired by The Horse Whisperer. This song perfectly captures the horse whisperer character that Robert Redford plays in the movie. The movie is pretty good, and the the soundtrack album is excellent, including songs by Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and Dwight Yoakam.

    The film also featured the song “A Soft Place to Fall,” which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song (and should have won). “A Soft Place to Fall” was co-written by and performed by an outstanding new artist who many years later would marry Steve Earle, Allison Moorer.

    I like that people post their own versions of songs on YouTube because there is something especially democratic about it.  And occasionally you find nice gems.  Below is John Fullbright’s rendition of Steve Earle’s “Me and the Eagle.”  I had not heard of the guy until seeing his videos on YouTube, and he does a moving cover of this song. Check out the young Oklahoman’s website. I am going to have to listen to more of his music.

    Some mornings will find me up above the timberline,
    Lonesome don’t seem like much once you’re this high.
    When it’s all said and done I usually find,
    Me and the eagle are of the same mind.

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    Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 2: Gold, Blessed & Sweet

    Church Chimesfreedom

    This post continues the Chimesfreedom discussion of Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers. In this series, we consider some great recording of gospel songs that were made by popular singers. This post includes songs recorded by Patty Griffin, Aretha Franklin, and George Harrison.

    House of Gold, Patty Griffin (& Hank Williams)

    I finally got around to buying Patty Griffin’s CD of gospel music, Downtown Church. She has one of the best singing voices, and it shows on my favorite song off this CD.

    “House of Gold” was originally written and performed by Hank Williams. The song works here because her voice echos above the restrained instrumentation. And the song has some of the best gospel lyrics ever:

    I’d rather be in a deep, dark grave
    And know that my poor soul was saved
    Than to live in this world in a house of gold
    And deny my God and doom my soul

    Blessed Assurance, Aretha Franklin

    Like Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin has many great Gospel recordings, including the album, Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings. She has recorded some excellent versions of “Amazing Grace,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “How I Got Over,” but here is a beautifully restrained version of “Blessed Assurance.”

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    My Sweet Lord, George Harrison

    “My Sweet Lord” may not technically qualify as a gospel song (and some Christians have objected to the “Hare Krishna” chants).  But it is a beautiful song about one’s relationship with God, so it qualifies for me.

    George Harrison originally wrote the song for Billy Preston but ended up having a big hit with it on his own as part of his first post-Beatles album, All Things Must Pass. Unfortunately, he lost a lawsuit for subconsciously copying the Chiffons’ hit, “He’s So Fine.” Under today’s laws that are more lenient toward sampling, etc., though, he likely would have won.

    But Harrison managed to come out ahead anyway, eventually buying the rights to “He’s So Fine.”

    Check out other posts in our series of Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers.

    Photo of church (Ireland) by Chimesfreedom.  What are your favorite gospel recordings by popular artists? Leave a comment.

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