Theater of the Imagination
Join award winning composer Peter Link as he presents his life's work in 'Theater of the Imagination.'
Theater of the Imagination
Series 1, Episode 46: Gospel Is A Wide Umbrella
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Gospel Music: It’s a combination of music and lyrics. It celebrates – things like life, spirit, soul, miracle, and it, of course, praises God. It makes me not sit still. It makes me want to sing along (and I’m just not a singalong guy.) It makes me watch fascinated how deeply it affects the spirit of the people around me; it makes me want to be a part of the moment. It elicits improvisation, It is unifying. Here, in this Special Edition, do we not only celebrate GospelMusic, but also our Gospel Queen, Jenny Burton, along with many of the best vocalists I ever had the privilege to work with – people like Women: Angela Clemmons, , Branice McKenzie, Jillian Armsberry, Audrey Wheeler, Cat Russell and Margaret Dorn and Danny Madden who also co-created the vocal arrangements with me and Men: Darryl Tookes, John James Keith Fluitt and Lawrence Hamilton. These folks were some A Team! Enjoy a concert of over an hour of life changing Music!
Theater of the Imagination is brought to you by Watchfire Music
Welcome to Scatter Shot Symphony, the music of Peter Link. That's me. Hey y'all. This week being the forty-sixth episode of this podcast, I prefer to let the music do the talking. However, if you need to know more about me, please visit Wikipedia.com or Peter Link. This episode is entitled Gospel is a Wide Umbrella. Volume 2 of the Gospel Truth, Volume 1. Many people love gospel music. Some people don't. I think it's a cultural thing. Anything religious automatically becomes questionable. We all know that two things to stay away from if you throw a dinner party are politics and religion. If you don't, unpleasantries will occur between humans protecting their personal standpoints. So, this podcast is liable to be argumentable. So let's give it a second title. The Gospel, according to Link. Let's see if we can come to a happy medium, or at least an agreeable definition. By the way, this is actually part two of podcast number seven, the gospel truth. Done way back in time. If you're interested, you might want to check that out. It'll help you be a believer if you're not already. Let's first start off by defining the word gospel. Okay. The dictionary definition of gospel is as follows. The word gospel literally means good news or good tidings. Another definition is the teaching or revelation of Christ. This is where things get religious. So I googled gospel music and got, quote. Gospel music is a genre of Christian music rooted in American folk and African American traditions, characterized by dominant vocals, strong harmonies, and themes of faith, hope, and biblical stories. I find all of the above paragraph to be true, but not at all all-encompassing. Clearly, gospel music involves the church. Often it takes from the Bible. We know it's usually rhythmic. It often involves choirs, or at least multiple voices. It's often upbeat. But none of these ideas are prerequisites. One can use a gospel chord progression. It often has lyrics that repeat a lot. A gospel soprano has a very special sound, requiring a very high belt from the vocalist. And there seems to be no limit to its length. But again, none of these facts are imperative or singular to gospel music. So let's go inside for our answer and say what it is instead of what it isn't. It's the combination of music and lyrics. It celebrates things like life, spirit, soul, miracle. And it, of course, praises God. It makes me not sit still. It makes me want to sing along. And I'm just not a sing-along time guy. It makes me watch, fascinated, how deeply it affects the spirit of the people around me. It makes me want to be a part of the moment. It elicits improvisation. It is unifying. Clearly, I failed to nail down the perfect definition. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad, but for now, let's just say that it makes me feel real good. Here, I'll show you what I mean. Here's a little ditty that I wrote and produced about twenty-some years ago. Actually, it's uh not a little at all. Prepare yourself for an over 10-minute ride of what I think is gospel music. It stars many of the best vocalists I ever had the privilege to work with. Women, Angela Clemens, Jenny Burton, Randis Mackenzie, and Margaret Dorn, who also created the vocal arrangements with me. And men, Darrell Chuck, John James, Keith Floyd, and Lawrence Hamilton. This group was Psal 18. It finishes with a song starring the Jenny Burton experience Tear Down the House that for over ten years tore down the house at our every performance. It also visits some classic songs that many of you will know and love. It was part of a trilogy, and it's entitled Earth.
Speaker 4A nd the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, of the dust of the ground, the dust of the ground, and out of the ground, may the Lord grow the tree of knowledge of good and evil of the dust of the ground.
Speaker 3And in the process of time, it came to pass. Yes, it came to pass. In the process of time, that the Lord on said and Because thou hast eaten up a tree.
Speaker 4So the Lord sent him for From the cart and the eater to chill the crowd in the dust of the crowd.
Speaker 3And in the process of time, it came to pass Adam knew we and she conceived and that came And then she again bears brother Eva was a keeper of the lad I came up a chiller of the ground.
Speaker 4The king goes up and came up and slayed And the Lord God said What hast thou done?
Speaker 6The voice of that brother is love to be from the ground from the dusk of the ground where you go.
unknownShe was a boiler who was a leave.
Speaker 7He's waiting.
