Reverend James Cleveland in The Chariot Forum

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Reverend James Cleveland

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Patti Sterling

Reverend James Cleveland

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 1603

Feb 19 06 10:09 PM

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http://www.jcchorus.com/Biography.htm

I came into contact with James Cleveland's Southern California's Community Choir through my old friend and writing partner, Douglas Gibbs. Douglas was enormously talented and we were labelmates on a small indie called Oak Records. We were recording a Gospel Rock opera called "Truth of Truths" back in the early seventies; Douglas was Moses, and I played Eve and the Virgin Mary. Jim Backus played God.

The opportunity to sing with the choir came through Douglas, and it will never be matched in my memory. It was just a rehearsal, but I was in heaven...so many voices...such unusual voicings. Billy Preston was a guest soloist that night. Douglas toured with Billy Preston, and had much of same charisma that both Billy and Reverend James possesed...Chills...

If I am not mistaken, Aretha recorded her "return to Gospel" album "Amazing Grace" with Reverend James and the Southern California Community Choir. This was the same time Ray Charles stopped managing Billy Peston, and a local band, the Master's Children became Earth Find, and Fire.

Many times,I think, performers get "caught up in the moment, and busy with the "business" ...wish there were some pictures of that evening.

Reverend James Cleveland was a former member of "The Caravans"....

Patti Sterling
Patti Sterling On Myspace

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Muddylives

#1

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5141

Feb 20 06 6:37 AM

Great post, Patti. Thanks.

James Cleveland is unquestionably one of the all-time greats, somebody who could move entire congregations to tears. You are right about his choirs as well. They were the best.

I can imagine that singing with his choir must have been an unforgettable experience.

Billy Preston is known primarily for his rock and soul efforts, but he is also one of the truly great gospel organ players. Gospel organ is a great American musical tradition that, unfortunately, was not documented on record the way that it should have been. Preston has been having very serious health problems for several years now, but he keeps hanging in there. I wish him the very best.

Muddy

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Bernd

#2

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Feb 20 06 9:28 PM

If I'm not wrong James Cleveland also was a protege of Chicago's legendary bariton Robert Anderson. Anderson encouraged young Chicago gospel singers to find their own ways. Cleveland worked first with Imogene Greene, Bessie Folk and Norsalus McKissick. He joined Albertina Walker and the Caravans in 1954 and stayed with them until 1957 or 1958. In 1959 he played piano for Detroit's famous Meditation Singers. Della Reese once was a member of the Meditations. Cleveland also recorded with the Gospel Chimes where Jessy Dixon and Imogene Greene had been members.

After he startet his work with those famous choirs as the Angelic Gospel Choir, Voices of Tabernacle, Walter Artis Chorale, New Jersey Mass Choir, Charles Fold Singers, Salem Inspirational Choir, and Herold Smith's Majestics. The Southern California Community Choir was his own choir. And yes, he recorded with Aretha Franklin and this choir on Aretha's "Amazing Grace" album in 1972. He oftentimes had been with the Franklins in Detroit.

"Peace Be Still" sold over 800 000 and was the greatest gospel hit of the sixties before Edwin Hawkins recorded "Oh Happy Day".

Bernd

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Patti Sterling

#3

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 1603

Feb 22 06 8:15 AM

Thank you for participating in this thread. There is such deep understanding of this music being shared...I appreciate all of these discussions.
Thanks to Mr. Bernd for the confirmation regarding Aretha's Amazing Grace LP.

Muddylives, Billy Preston seems always pretty "Church" when he plays. He is such a Master.

Patti Sterling
Patti Sterling On Myspace

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Les Forgue

#4

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6205

Feb 22 06 3:02 PM

Yeah Billy Preston and another guy, Al Green, when they're crossed over to soul, R&B, Rock and Roll, whatever, they still have have gospel music savor!

I have a James Cleveland LP on vinyl disc, it has some very stirring numbers on it which I love, one I think is entitled All Rise, another I utterly forget the title but it contains some lines like "Sit down by the riverside, rest from labor, ",
while I usually favor smaller groups over big choirs, maybe for clarity of lyrics, the Rev's 'solos' fix everything and this LP always lights a fire under me.

