Anita Butler’s towering “Every Day of My Life” is one of several highlights from the otherwise unknown Richburgh Record label.
Click the title above to read along.
Hear the full SHOUT! segment here.
Listen to this week's featured song here:
Syd Nathan’s King Record label was so successful that he created the Federal subsidiary in 1950... which itself very quickly became known for jumpin’ blues from top artists like Ike Turner, James Brown’s Famous Flames, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters and Freddie King. Federal also released a few gospel LPs and 45s, including the Kingdom Bound Singers of Chicago, featuring big-voiced lead singer Bossie Morson Jr.
The Kingdom Bound Singers bounced around various gospel labels through the years, including Malaco, Vee-Jay, Marco, and Skyway, and had several hits: “Somebody Touched Me,” and “I’ll be Standing” as well as “Standing by the Way,” which has been re-released on several gospel anthologies.
The real attraction here, though is Morson – whose trumpet-like voice was a great fit for Federal’s stable of powerful R&B vocalists. Kingdom Bound’s 45 “I’ll Wait on Jesus” – released in 1962 or ’63 -- sounds like it has that amazing Federal house band backing Morson and its a great mixture of late ‘50s doo-wop and ‘60s mid-tempo gospel blues. Now known as Deacon Morson, he was a staple in Chicago-area gospel reunion concerts well into the 2000s.
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.