Speaker 12All mankind helped us build it. It's just for all the good we know. But something happened along the way. Something happened along the way. Something that's the way. Now we gotta tear down the house. Better build it back up on a higher ground. Started tear down the house. We gotta dump that hard light. Yeah, we gotta change hard lights before we build again. Break it down and start it again. Break it down and start it up. Oh yeah, we'll build it, build it for the child in you. Innocent heart, now we'll build it, they'll build it for all the world. In the past, those two buildings did the things they had to do. Something happened along the way. Something happened along the way. Something happened to go away.
Speaker 7Ashes, ashes, dust, dust. What have we done in the name of a Ashes to Ashes? Dust dust. What have we done in the name of a move? What have we born with the richest of dreams? With the wisest of speech, that is turned to a travesty.
Speaker 12What have we done in the name of God?
Speaker 8We built all the time. In the house of the beat Yeah, it's hard to be built in the hall. We don't gotta fight for this time.
Speaker 4We're the architect of ruin, the builder of child, the designer of catastrophe that has to survive.
Speaker 3Fire is our symbol, our medium is rust. So ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Speaker 12The word on the streets is delicious. It's a wrecking ball bodies.
Speaker 7Holy mission, so fat, fat leather, bring it to the ground.
Speaker 1Here's a classic sung by Jenny Burton, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Speaker 12We're leaning on the everlasting And we're safe and secure from all the Everlast.
Speaker 1Turn Turn Turn was originally written and recorded by folk music artist Pete Seeger in nineteen fifty-nine using lyrics adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The Birds nineteen sixty five version brought the song to mainstream success, blending folk and rock to create a timeless anthem for peace and reflection. I've always loved the song. Jenny Burton and I decided to take a gospel approach to it. Since the lyrics are in the public domain, I was able to add a few of my own thoughts to the song. I hired an old pal, John Danny Madden, who was for decades one of the great vocal arrangers in New York City. He brought the A-team of background singers into my studio one memorable day and knocked me off my feet with his arrangement to my track. It's a fabulous arrangement. And the four singers knocked it out in about five hours. Then Jenny Burton did what she all did. Always does. This is definitely high in the top ten covers I ever produced. Turn, turn, turn Jenny Burton.
Speaker 12To everything There is a season to time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to move on, a time to sow, a time to reap, a time to despair, a time to heal, a time to left, a time to be just to everything. There is a season and a time to every purpose under him. A time to build up, a time to break out, a time to dance, a time to want, a time to cast away stones, a time together, stone together to everything. There is a season and a time to everim first Underheaven, under heaven. There are tides of love, a times of hate, times of war, a times of beauty, a time you may erase, a time to refrain from time to time for that. Oh yeah. Time of the bread, time to beat up, time to beat us, time of free, time to respect, respect yourself, time to complain, time of satisfaction. And with the hardest of these time to be Then it's time to turn turn turn to everything There is a speech And the time to every word on the bottom I tried to get I tried to do it, I tried to write, I tried to stop the stuff I'll talk before I try to create a time of peace, I swear it's not too late everything turn, turn, turn, here is a tea turn everything, here is a tea every time, everyone to speak of purpose at all for all things every seat of purpose attack for all things every day I always love creating the unexpected Here's an example of an unusual gospel twist to an American standard once again Jenny Burton Battleham of the Republic. Of a hundred circling camps, they have built him an altar in the evening dews and airs.
Speaker 1I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, his truth is much glory, hallelujah, singing, glory, glory, glory, hallelujah, is to this song that is probably not a straight-ahead gospel song, but it is certainly tinged with gospel elements throughout the top three of the best-selling and most performed songs I ever wrote. It was actually sung at a worldwide women's conference of over two million people in the animal square invasion of China in the eighties. I wish I could have been there to experience that moment. Here is the Jenny Burton experience. The Bible asks the question who will heal the world? Ms. Burton has the answer.
Speaker 12Here we are sold seekers, healers are we what brings us to this mountain? What questions lie upon your times? Tell me all about it. What questions lie upon your tongues? Who will save the children? Who will cleanse the waters of the air? Who will heal the world? Who will stir the ashes? Who will bring the barren land to birth? Who will rescue the fallen man? Men the broken hearted build the families, give back the dignity that's now been taken away. Who will bridge the waters? Who will break the barrier between men? Now you know the end to it but the top Spin me out to the mountain, spin me into the valley below, spin me out into the wilderness, who I am, spend me, who will heal the wood, who will in the famine Who is there to multiply the Lord But the eyes belong to you Send me up to the mountaintop Send me into the valley below Send me out to the wilderness here I am Send me into the prison yard Send me into the heart of Bezos Send me out to the battleground Here I am Send me into the broken heart beat into the troubles meet Here I am beat into it again I'll be done beating Here I've done the bit of a deaf You might ask why all the Jenny Burton songs?
Speaker 1My answer would be why not? I produced her for over forty years. She grew up singing in her monster. She's an authority. Is gospel music limited to the African American culture? Certainly sprang from the African American tradition of the spiritual. It is not limited to that culture.
Speaker 6Sometimes it causes me to tremble.
Speaker 9Sometimes it causes me to trace it.
