SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - “Oh, Mother Tonight” by The Gospel Twins

One of the intriguing rarities in the Black Gospel Archives at Baylor University is this 45 by the Gospel Twins, “Oh, Mother Tonight” on the Gotham Records label. Gotham began about 1947 and ended in the late ‘50s, and released some seminal early gospel, as well as later releases by the likes of the Famous Ward Singers and Elder Beck.

As for the Gospel Twins, we know absolutely nothing about them, save that the strange recitation in the middle of this short song is by Sammy Bland, presumably one of the Twins! It’s a wonderfully primitive number, and the Twins’ voices have a keening, droning quality, accompanied only by a ghostly organ and single drum.      

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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