Les from Chicago

"Nobody sits on a rolling stone".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMRWhmqJwHc

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Bernd

#5

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Feb 22 06 8:21 PM

Mrs Patti Sterling, you're welcome.
Mr. Bernd

Well Patti, Bernd is my Christian name. I'm also surfing on some other message boards about gospel music and I decided to use "Bernd" whereever I'm posting. So, people always will associate the same person with my name. My interest in gospel music started in 1964 and since that time I'm a busy collector and always interested in learning more about this music. Living over in Germany it was always hard getting new informations and recordings. But thanks to the internet this has changed now. But I'm still reservated in buying to much new recordings, I really would like to have, for at least I'll have to sell my house and the family has to live in poverty, lol. I know much more about Gospel's Golden Age than about what's going on today.

Back to subject: Billy Preston played organ for Doris Akers in1962, for James Cleveland in 1963, for Cassietta George around 1967/69, for Bessie Griffin and the Gospel Pearls in 1960 and also on the Alabama Blind Boys' CD "Atom Bomb". There's an old picture where he's playing piano while Mahalia Jackson is standing next to him. Preston also recorded an solo organ album on Peacock c. 1965. Billy Preston's mother played piano for Los Angeles' famous Voices of Victory in 1954.

Bernd

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Patti Sterling

#6

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 1603

Feb 25 06 11:59 AM

http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1444156/05...ton_billy.jhtml

I became a little concerned about Billy, after Muddylives mentioned his ill health. Over the years, I have worked with Billy occaisionally - mostly for charitable benefits. He is a rare talent and, thanks to Bernd...I know more about his background than ever before. His mother and sister both played, and his sister leads a small choir, I believe. I also discovered he recorded a strictly gospel cd in 2002(?)...which I'd sure like to hear. I truly believe the Reverend James Cleveland was a great influence on Billy, and my friend Douglas, who worked on an Inez Andrews album - cut in Chicago, in the early seventies. They are a real testament to the powerful influence of this charimatic leader.

Patti Sterling
Patti Sterling On Myspace

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Muddylives

#7

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5141

Feb 26 06 12:25 PM

There is a lot of great music in Cleveland's discography, a lot of it on Savoy. The one disc that I reach for the most is a collection of his HOB sides: just fantastic material delivered with consistent conviction:

user posted image

Muddy

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jive4005

#8

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Posts: 7

Mar 27 06 1:04 PM

I love just about everything I hear from Rev. C... he always seems to connect to the Holy Spirit! Praise God!!!

His,
JF

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jazzmanchgo

#9

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Posts: 1222

Mar 29 06 1:23 AM

These are all great posts...

I have to admit, though, that I'm a bit daunted by the image of Jim Backus playing "God"!

God wears a Hawiian t-shirt, sips cocktails out of coconut shells, and whines "Lovieee!" every time he's upset or doesn't get his way. . .

"Put all your money in a hair bank and you won't draw nothing but a wet check and a slick bill of ladin'!" (Sunnyland Slim)

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BJL

#10

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Posts: 658

Apr 4 06 8:00 PM

I have a couple of very early James Cleveland photos - is it possible to upload them here?

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Bernd

#11

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 4 06 8:34 PM

Would be nice! Glad to have you here, too.

Regards

Bernd/BerndG1

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MaskedMarvel

#12

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6919

Apr 4 06 9:00 PM

QUOTE (BJL @ Apr 4 2006, 10:00 PM)

I have a couple of very early James Cleveland photos - is it possible to upload them here?

I think it is possible since members have posted images before, I don't know exactly how but I think it's still possible.

All the above written is in my opinion unless it is someone else's opinion, or a fact.

Location: Zur Moshe, Israel

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Tom 1960

#13

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6152

Apr 4 06 9:55 PM

The way I post images is by clicking on the IMG box then pasting the URL, then hitting OK. I'm not certain how this works when uploading pics from your computer. I know a number of guys on the forum who do this. Perhaps they might be able to help? user posted image

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BJL

#14

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Posts: 658

Apr 4 06 10:07 PM

Thanks. The photos are not on a website, they're on my PC (I scanned them from old 10x8 publicity photos). I'd welcome any help...

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Hawkeye

#15

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 7329

Apr 5 06 12:53 AM

BJL,

Tom 1960 requestd that I step in here and make a suggestion regarding posting the pics here at the BBF.

First of all ... I suggest you make sure they are jpeg format files ... which photos/scans ususally are.

Next ... check the print and/or actual size ... to make sure they are not bigger than most of our computer screens.