Speaker 12As I sit with my head in my hand and fight for the way to break free, knowing nothing around me has gone as play, and now it is all up to me when nothing is left to hold on to, and nowhere is there to turn, the fire consumes the spirit within each nothing is left to burn when out of the darkening shallow a voice will whisper aside the simplest of answers at the hardest of times, a light calling out to the blind when all is loss heaven, faith can move the mountain, faith can walk the sea, faith can heal the heartache, faith alone can comfort me, and in your triumphs of fire, faith can see it through. It requires no magic, no money, no mirrors, no babies, no matches, no makeup, no manual, no message, just so nothing is left to hold on to And nowhere is there to turn consuming the spirit within you. Nothing is left to burn Winner Seems the most. Why don't you come out here? They can offic, they can company, no money, no baby, stone baby, and you all see Can you sit through another classic?
Speaker 1This one's short, but it takes us back to the core, the heart of gospel. We will understand it better.
Speaker 12So the skies and howling chimpists off succeed a bright sunshine. But in that land of a perfect day, when the mist ever rolled away, we will understand better.
Speaker 1In it, I tried to write songs that would appeal to the average Joe. Of course, that's impossible. We all have our tastes, but it seemed like the right thing to do for my eclectic self. The church I attend can handle an occasional gospel song, but it is not at all considered a gospel church. It's hard to produce an album these days for me and not include Jenny Burton. She's still singing and growing as a musician. So I wrote this next song for her with my usual lean towards the gospel sound and content. It's a simple song from an album entitled Simple Truth. Check out the whole album. It's full of just that. Simple Truth. Jenny Burton. Make me an instrument.
Speaker 12For you are the bread of my life and the strength of my soul. You are the source of my every inspiration. You light my way, you leave me on. I stand before you now resolve to serve your every word and pray that you strengthen me.
Speaker 2Oh Lord, make me an instrument of the peace. Make me an instrument. Make me an instrument of the peace. Mind my steps.
Speaker 12Take my hand, be my own, hear my prayer, your peace I find in giving, in charity, in stillness, in the quietude of my mind, in the splendor of your work. And so I turn to you, Lord, knowing of the certainties of my conviction, for you are the bread of my life, and the strength of my song. Standing on this threshold in my sweet anticipation, you give me home, you guide me home. I stand before you now, dang to spread your mighty word, as you are my peace of mind.
Speaker 2Now, Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Make me an instrument. Make me an instrument of thy peace.
Speaker 12Hold me close. Guide my every thoughts.
Speaker 2Make me an instrument. Make me an instrument of a peace. Make me an instrument. Make me an instrumental happy.
Speaker 1One of Jenny's moms. She had several. She was a foster child and got passed around often from family to family in her first one years. Her last mom was the Reverend Josephine Richards, who pastored a storefront church in the South Bronx. Rev, as everyone called her, was only rich in truth, love, and inspiration. She laughed at poverty, though it was clearly a part of their lives. I used to joke that Rev lived on Hiroshima Boulevard. Hers was the only house still standing in the rubble. Rev passed on, just as Jenny was beginning to become a star in the record business. One day, Jenny, as she was one to do, brought me a new title. She explained that she had to make a tribute to the mother that truly loved her, and not the monthly check in the mail from the Foster Foundation. It was my great pleasure to give it a shot. I also called my old pal John Danny Madden and told him to get the A-Team ready. What transpired was another winner. She sang this song for the rest of her life. And so we close with Jenny Burton. A tribute to Rev. I stand for you.
Speaker 12I try to follow you with every move I make. I see a shining light. And I command that I am drawn to you. God let your light shine. I'll be at the top shell fire. And carry all the feelings of light. And I go through life. In every step I take. And I walk in your walking up. I'll stand in your face. I don't be all with all that you stand for. I'll stand for you. I'll stand for you. I dedicate my life to the wisdom that you taught me. I'll lift your sort of truth to the battles you have fought. But I care about the light. God let your light shine. You all understand you all my night.
Speaker 1So there you have it. Thanks. Go to the A-Team, often made up in each session of three to five amazing New York studio singers, pulled from the following list Women, Margaret Dorn, Jillian Armsbury, Stephanie James, Latina Hall, Audrey Wheeler, Cindy Mizell, Branis Mackenzie, Catherine Russell, Chrissy Fay, Angela Robinson, Angela Clem, Caroline Goodgall, Andrew Cole, Dora Johnson, Daryl Jordan John Jane Jones. Also, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And to keep abreast of the latest episode, you can subscribe to Scattershot Symphony from your podcast app of choice. And thanks to Watchfire Music and the entire staff for all your work in producing and promoting this podcast. A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our associate producer, for all your invaluable knowledge and great vibes. And lastly, a posthumous thanks to Ludwig von Beethoven for your opening four bars.
SpeakerThis podcast is presented with loving care by the staff at Watchfire Music. If you liked what you heard, we got lots more where that came from. In the meantime, you can find the songs you just heard on Watchfiremusic.com forward slash podcast. There, you can purchase the singles or albums and have access to all the lyrics. Also, there you will find all previous podcasts and future scheduling.