Absolutely amazing five part harmonies. Great East Texas legends. There would be no Four Tops, Temptations, Miracles with the Stirrers and Rebert Harris.
WOW, R.H Harris. When I was a child growing up on the southside of Chicago, we attended the same church. He lived one block over from me. I'd known him for @ least 12 years before I knew of his legacy. To me, his legacy was being a good dude.
@esauwilldie1 I love stories like that! My grandparents (now deceased) used to live next to Hank Willams Sr. It's good to hear his heart was as good as his voice.
No need to compare Sam and Mr. RH Harris; they both had "the gift". R.H. Harris was a model for Sam and many of the other younger singers of that time. In fact, R.H. was the number one influential figure in Black Gospel music. And yes, Paul Foster was a true "Fire Prophet" with a first rate voice; yet he was never really credited as was R.H. and Sam. I play this music for my children and my students. We've got to keep it alive, share it with the children. This is our only hope.
When I was a kid my father (who is now deceased) used to play the Soul Stirrers, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dixie Hummingbirds, etc., for hours and hours on Sunday afternoons. Thanks for taking me back to those wonderful times from my childhood.
What can you do with this? These men are singing and wearing this song out. They have no instruments to hide behind, and I am sure they did not punch in vocals. They started off easy and just built the song up and BAM, rode on home with this tune. I LOVE this kind of music!
sam's not on this record. R.H Harris was a huge influence on Sam stylistically. sam was the total package, but from a pure singing perspective, R.H Harris was every bit his equal.
how on earth is one group fortunate enough to be fronted over the years by paul foster, r. h. harris and sam cook[e]? maybe the all time embarrassment of riches.....perhaps they were just blessed.....ya' think?
good point....and i should have mentioned june cheeks too. he was second lead for a bit until he was contractually forced to return to the sensational nightingales.
The Music Industry has their target audience... unfortunately, 13 year old girls buy more music than any other demographic. Which is probably why I basically stopped listening to the radio about the same age.
Man, Paul Foster truly was a force of nature. One of my very favorite voices of all time. I'm 23 years old and can vouch for the fact that true artistry in music is a lost art. There are those around who still get it, but you've got to search for them, you'll never hear them on the radio or see them on TV. It's a crying shame. All the more reason to be happy that these recordings will be around for all time. Thanks for posting!
I'll take Paul all day, any day! I like how he could get raw with you and have finesse in the same song!! I know God doesn't make replica's but I sure work to be like Paul!
@honkyxadonis God didn't literally sit down and write this song, but he did provide the inspiration for the song. So in a way he did write this. Also, God is the only thing that's holy.
@honkyxadonis I'm glad that even non believers can appreciate this great music. I respect that you don't believe, but this is a gospel video. Obviously the majority of people watching this are believers, so please don't antagonize. Your reply to soulman1950 sounds like you were trying to stir a religious argument here. We should just agree to disagree on God's existence.
@camking88 respectfully, its not an issue many are willing to agree to disagree on, whcih god, which book, which prophet, rarely things i can shy away from, it would be nice if all religious ppl were like jesus (meek and mild) but they are not so sometimes i feel it my duty to stir healthy debate, and, if possible, change ppls minds
@honkyxadonis I can respect that. Healthy debate is always good. While we are on opposite sides of this debate, I realize that we as people will get nowhere if we are not willing to at least talk (respectfully) to each other about our differences and work through them. : )
@Iccotracs U are so wise. I could have not said it better about the artistry in music. I usually read and search about and for real artists. We have plenty here in my city of brotherly love for sure.
The collapse of U.S. industry, the breakdown of the family (especially with blacks), technology (video games, the internet), the withering American work ethic, the secularization and commercialization of (again, especially black) culture, the wrong kind of drugs (meth and X instead of Absinthe and acid), a lack of formal music training, "gangsta" culture (yet again, brothas and sistas, you let me down), these, I think, are the main reasons for the death of real music.
this song,like peace in the valley,was intended to showcase paul foster's vocal ability... r.h. harris was already a legend during the time of this recording....listen to the soul stirrers 'peace in the valley" and you will hear the same technique with sam cooke singing r.h. harris' part...it's a real treat!
I wonder if actually there are loads of singers like this in churches all over America, but they just don't get coverage because I guess the public is more interested in hip hop and rock etc.
Here in San Francisco, The Glide Church often has some really talented singers, yeah. It's a Gay/Lesbian Friendly Church... and if you're down, the music is UPlifting.
But everybody now wants to sound like beyonce or usher, so I think the talent level is sinking... for sure.
When y'all get time type in larry hilton cooke....and listen to 1, 2, and 3...I haven't forgotten my gospel roots...please feel free to post a comment.....Cooke
UM, well, for one, music is sold to thirteen year old girls... so quality is no longer really an issue. Music now is about "The Look"... not the music. Talent is selling music now... not singing.
