Steve Wonder’s “Have a Talk with God” gets a stellar reading by the East St. Louis Gospelettes.
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Welcome to Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments. I’m Robert Darden.
OK, I confess – I love everything about this 45... “Have a Talk with God” by the East St. Louis Gospelettes. And yes, it’s the Stevie Wonder “Have a Talk with God,” but here given the full-throated sass of the criminally under-rated Frances Moore.
The East St. Louis Gospelettes recorded a number of LPs through the ‘80s, but never sounded as good as when they were with the short-lived Birthright Records in Los Angeles. Birthright is best known as being the long-time home of Edwin and various Hawkins family members. The label was distributed first byWord Records of Waco, then Light Records, but faded when Light had financial issues.
But this is the real deal. The Gospelettes are surrounded by a first-rated Los Angeles studio band ... and I’m pretty sure that’s Sandra Crouch on the virtuoso tambourine. Moore has many of the same thrilling vocal dynamics of a young Mavis Staples. And best of – she sings the heck out of Steve’s “Have a Talk with God”!
MUSIC: “Have a Talk with God,” East St. Louis Gospelettes, 45
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.