Category Archives: Sacred/Gospel

I Saw the Light

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

  Download Instrumental    Hank Williams was asleep and slightly inebriated in the back seat of his car. It was 1947 and he was returning to Montgomery from a show in Fort Deposit, Alabama. His mother, Lily, was at the wheel, driving Hank and his band back home as she did quite frequently.  She had put a guitar in her son’s hand at the tender age of 8 and acted as his manager until he married Audrey Shepard – who took over as his manager with a vengeance (that’s her in the picture above).

But back to the car.  It was the middle of the night and Mom spied the lights of the airport outside Montgomery in the distance. She roused ol’ Hank  and told him, “I saw the light”.  Bam! Inspiration strikes!  Hank wrote this song and had it ready to record in less than a month.  It has since become a standard country gospel tune and has been recorded by zillions of artists.

Audrey Shepard married Hank in a gas station – how romantic – and insisted on taking charge of his career.  She was also the bass player in his band.  Quite a lady, this one.   After Hank recorded “I Saw the Light”, she decided it would be better if she sang it with him.  Trouble was, she couldn’t sing a lick.  But like all bad singers, she thought she was just the best ever.  Williams reluctantly recorded another version with her, but sent a note to his producer letting him know he did NOT want that version released.  It never was, and I think we’re all the better for it.

If I Can Dream

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thzwh4geb9  Download    If you’ve never heard Elvis do this song it’s worth the effort to find it online.  Elvis was deeply affected by the assassination of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 and this piece was written  in honor of King’s “I Had a Dream” speech.

Elvis was doing a ’68 Comeback Special after having been off the concert circuit for 7 years.  During that time he was concentrating on music for his movies and trying his best to “act”.  Walter Earl Brown was the musical director for the show and was asked to write a song to replace “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” as the finale for the show.  It was to incorporate Presley’s concern and sorrow over the  deaths of King and Kennedy and should include some quotes from King’s speeches.  Elvis loved the piece and proclaimed that “he would never sing another song he didn’t believe in”.  He may have abandoned that philosophy four years later when he sang “a hunk, a hunk of burning love”, but…hey… a man’s gotta eat.

Although “If I Can Dream” is not really a gospel tune, the emotion and intensity of gospel music is definitely there.  This one is not really suited for performing in a club venue, but if you do any church work or special concerts, this is worth working up.  The midi backing tracks are on the Pop/Rock and Sacred/Gospel lists.

 

You Raise Me Up

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thQIXJNRUY  Download    Josh Groban had a hit with this contemporary hymn here in the United States, but the version I much prefer was done by an Irish boy band called “Westlife”.

“Westlife” originally auditioned for Simon Cowell of American Idol fame.  Mr. Cowell, being the totally honest brute that he is, declared he wouldn’t sign them unless three of the four members were replaced – they were too ugly.  Their manager was so salivating to work with Simon Cowell that he agreed to do just that.  He found three “good-looking” chaps who could sing and told the “ugly” threesome to take a hike… and Cowell signed them on for a record contract.

Our little Irish boy band didn’t want to record “You Raise Me Up” when it was first presented to them.  They thought it was “too religious” (so what’s wrong with that?).  But smarter people convinced them it was the thing to do and it became a #1 hit in England.  They later admitted it was a turning point in their career.  In their video, there is little to suggest anything of a religious nature,  but I don’t see how you can possibly miss the sacred quality of this great song.

I played cello for the lead vocal line in this backup because of the sweetness of the instrument.  Well, I didn’t actually play the cello, but used a cello voice on my keyboard.  Trust me, the cello is way beyond my meager talents.  But I think you’ll agree it works here.  This backup sequence is well-suited for a church setting and I hope you’ll download and sing it at your next service.  It’s on the Sacred/Gospel list…. without the cello.

Here is Westlife:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+raise+me+up&view=detail&mid=84F047342E244567F49584F047342E244567F495&FORM=VIRE1

Peace in the Valley

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

6f69b237f7813b404d1456759d138dc4  Download     This song, originally written for Mahalia Jackson, was a hit for Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys way back in 1951.  When Elvis covered it in 1957, it became a classic country-pop favorite.  I like the Elvis rendition, so I loosely based my arrangement on his (I have no shame).  I included a harmonica solo in mine cause I thought it fit the mood.  Elvis NEVER gave his musicians a solo… what a schmuck!  But a talented schmuck, nonetheless.  I also channeled Floyd Cramer on the piano style (grew up listening to him).  I guess I’ve never had an original thought of my own…

I’m including this sequence in the country file for singers who might want to perform it.  However, I’m also using this great tune to introduce my new “Sacred/Gospel” category.  My Yamaha has some really nice sounds suited for religious and gospel music and it’s time I started using them.  I lean more toward the traditional Christian music, so don’t go in there looking for “comtemporary” files – not my style.  I can’t help giving some of these songs a kind of “jazz feel” (it’s in my DNA).  So don’t get mad if you hear an old favorite done like you’ve never heard before.  If you like it, download it for your collection.  If my interpretation isn’t your cup of tea, don’t tell me.  I tend to burst into tears when criticized…