Ironically, Sam Cooke followed this. He never gave his pop songs the attention he did the Gospel, and I wonder which one paid him more.
Sad, but just an example of how MOST of our society values money over ALL else. A race to the bottom.
They don't even know it's POSSIBLE now. They point to R Kelly as a great voice. Most people don't get to hear this Perfect music and it's sad... it'll be lost forever... that's why my sons will DEFINITELY know it, song by song, singer by singer, word by word... they're gonna need it.
Kelly was a great singer the way Lennox Lewis was a great boxer. They were both good "for their era". And you can't really put it on marketing. Never was the industry or record buying public so dumbed down or commercialized than in the 80s/early 90s but their was still great music UNDERGROUND. If you looked around a bit you could still find great tunes. Nowadays the more I look, the more depresed I get. It's just not out there anymore.
Rest in Peace Mr. Harris. You will always be my favorite. No one can touch this man's passion. He was the first and in my honest opinion, will always be the greatest. "Faith and Grace" is my favorite of his. is it on here?
Sweet Jesus!!!!!...I just can't find the words........My soul is rejoicing...This is the kind of song that makes you cry while you are singing it...and you can't even explain why
That sounds like Paul foster and Harris trade singing lead.. as for Sam, if he's singing..( don't think he's in the group yet) it poossibly sounds like him in the background.
You're right to mention Foster - he's a big part of this record. He added extra fervour to the Stirrers and sings second lead on a lot of Sam Cooke's best gospel records.
Sam's not on this record though. I don't think he ever sang with RH though he did produce some of his later records.
I think this is the "swing lead" style created by R.H. Harris and the Soul Stirrers, where the melody is traded back and forth. This was before Rebert retired, which makes Paul Foster the "hard" lead. What strikes me about this recording (other than the obvious!) is the fact that Paul & Rebert sound so much alike in the climax of the song.
"An art almost immune to criticism," read the review. Yup.
Awesome
MsPraise777 1 month ago
Absolutely amazing five part harmonies. Great East Texas legends. There would be no Four Tops, Temptations, Miracles with the Stirrers and Rebert Harris.
SooperKewl 3 months ago
Even a young Paul had fire in his soul! That's how they started out back. They had that gospel voice as kids
jddrew1000 5 months ago
This song should have a LOVE button lol I love this song.....smh I really wish there was music like this today.....
tjmcknight08 11 months ago
1950...
mesucarza 1 year ago
Amazing! Who needs instruments anyway? Not these guys
darrynray 1 year ago
WOW, R.H Harris. When I was a child growing up on the southside of Chicago, we attended the same church. He lived one block over from me. I'd known him for @ least 12 years before I knew of his legacy. To me, his legacy was being a good dude.
esauwilldie1 1 year ago
@esauwilldie1 I love stories like that! My grandparents (now deceased) used to live next to Hank Willams Sr. It's good to hear his heart was as good as his voice.
robs104 11 months ago
No need to compare Sam and Mr. RH Harris; they both had "the gift". R.H. Harris was a model for Sam and many of the other younger singers of that time. In fact, R.H. was the number one influential figure in Black Gospel music. And yes, Paul Foster was a true "Fire Prophet" with a first rate voice; yet he was never really credited as was R.H. and Sam. I play this music for my children and my students. We've got to keep it alive, share it with the children. This is our only hope.
torrencebrannon 1 year ago
one of the great 45's is by and by by the soul stirrers on specialty i believe-
hswatnik 1 year ago
When I was a kid my father (who is now deceased) used to play the Soul Stirrers, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dixie Hummingbirds, etc., for hours and hours on Sunday afternoons. Thanks for taking me back to those wonderful times from my childhood.
marinerutgers 1 year ago
What can you do with this? These men are singing and wearing this song out. They have no instruments to hide behind, and I am sure they did not punch in vocals. They started off easy and just built the song up and BAM, rode on home with this tune. I LOVE this kind of music!
kpitt1204 1 year ago
this one R H Harris's last recordings before Sam repleced him
d820m 1 year ago
Just beautiful! Thanks for posting. I had never heard any music from these guys until recently. I am really enjoying it. Thanks.
insman1976 1 year ago
So very fine.
I like Sam Cooke but Mr. Harris's voice had an authority and richness that pleases me more.
Thank you for making these excellent voices available to all of us.
