GOLDEN GATE QUARTET

Das Golden Gate Quartet gibt es bereits seit 1941 und ab 1934 waren sie bereits als Golden Gate Jubilee Singers unterwegs. Sehr schnell war diese Vokalgruppe in den USA ein Synonym für Gospelmusik und ihre Popularität blieb auch wärend des 2. WK ungebrochen. Erst nach dem Weltkrieg verblasste durch das Entstehen vieler neuer Gospelgruppen, die sich weit besser den neuem Zeitgeschmack anpassen konnten, ihre Popularität. So entschlossen sie sich die USA zu verlassen und auf Welt-Tournee zu gehen. In den diversen Ländern spielten sie auch immer wieder Titel ein und es ist heute sehr schwer festzustellen, woher die jeweilige Aufnahme kommt, da ja oft auch alte Titel neuerlich aufgenommen wurden. In Frankreich gibt es eine nicht geringe Anzahl von EPs. Möglicherweise war in Europa Frankreich das "Hauptaufnahmeland".
Als Jugendliche in der Rocknrollzeit gefielen uns die wenigen Singles die bei uns veröffentlicht wurden ganz gut. Vermutlich betrachteten wir sie damals als musikalische Exoten, quasi als Gegenpol zu Rocknroll und Rockabilly.
Drei Singles gab es bei uns bis 1962:
COLUMBIA (D)
?? 58....C 20 986....The Golden Gate Quartet..Down By The Riverside/When The Saints Go Marching In (Erstveröffentlichung dzt. unbekannt)
03 60....C 21 420....Golden Gate Quartet..St. Louis Blues/I Just Telephon Upstairs (Erstveröffentlichung dzt. unbekannt)
04 62....C 21 858....The Golden Gate Quartet..Get On Board/Great Gettin' Up Morning (Erstveröffentlichung dzt. unbekannt)

Keep Searchin'
Gerd

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Hier als Quintett (mit Pianist).

Gruß
Dietrich

Hallo Gerd,

gestatte mir, etwas in "englisch" zu ergänzen:

Pioneer Virginia gospel/pop quartet of the '30s and '40s. Calling their innovative approach to sacred hymns "jubilee" singing, The Golden Gate Quartet, propelled by Willie Johnson and William Langford, enjoyed massive acceptance far outside the church. Their smooth Mills Brothers-influenced harmonies made The Gates naturals for pop crossover success, and they began recording for Victor in 1937. National radio broadcasts and an appearance on John Hammond's 1938 "Spirituals to Swing" concert at Carnegie Hall made them coast-to-coast favorites. By 1941 The Gates were recording for Columbia minus Langford, and movie appearances were frequent: Star Spangled Rhythm, Hollywood Canteen, and Hit Parade of 1943, to name a few. Some experiments with R&B material didn't pan out during the late '40s, and Johnson defected to The Jubilaires in 1948. The group emigrated to France in 1959; led by veteran bass singer Orlando Wilson.

When the four young black men first began harmonizing together in Norfolk, VA in 1934, they could hardly have imagined being invited four years later to New York to perform in the now legendary "From Spirituals to Swing" concerts at Carnegie Hall. About that time they cut their first recorded sides, laying down an amazing 14 tracks in 2 hours. Nearly 70 years later, the group is still spreading the Gospel and delighting audiences with their upbeat, rhythmic hits. "Good Book" is essentially a "best of" studio CD, containing 18 tunes. "I Soon Will Be Done With The Troubles Of This World," "Ezekiel Saw The Wheel," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Rock My Soul," "Gospel Train"ìwe've heard them before, but they're new and fresh here. "Oh Happy Day," "Down By The Riverside," "Swing Down Chariot"ìthe GGQ invites us aboard the Gospel train, and it's a great ride!

When the GGQ burst onto the gospel music scene in the 1930's out of the Tidewater region of Virginia, black churches were quite musically conservative and not given to rhythmic experimentation or nods toward popular music. Thus there was a fair amount of head-shaking when the GGQ emerged as the leader of a very fine pack of Gospel groups during a very difficult and trying time in American history. Appearing on a North Carolina radio station led to a move north, then to a Bluebird recording contract. The strong beat and counterpoint in those first recordings are looked upon as a turning point in Gospel music, a rebirth of the spiritual. "Rock My Soul" has 20 marvelous tunes, recorded from 1937 to 1943, all of them upbeat, rhythmic, harmonic hits. Listen to "Golden Gate Gospel Train," "Jonah In The Whale," "Go Where I Send Thee" and the vocal "horns" on "Massa's In The Cold Cold Ground," the title tune‹this is amazing stuff. Humorous songs like "Preacher and the Bear" and "Jonah In the Whale" have as much novelty pop in them as Gospel. "Stalin Wasn't Stallin" (about the defeat of Hitler by the Russians) and "Comin' In On A Wing and a Prayer" feed nicely on the "God is on our side" sentiment of WWII. Not at all maudlin or dire like some Gospel groups, the GGQ are cheerful, joyous and celebratory in their music, and we think they are one of the best, and most interesting, of all time!

Vielleicht gibt es einen "Translater"??
Gruß
Dietrich

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