One of the most distinctive voices in gospel music is the stratospheric falsetto of Claude Jeter, who powered the Swan Silvertones for decades and through a host of hits, most notably the all-time classic version of the old spiritual, “Mary, Don’t You Weep.”
Jeter had an adventurous streak outside the confines of old time gospel quartet singing and released several solo 45s.
One of the most unusual is “Christmas in Heaven” from about 1969. It sounds like it was written as a children’s pop song, or maybe something from a TV Yule special with its loping beat and, of course, that unmistakable falsetto.
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.