BlueRidgeMtnsNative 1 year ago
@yawotton,They let R.H go for Sam.
blkbrotha58 1 year ago
Sang Paul Foster, smooth!!
holmes1156 1 year ago
sam's not on this record. R.H Harris was a huge influence on Sam stylistically. sam was the total package, but from a pure singing perspective, R.H Harris was every bit his equal.
jaygatsby1 1 year ago
Beautiful
origsoulseekers1939 1 year ago
This sounds somewhat different from the one I have. I wonder if they recorded it more than once?
ivelosthewilltolive 2 years ago
how on earth is one group fortunate enough to be fronted over the years by paul foster, r. h. harris and sam cook[e]? maybe the all time embarrassment of riches.....perhaps they were just blessed.....ya' think?
jaygatsby1 2 years ago
don't forget Johnnie Taylor
OrgenaII 2 years ago 2
good point....and i should have mentioned june cheeks too. he was second lead for a bit until he was contractually forced to return to the sensational nightingales.
jaygatsby1 2 years ago
I just heard Jonny Jones and the Soul Stirrers. Have to add him to the list.
OrgenaII 2 years ago
R.H. Harris an amazing voice....unbelievable sound never heard of him until recently, OMG such beautiful music.
osomtj830 2 years ago 4
The Music Industry has their target audience... unfortunately, 13 year old girls buy more music than any other demographic. Which is probably why I basically stopped listening to the radio about the same age.
Imagine a Sam Cooke Gospel station.
I'm sure it would have bad reception - lol
bouncedrealitycheck 2 years ago
@bouncedrealitycheck I am down with the bounced reality check. Is that the same check MLK was talking about in the summer of 1963?
louis1900neworleans 2 years ago
Beautiful! I feel the spirit tryin' to creep on me.
PatsBooks 2 years ago
This is my favorite rendition by RH Harris
bigpoppa101977 2 years ago 2
Keep them coming please, special singer
soulman1950 2 years ago
Man, Paul Foster truly was a force of nature. One of my very favorite voices of all time. I'm 23 years old and can vouch for the fact that true artistry in music is a lost art. There are those around who still get it, but you've got to search for them, you'll never hear them on the radio or see them on TV. It's a crying shame. All the more reason to be happy that these recordings will be around for all time. Thanks for posting!
Iccotracs 2 years ago 17
I'll take Paul all day, any day! I like how he could get raw with you and have finesse in the same song!! I know God doesn't make replica's but I sure work to be like Paul!
ccrump1 2 years ago 3
Amen, brother.
zappasaurus 2 years ago 3
You are spot on, lets all enjoy Gods music.
soulman1950 1 year ago
@soulman1950 god wrote this!?!?!? holy shit!!!
honkyxadonis 1 year ago
@honkyxadonis God didn't literally sit down and write this song, but he did provide the inspiration for the song. So in a way he did write this. Also, God is the only thing that's holy.
camking88 1 year ago
@camking88 i am not a believer, but this is still music at its best IMH
honkyxadonis 1 year ago
@honkyxadonis I'm glad that even non believers can appreciate this great music. I respect that you don't believe, but this is a gospel video. Obviously the majority of people watching this are believers, so please don't antagonize. Your reply to soulman1950 sounds like you were trying to stir a religious argument here. We should just agree to disagree on God's existence.
camking88 1 year ago
@camking88 respectfully, its not an issue many are willing to agree to disagree on, whcih god, which book, which prophet, rarely things i can shy away from, it would be nice if all religious ppl were like jesus (meek and mild) but they are not so sometimes i feel it my duty to stir healthy debate, and, if possible, change ppls minds
honkyxadonis 1 year ago
@honkyxadonis I can respect that. Healthy debate is always good. While we are on opposite sides of this debate, I realize that we as people will get nowhere if we are not willing to at least talk (respectfully) to each other about our differences and work through them. : )
camking88 1 year ago
@Iccotracs U are so wise. I could have not said it better about the artistry in music. I usually read and search about and for real artists. We have plenty here in my city of brotherly love for sure.
kpitt1204 1 year ago
@Iccotracs
Paul reached a many souls through his ministry of gospel music. Mine is one of them.
cboneofenglewood 8 months ago
Sam was paid much more for his R&B/Pop songs.
danimcc1 2 years ago
Get your kids off those fuckin video games, people. If Skip James had an Xbox instead of a cigar box do you think we'd have "Crow Jane"?
SpliffyFloyd 2 years ago
The collapse of U.S. industry, the breakdown of the family (especially with blacks), technology (video games, the internet), the withering American work ethic, the secularization and commercialization of (again, especially black) culture, the wrong kind of drugs (meth and X instead of Absinthe and acid), a lack of formal music training, "gangsta" culture (yet again, brothas and sistas, you let me down), these, I think, are the main reasons for the death of real music.
SpliffyFloyd 2 years ago
The weakest singer in this song would be the greatest singer alive today. What in the fuck happened?
