SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Rev. James Cleveland and the Salem Inspirational Choir

Towards the last decades of his career, the Rev. James Cleveland would release a dozen albums in a year... sometimes he’d only sing one song, but his name was enough to sell a lot of records! One of such venture was with the Salem Inspirational Choir of Salem Baptist Church in 1978.

Cleveland had just had one of his biggest hits – “I Don’t Feel Noways Tired” – and re-recorded it multiple times.

By this point in his career, his voice is a raspy husk. The Salem Inspirational Choir, under the direction of Dorethea Wade, more than makes up for it with their precision and power.

To give this live two-LP set an additional boost, Cleveland has brought along his latest discovery, keyboardist Keith Pringle – and together with the Salems, they deliver an emotional 11-minute version of “I Don’t Feel Noways Tired.”

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

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