If they are bigger than 5x7, I suggest you reduce the size of each photo ... using PhotoShop or some related software. Save the new resized photos as a jpeg files ... and use the option of creating them at a lower resolution than your scanned originals. In other words, if you scanned them at 300 dpi ... they will be excellent for your archives ... but way to hefty in bytes to upload to the BFG website.

By reducing the size of each photo ... and by reducing the required memory for each photo to under 150K each ... you will insure easy uploading and viewing of the photos.

You then name each photo ... place it on your desktop ... and hit the "browse" button at the bottom of the 'add reply' page ... and select the name of the photo from your desktop ... then hit the add reply button.

Here's a tip that I have discovered that makes things even easier ... follow my instructions above regarding reducing the size of the photos to say 4"x4" each ... now create a new document that is 8x10 or 8.5x11 ... now copy and paste all of the photos you wish to post into that one new dicument ... as a collage ... and save it as a jpeg file on to your desktop ... and now you can upload all the photos at once in pne document ... here's an example, below, that I quickly created in about three minutes.

I could be more specific with the steps you take within the software ... but I am on a MAC/Apple iBook and I am using PhotoShop 6 software ... if you are on a PC, not a MAC/Apple, and using a different type of photo software ... my specific guidleine steps might be confusing to you ... but the process remains the same.

Let me know if this helps ... or not.

Cheers,

Hawkeye
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BJL

#16

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Posts: 658

Apr 5 06 6:41 AM

Thanks for the help, Hawkeye.

Here are a couple of early James Cleveland photographs I have - with the help of Laura Lee (Rundless) and Anthony Heilbut I've been able to name almost all of the group members. Hope you enjoy them.

First, The Meditation Singers
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BJL

#17

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Posts: 658

Apr 5 06 6:45 AM

Second, The Gospel Chimes
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Click here to view the attachment

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Bernd

#18

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 5 06 6:57 PM

Hello BJL,

first I want to thank you for these wonderful pictures.

According to the Hayes & Laughton discography Emory Redford, Marie Waters, Carey Williams and Earnestine Rundless had been together in the 1954 recording session with the Meditations while James Cleveland had been with the Meditations in 1959. It's interesting to see Radford and Cleveland together on the same picture.

I would like to ask you about when did the group split and when did Earnestine Rundless pass? I don't have the informations. Who else is with us and might know? Della Reese?

About the Gospel Chimes: Timmons, Dixon and Neely had been together in 1962 but where is Dorothy Norwood? Cleveland recorded with them in 1959/60 (Dixon, Greene, others unknown) and in 1961 (Dixon, Imogene Greene, Neely, Timmons). So, where is Greene? When the Chimes backed Cleophus Robinson in 1963 the group's members had been Dixon, Greene, Timmons, Neely and Napoleon Brown on piano and Maceo Woods on organ. I saw Brown playing piano for Robinson and James at the 1967 festival but can't remember the way he looked and I don't have any pictures of Maceo Woods. The face of the unknown man looks very individual.

What about sending this picture to Jessy Dixon? I know he doesn't like what others write about him and sometimes feels being misunderstood. So, he told me he had recorded first one year before he is mentioned in the discograpy and people should ask him before publishing dates about him. But he might be pleased to see himself with the Chimes in his younger days.

Regards
Bernd

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BJL

#19

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Posts: 658

Apr 5 06 9:49 PM

Bernd,

Glad you like them. Earnestine Rundless is in her 90s I think and in a nursing home in the Detroit area. A friend of mine visits her and takes music for her. This morning I e-mailed a copy of the photo to Jessy Dixon's website - I'll let you know if I get a reply.

The Meditations photo is an early one. I seem to remember that the address was one of Rev & Mrs Rundless' earliest Detroit homes. The back of the Gospel Chimes photo has a stamp from the photographer (Valentine Photgraphers, Chicago) and "College press" written on it. Was it taken at a college?

Dating photos by Hayes/Laughton is often difficult and like you, I can't link either photo to a specific period. People leave groups, join groups, make sessions, miss sessions etc.

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Sharna

#20

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Posts: 1327

Apr 5 06 11:59 PM

Thanks Patti for this thread

i presented a 2 hour 'Gospel' special to air last tuesday, was a little concerned that
maybe i might lose my secular audience but! i had more phone calls than any other night on this station and my favorite was a listener who told me he was a confirmed atheist who loves "Gospel Music" and asked me where he could buy the music i played esp. Sister Monica Parker.......was uplifting to know that the music touched him

keep it real...play the blues

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