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PREORDER
Ships When IN STOCK.
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ARTIST
TITLE
Life In Heaven Is Free: Checker Gospel 1961-1973
FORMAT
LP
LABEL
CATALOG #
HJR 088LP
HJR 088LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
12/5/2025
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Gospel melts into soul in this dazzling collection of sides originally released by the Chess subsidiary label Checker. Devised by the same team supporting the likes of Muddy Waters and Etta James at Chess, the vintage of Checker Gospel celebrated here is distinguished by its expertly raw, rugged, live feel -- thumping bass and pounding drums, bluesy guitar and horns -- and its keen engagement with contemporary realities and politics, with an underlying, unwavering commitment to the Civil Rights movement. Key architects of the Chicago Sound and Motown are amongst the scores of contributors: Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, Eddie Kendricks, and Leonard Caston Jr. are in the house; Morris Jennings, drummer on Curtis' "Superfly" and Terry Callier's "What Color Is Love." Louis Satterfield from The Pharaohs and Earth Wind & Fire. Ramsey Lewis' guitarist Byron Gregory; Phil Upchurch; Laura Lee; a protege of Willie Dixon; engineer Malcolm Chisholm set up the Ter Mar studio as if preparing for a live gig, carefully teasing measures of bleed into the microphones. With Ralph Bass from King Records running A&R, they knew exactly what they were after. Focused on the late sixties and early seventies, the twenty-five recordings here are all killer no filler, but try these four, random entry points: the heavy funk ostinato of the Violinaires' "Groovin' With Jesus," working itself up into a post-James-Brown brass frenzy, sure to knock your socks off; Cleo Jackson Randle's title track, for those who like their Gospel straight-up and hard-core; Eddie Kendricks' achingly timely choral call-to-arms, "Stand Up America, Don't Be Afraid"; the East St Louis Gospelettes' heart-stopping, fathoms-deep rendition of Bobby Bland's "I'll Take Care Of You." A beautiful gatefold sleeve; a full-color booklet with excellent notes by Robert Marovich; top-notch sound. Another knockout selection by Greg Belson and David Hill. Also featuring The Meditation Singers, Charlie Brown, Martha Bass, The Williams Singers, The Faithful Wonders, The Salem Travelers, Power And Light Choral Ensemble, The Masonic Wonders, The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, The Jordan Singers, Lucy Rodgers, The Kindly Shepherds, The Inspirational Singers, The Bells Of Joy, and Stevie Hawkins.
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