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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Jimmy Jones

The glorious, bottomless bass of Jimmy Jones is at the heart of this lovely track from the Sensationals, “I Can’t Begin to Tell You.”

Bass singer Jimmy Jones with the Harmonizing Four was legendary in his ability to hit the really low notes – including an amazing G below G. Mellow, melodic and surprisingly inventive, Jones was one of gospel’s greatest voices.

After a long, successful stint with the Harmonizing Four, Jones left to form the Sensationals in 1962. They were immediately signed to industry powerhouse Savoy and released a single LP that year... which even included another one of those wonderfully weird HARVEY covers. For the next few years, The Sensationals released several fine 45s, including this one – “I Can’t Begin to Tell You.” Led by Jones’ glorious voice, the song instantly recalls the hey-day of the great doo-wop groups of the early ‘60s – the Penguins, the Spaniels, the Robins and so many more.

The group leaves Savoy in 1965 and more or less disappears. But they left behind some lovely, nostalgic music to savor and share. And anytime you’d like to hear the entire song, please go to KWBU.ORG and scroll down to the link for SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments.

2221 Jimmy Jones and the Sensationals - I Can't Begin to Tell You.mp3

MUSIC: “I Can’t Begin to Tell You,” Jimmy Jones and the Sensationals

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.