SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - God is Still on the Throne by The Mighty Southern Echoes of Washington D.C.

The Mighty Southern Echoes of Washington D.C. were founded in Augusta, Georgia, in 1945, and eventually some of the members moved to D.C. Lead singer Von Fonville joined the group in 1959. The Echoes toured relentlessly with their old-fashioned Sallie Martin-styled gospel, complete with doo-wop harmonies.
        
The quartet finally made it into the studio of the tiny Golgotha Record label in Lodi, New Jersey, in 1967, for their one and only LP, Shout for Jesus. The backing band is amateurish, especially the hapless drummer, but the Echoes still give it their all – especially on their lone 45 release, “God is Still on the Throne.” After that, the Mighty Southern Echoes disappeared, but collectors now pay more than $100 for the rare copy of Shout of Jesus when it shows up on the online vinyl sites!   

I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.

PREVIOUS EPISODES OF SHOUT! BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC MOMENTS

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - God is Still on the Throne by The Mighty Southern Echoes of Washington D.C.

The incredibly obscure Mighty Southern Echoes of Washington D.C. have become a favorite of rare gospel vinyl collectors with songs like “God is Still on the Throne.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Get Right Church by Lillie Jenkins

Lillie Jenkins’ “Get Right Church” is a killer gospel vamp, driven by Jenkins’ confident, brassy vocals.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Walk Right, Feel Right by The Gospel Commanders

Despite muddy production, the Gospel Commanders’ soulful, chaotic “Walk Right, Feel Right” is an exciting 2-minute slice of Southern soul gospel.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Precious Memories by Prof. J. Earle Hines and the Goodwill Singers

Though little-known today, Prof. J. Earle Hines and the Goodwill Singers, with songs like “Precious Memories,” were major gospel artists in the 1940s and ‘50s.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'It Rained' by Katie Jackson and the GosPearl Community Choir.

Powerhouse vocalist Katie Jackson is joined by the GosPearl Community Choir on the up tempo gospel rave up, “It Rained.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Winding Chain” by Sons of Faith

The otherwise unknown Sons of Faith’s recording “Winding Chain” is a superb example of Deep South soulful gospel, a mournful, heartfelt two-minute gem.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "No Greater Love" by Keith Pringle and the Pentecostal Community Choir

Keith Pringle and the Pentecostal Community Choir’s version of Jeffrey LaValley’s “No Greater Love” was an instant classic.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - “The Non-Violent Man,” by Bill Spivey and the Sons of Truth

Bill Spivey and the Sons of Truth’s vibrant, up tempo “The Non-Violent Man” was a tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Let Freedom Ring" by Pinkard Singers

The otherwise unknown Pinkard Singers released a single – but highly engaging -- 45 for the short-lived RaptureA label in the early 1970s, “Let Freedom Ring.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "I Am A Pilgrim" by Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters was a national treasure during her lifetime and increasingly turned to religious music later in life, including this sprightly version of the old folk spiritual, “I am a Pilgrim.”