SpliffyFloyd 2 years ago
this song,like peace in the valley,was intended to showcase paul foster's vocal ability... r.h. harris was already a legend during the time of this recording....listen to the soul stirrers 'peace in the valley" and you will hear the same technique with sam cooke singing r.h. harris' part...it's a real treat!
sixbebig 2 years ago
I wonder if actually there are loads of singers like this in churches all over America, but they just don't get coverage because I guess the public is more interested in hip hop and rock etc.
HamerD 2 years ago
Here in San Francisco, The Glide Church often has some really talented singers, yeah. It's a Gay/Lesbian Friendly Church... and if you're down, the music is UPlifting.
But everybody now wants to sound like beyonce or usher, so I think the talent level is sinking... for sure.
bouncedrealitycheck 2 years ago
When y'all get time type in larry hilton cooke....and listen to 1, 2, and 3...I haven't forgotten my gospel roots...please feel free to post a comment.....Cooke
larrycancooke2 2 years ago
UM, well, for one, music is sold to thirteen year old girls... so quality is no longer really an issue. Music now is about "The Look"... not the music. Talent is selling music now... not singing.
Ironically, Sam Cooke followed this. He never gave his pop songs the attention he did the Gospel, and I wonder which one paid him more.
Sad, but just an example of how MOST of our society values money over ALL else. A race to the bottom.
Hope that helps.
bouncedrealitycheck 2 years ago
Sam Cooke made more money singing rock and Roll were your head at brother he was set up by that slick street Bitch?
1bibleman12 2 years ago
no one can sing like them guys they
were the best
1939316 3 years ago 4
BEST of the BEST, GOD I LOVE THIS MUSIC, Thanks for sharing.
soulman1950 3 years ago 5
My favorite song. I love singing this in church. We'll tell the story how we've overcome. Ooooh, yes!
monmichka77 3 years ago 3
Singing the angels down!
MrStyle23 3 years ago 3
They don't sing like this ANYMORE!!!!!
ShayW125 3 years ago 20
They don't even know it's POSSIBLE now. They point to R Kelly as a great voice. Most people don't get to hear this Perfect music and it's sad... it'll be lost forever... that's why my sons will DEFINITELY know it, song by song, singer by singer, word by word... they're gonna need it.
bouncedrealitycheck 2 years ago
Kelly was a great singer the way Lennox Lewis was a great boxer. They were both good "for their era". And you can't really put it on marketing. Never was the industry or record buying public so dumbed down or commercialized than in the 80s/early 90s but their was still great music UNDERGROUND. If you looked around a bit you could still find great tunes. Nowadays the more I look, the more depresed I get. It's just not out there anymore.
SpliffyFloyd 2 years ago
That IS SAD isn't it????? My 9 year old and 3 year old ALREADY know about this GOOD MUSIC!!!! The music industry today is....DEAD!!!!!
ShayW125 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ShayW125 Youtube -
They Sold Their Souls For Rock And Roll
/watch?v=2OyP4ETNygo
DONTINSTALL2 1 year ago
Rest in Peace Mr. Harris. You will always be my favorite. No one can touch this man's passion. He was the first and in my honest opinion, will always be the greatest. "Faith and Grace" is my favorite of his. is it on here?
Craftonia 3 years ago 4
sang ya'll
holmes1156 3 years ago 2
Sweet Jesus!!!!!...I just can't find the words........My soul is rejoicing...This is the kind of song that makes you cry while you are singing it...and you can't even explain why
carolynkayeat 3 years ago 5
That sounds like Paul foster and Harris trade singing lead.. as for Sam, if he's singing..( don't think he's in the group yet) it poossibly sounds like him in the background.
yawotton 3 years ago
You're right to mention Foster - he's a big part of this record. He added extra fervour to the Stirrers and sings second lead on a lot of Sam Cooke's best gospel records.
Sam's not on this record though. I don't think he ever sang with RH though he did produce some of his later records.
poachedeyes 3 years ago 2
I think this is the "swing lead" style created by R.H. Harris and the Soul Stirrers, where the melody is traded back and forth. This was before Rebert retired, which makes Paul Foster the "hard" lead. What strikes me about this recording (other than the obvious!) is the fact that Paul & Rebert sound so much alike in the climax of the song.
"An art almost immune to criticism," read the review. Yup.
ainandil 2 years ago
@poachedeyes
Very True!
cboneofenglewood 8 months ago
@yawotton Harris and Sam didn't sing together. Sam replaced Harris.
141Jessy 1 year ago
@yawotton I believe that's Paul Foster singing first, then Rebert.
ivelosthewilltolive 1 year ago
@yawotton Youtube -
They Sold Their Souls For Rock And Roll
/watch?v=2OyP4ETNygo
DONTINSTALL2 1 year ago
it gets no better
nastee08 3 years ago 4
Classic Gospel at it's best
mjt1030 3 years ago 4