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The Golden Gate Quartet is one of the longest-established gospel quartets of all time, with the group still performing 90 years after its inception, maintaining continuous visibility through regular line-up changes as existing members retire.
Formed in 1934 as the Golden Gate Jubilee Singers in Norfolk, Virginia, they were pioneers in the commercial dimension of the genre in the, and got a regular radio show in South Carolina in 1936, which led to a recording contract with Bluebird, with whom they stayed until joining Okeh/ Columbia.
This 83-track 3-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of their A & B sides on the Bluebird, Victor, Okeh and Columbia labels during this first crucial early era of their career, with most of the releases coming out as under the name The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet – they dropped the ‘Jubilee’ when they joined Okeh. This collection features their classic early line-up of William Langford and Henry Owens (tenor), Willie Johnson (baritone) and Orlandus Wilson (bass). The collection features some of their most noted recordings, including “John The Revelator”, “Samson And Delilah”, “Rock My Soul” and “Jonah In The Whale”.
It’s a substantial overview of this period of their career when they established their reputation, when they enjoyed massive acceptance outside the church, and is a great showcase for their distinctive approach to gospel.
Tracks
CD 1
1. GABRIEL BLOWS HIS HORN (Bluebird 7126) 1937
2. GOLDEN GATE GOSPEL TRAIN (Bluebird 7126) 1937
3. BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH (Bluebird 7154) 1937
4. JONAH (Bluebird 7154) 1937
5. THE PREACHER AND THE BEAR (Bluebird 7205) 1937
6. BORN TEN THOUSAND YEARS AGO (Bluebird 7205) 1937
7. MASSA'S IN THE COLD, COLD GROUND (Bluebird 7264) 1937
8. BONNET (Bluebird 7264) 1937
9. BEDSIDE OF A NEIGHBOR (Bluebird 7278) 1937
10. I'VE FOUND A WONDERFUL SAVIOR (Bluebird 7278) 1937
11. GO WHERE I SEND THEE (Bluebird 7340) 1937
12. WON'T THERE BE ONE HAPPY TIME (Bluebird 7340) 1937
13. STORY OF JOB (Bluebird 7376) 1937
14. STAND IN THE TEST IN JUDGEMENT (Bluebird 7376) 1937
15. THE DIPSY DOODLE (Bluebird 7415) 1938
16. CAROLINA IN THE MORNING (Bluebird 7415) 1938
17. MOTHERLESS CHILD (Bluebird 7463) 1938
18. TRAVELIN' SHOES (Bluebird 7463) 1938
19. I WAS BRAVE (Bluebird 7513) 1938
20. SAMSON AND DELILAH (Bluebird 7513) 1938
21. PURE RELIGION (Bluebird 7564) 1938
22. REMEMBER ME (Bluebird 7564) 1938
23. LEAD ME ON AND ON (Bluebird 7617) 1938
24. TAKE YOUR BURDEN TO THE LORD (Bluebird 7617) 1938
25. JOHN THE REVELATOR (Bluebird 7631) 1938
26. SWEET ADELINE (Bluebird 7676) 1938
27. SWANEE RIVER (Bluebird 7676) 1938
28. OL MAN' RIVER (Montgomery Ward 8547) 1938
CD 2
1. MY LORD IS WAITING (Bluebird 7804) 1938
2. ROCK MY SOUL (Bluebird 7804) 1938
3. TO THE ROCK (Bluebird 7835) 1938
4. LET THAT LIAR ALONE (Bluebird 7835) 1938
5. GOD ALMIGHTY SAID (Bluebird 7848) 1938
6. WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN (Bluebird 7897) 1938
7. WHEN THEY RING THE GOLDEN BELLS (Bluebird 7897) 1938
8. I HEARD ZION MOAN (Bluebird 7962) 1938
9. NOAH (Bluebird 7962) 1938
10. LORD AM I BORN TO DIE? (Bluebird 7994) 1938
11. WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN HEAVEN TODAY? (Bluebird 7994) 1938
12. CHEER THE WEARY TRAVELER (Bluebird 8019) 1938
13. PACKING UP, GETTING READY TO GO (Bluebird 8019) 1938
14. TROUBLES OF THE WORLD (Bluebird 8087) 1939
15. EVERYTHING MOVES BY THE GRACE OF GOD (Bluebird 8087) 1939
16. DESE BONES GONNA RISE AGIN (Bluebird 8123) 1939
17. LIS'N TO DE LAMBS (Bluebird 8123) 1939
18. THIS WORLD IS IN BAD CONDITION (Bluebird 8160) 1939
19. NOAH AND THE ARK (Bluebird 8160) 1939
20. PRECIOUS LORD (Bluebird 8190) 1939
21. WHAT A TIME (Bluebird 8286) 1939
22. IF I HAD MY WAY (Bluebird 8306) 1939
23. WAY DOWN IN EGYPTLAND (Bluebird 8306) 1939
24. HE SAID HE WOULD CALM THE OCEAN (Bluebird 8328) 1939
25. EVERYTIME THAT I FEEL THE SPIRIT (Bluebird 8328) 1939
26. I LOOKED DOWN THE LINE AND I WONDERED (Bluebird 8348) 1939
27. YOU'D BETTER MIND (Bluebird 8348) 1939
28. HIDE ME IN THY BOSOM (Bluebird 8362) 1939
CD 3
1. I'M A PILGRIM (Bluebird 8362) 1939
2. OUR FATHER ( ) 1939
3. THE VALLEY OF TIME (Bluebird 8388) 1939
4. WHAT DID JESUS SAY (Bluebird 8388) 1939
5. DARLING NELLIE GRAY (Bluebird 8565) 1939
6. MY WALKING STICK (Bluebird 8565) 1939
7. WHOA BABE (Bluebird 8579) 1939
8. STORMY WEATHER (Bluebird 8579) 1939
9. JULIUS CAESAR (Bluebird 8594) 1939
10. THE DEVIL WITH THE DEVIL (Bluebird 8594) 1939
11. JONAH IN THE WHALE (Bluebird 8620) 1939
12. TIMBER (Bluebird 8620) 1939
13. OL' MAN MOSE (Bluebird 10154) 1939
14. CHANGE PARTNERS (Bluebird 10154) 1939
15. NOAH (Victor 27323) 1939
16. DANIEL SAW THE STONE (Okeh 6204) 1941
17. JEZEBEL (Okeh 6204) 1941
18. ANYHOW (Okeh 6238) 1941
19. TIME'S WINDING UP (Okeh 6238) 1941
20. BLIND BARNABUS (Okeh 6345) 1941
21. THE SUN DIDN'T SHINE (Okeh 6345) 1941
22. DIDN'T IT RAIN (Okeh 6529) 1941
23. HE NEVER SAID A MUMBLING WORD (Okeh 6529) 1941
24. STALIN WASN'T STALLIN' (Okeh 6712) 1943
25. DIP YOUR FINGERS IN THE WATER (Okeh 6712) 1943
26. RUN ON (Okeh 6713) 1943
27. COMIN' IN ON A WING AND A PRAYER ( 6713) 1943
