The vinyl digitized and preserved in the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program has been lovingly restored by an expert team of engineers, no matter its original condition. What the engineers can’t fix, alas, is when an album jacket is in bad shape.
Take for instance, this LP by the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church Gospel Choir, I Don’t Know What I’d Do. The front cover – a painting of Jesus – is in pretty good shape, but the back of the jacket has extensive water damage ... so we really don’t know much about this choir ... and there are dozens of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Churches in the world!
Fortunately, the LP itself sounds great, which means we get to hear the Choir’s stirring version of Dorothy Love Coates’ hit, “Finishing Line.”
MUSIC: “Finishing Line,” the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church Gospel Choir, I Don’t Know What I’d Do LP, Side 2, Track 2
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.