The Angelic Gospel Singers were formed in 1944 in Philadelphia by Margaret Allison, and were one of the groups that helped move gospel music from its established base in jubilee quartets towards the freer and less structured approach of the 1950s groups who provided a training ground and springboard for soul singers of the 1960s.
A quartet comprising Allison with her sister Josephine McDowell, Ella Mae Norris and Lucille Shird, they made a huge impact with their first release in 1949, a million-selling hit with “Touch Me, Lord Jesus”, which propelled them into public consciousness, and they remained in the vanguard of contemporary gospel through into the ‘60s.
This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises most of the A & B sides of their releases on the Gotham and Nashboro labels during this era, including recordings which they made for Gotham with the Dixie Hummingbirds. Along with their big debut hit “Touch Me Lord Jesus”, it features many classic gospel songs like “Angels Watching Over Me”, “There Must be a Heaven Somewhere”, “Just Jesus”, “Tell the Angels”, “Milky White Way” and “Since Jesus Came into My Heart”, plus many of Margaret Allison’s own fine compositions.
It’s a substantial, inspiring and uplifting showcase for their bold and distinctive approach to gospel music during what was a golden era for the genre.
Tracks
CD 1
1. TOUCH ME, LORD JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 605) 1949
2. WHEN MY SAVIOUR CALLS ME HOME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 605) 1949
3. JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 609) 1949
4. THERE IS NO FRIEND The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 609) 1949
5. JUST JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 613) 1949
6. THIS SAME JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 613) 1949
7. YES MY JESUS CARES The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 618) 1949
8. SOMEBODY SAVED ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 618) 1949
9. LIFE WILL BE SWEETER The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 627) 1949
10. THERE MUST BE A HEAVEN SOMEWHERE The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 627) 1949
11. DO LORD REMEMBER ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 649) 1950
12. ALMOST PERSUADED The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 649) 1950
13. JESUS WILL ANSWER PRAYER The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 663) 1950
14. IN THE MORING The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 663) 1950
15. GLORY GLORY TO THE NEW BORN KING The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 675) 1950
16. JESUS CHRIST IS BORN The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 675) 1950
17. DEAR LORD LOOK DOWN UPON ME The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 683) 1950
18. STANDING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 683) 1950
19. KEEP ME ALL THE WAY The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 685) 1950
20. I'M ON MY WAY TO HEAVEN ANYHOW The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 694) 1951
21. GLORY GLORY HALLELUAH The Angelic Gospel Singers With Dixie Hummingbirds (Gotham 694) 1951
22. BLESSED BLESSED JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 711) 1951
23. IF JESUS GOES WITH ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 711) 1951
24. BREAD OF HEAVEN The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 717) 1952
25. MILKY WHITE WAY The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 717) 1952
CD 2
1. SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 723) 1953
2. JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 723) 1953
3. MY LORD AND I The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 729) 1953
4. JESUS WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 729) 1953
5. GOD'S ROLL The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 743) 1953
6. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE LORD The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 743) 1953
7. A CHILD IS BORN The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 747) 1953
8. ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 755) 1954
9. I'M GOING HOME TO JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 755) 1954
10. ONLY A LOOK The Angelic Gospel Singers (Gotham 774) 1954
11. JESUS NEVER FAILS ME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 558) 1955
12. I'LL BE ALRIGHT The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 558) 1955
13. I'VE WEATHERED THE STORM The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 607) 1957
14. EVERY DAY The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 607) 1957
15. YES! NOBODY KNOWS MY TROUBLES The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 644) 1959
16. TOUCH ME LORD JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 644) 1959
17. ALL THAT I NEED IS IN JESUS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 659) 1960
18. OUT OF THE DEPTHS The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 659) 1960
19. JESUS IS A WAY-MAKER The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 673) 1960
20. MY SWEET HOME The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 673) 1960
21. I'M GETTING NEARER PART 1 The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 687) 1961
22. I'M GETTING NEARER PART 2 The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 687) 1961
23. EVERYBODY OUGHT TO PRAY The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 709) 1962
24. GOIN' OVER YONDER The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 709) 1962
25. BE SURE, HE'LL TAKE CARE The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 726) 1962
26. HE NEVER LEFT ME ALONE The Angelic Gospel Singers (Nashoro 726) 1962
