SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Kindly Sheperds

When Kendrick Lamar recently sampled two tracks by Monk Higgins, “I Believe in My Soul” and “MacArthur Park,” it set off a wave of interest in the famed saxophone player/producer with the legendary Chess/Checker label from the 1950s and ‘60s. Higgins worked with the likes of Bobby “Blue” Bland, the Chi-Lites, Muddy Waters, Etta James and others in their funky Chicago studio. He also had a couple of instrumental hits on the R&B charts, including “Who-Dun-It?” and “Gotta Be Funky.”

But Monk Higgins – using the Chess house band – also produced a few gospel tracks as well. The Kindly Shepherds only recorded a couple of 45s, both with Higgins, then disappeared. But this one -- their recording “Lend Me Your Hand” -- now fetches up to $700 on the rare vinyl auction sites and eBay!

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

RECENT EPISODES OF SHOUT! BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC MOMENTS

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "I'm Saved" by J.C. White Singers

Some of New York’s finest musicians accompany the J.C. White Singers on the funky, jazzy gospel hit, “I’m Saved.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'Mountain Railroad' by The Rev. June Cheeks

The Rev. June Cheeks was one of the greatest shouters and testifiers in the history of gospel music – as his rendition of “Mountain Railroad” will surely prove!

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I Belong to the Band, Hallelujah' by The Rev. Gary Davis

The legendary guitarist the Rev. Gary Davis recorded 14 stunning gospel tracks in New York City in 1935, including “I Belong to the Band, Hallelujah.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I Made a Vow' by The Supreme Voices

The Supreme Voices never quite broke through during the Golden Age of Gospel Music, but with great tracks like “I Made a Vow,” it’s clear they probably should have been stars.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I'll be Welcomed' by The Sweet Brothers

The Sweet Brothers of Vero Beach, Florida, deserved wider recognition for their soulful, slow burn gospel songs, including “I’ll Be Welcomed.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Alright, Alright by The Cotton Brothers

The Cotton Brothers of Macon, Georgia, excelled at a particularly exciting brand of gospel soul, including the rave-up, “Alright, Alright.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'One of These Mornings' by The Rev. J.R. Lockley and His Original Gospel Clefs

The Rev. J.R. Lockley and His Original Gospel Clefs, featuring big-voiced Ann Moncrief, deliver a killer version of the spiritual, “One of These Mornings.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'You’ve Got to Live the Life' by The Echoes of Life

New York City’s Echoes of Life turn Thomas Dorsey’s beloved “You’ve Got to Live the Life” into a rough and raspy old school gospel shout.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'You've Got to Move' by Abbysinnia Baptist Church Young People’s Choir

In 1959, the Abbysinnia Baptist Church Young People’s Choir recorded a cheerfully up tempo version of the old spiritual “You’ve Got to Move” for the famed Gotham Record label.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Ol" John (Behold Thy Mother) by The Faithful Wonders

The Faithful Wonders’ funky “Ol’ John (Behold Thy Mother),” first released in 1968, has been re-released multiple times on various gospel and R&B anthologies in recent years.