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By J. MATTHEW COBB DON'T BELIEVE ALL THE HYPE. Traditional gospel music still sales. Just like classic soul and vintage R&B still works in pop and urban R&B today, traditional gospel music still has a great presence in today’s market. Traditional gospel, the most organic of the fast-growing genre of gospel, draws most of its listeners to the sounds of the church and helps identify a genre so pressed into the heart and soul of the African-American story of survival. But today’s labels are developing new ways to market this 100-year old tradition in hopes to invigorate greater interest into its mystical powers. Malaco Records, considered one of the oldest empires of grown folks soul, continues to release gospel projects capturing mass choirs and quartets on the front cover. And the sounds may have gotten a bit more edgier over the years, it’s still old fashioned gospel. But Indianapolis-based Tyscot Records, one of the leading independent labels in the country, has found yet another way to dig into the pockets of traditional gospel lovers. With the recent album release from new roster member Nu Tradition, an ensemble based in Kentucky, Tyscot hopes to also grab the attention of young audiences using a slick bait-like image of youthfulness. Smart concept, especially from a marketing perspective. The labels now can cash in on the consumers’ power from both young and older audiences, but Tyscot runs into a bigger dilemma that looks more like a bad drama in the end.
Nu Tradition is the new name and formula used to disguise its aged predecessor, the Kentucky First Jurisdictional Mass Choir. Bishop A.T. Moore, said to be the oldest bishop throughout the Churches of God In Christ (COGIC) at the age of 95, envisioned the choir for over thirty years and worked beside album producer and his grandson, Austin Moore, to make the dream a reality. In 2007, the 100+ choir recorded a live project featuring such gospel greats like Judith Christie-McAllister, Lamar Campbell and Shervonne Wells (of the Kurt Carr Singers). According to a 2007 press release, the choir brought “big-city fame” to the city of Louisville and drew the attention of gospel labels, producers and marketing agents. Renowned gospel producer Rev. Milton Biggham, of Savoy Records, was even present and - according to the companion video - enjoyed himself immensely. After enjoying a great deal of popularity locally and gaining ground on radio stations like New York’s WBLK FM and LA’s KJLH FM, Tyscot Records picked up the project and decided to repackage and remarket the group. The strategy is apparent: shrink the choir down to an ensemble, take out the old and throw in the new and rebrand the group as a newer, modern entity. But anyone knows that rebranding runs into its share of dilemmas. It kind of gives that disappointing aftertaste when one buys a pair of Steve Madden shoes but later finds out that it’s a shoe made by K-Swiss. Of corse that’s very unlikely to happen, but the case of scenario happens quite often in today’s line of gospel products. Just when you believe you a project boasting a live recorded session, you easily become disappointed because it really is a studio project patched up with fancy synthetic overdubbs and overhyped copy-and-paste clips of applause and handclaps.
When the Nu Tradition album dropped this week, gospel websites and e-zines began their coverage of the newly-released project on the Tyscot label and began their marketing buzz in sending out a press release stating the regular facts about the album. But, to my knowledge, there is a major cloud of detail that is carefully omitted from the background story. Something just wasn’t right about the details. So I took on the daunting task to do a little tedious research on the history of the album and its origins. GQ Lee, web designer and marketing advisor of GQ Media, designed a state-of-the-art, eye-teasing MySpace page for the new group. He also happens to be one of my closest associates in the gospel industry. He brought to my attention that he didn’t own the Nu Tradition project, but the original version - released back in 2007. After watching a few YouTube clips of the ministry in action - featuring a vibrant 100+ voice choir dressed in blue and black with a purple backdrop containing a glowing COGIC emblem - my curiosity sparked with questions if the newly updated project was any different from the early version. The search finally ended with all high hopes being dashed - the new project released by Tyscot is only a redesigned and repackaged version of the independent project. The mass choir is chopped down to a 13-member ensemble only barring youth and young adults in the group and a catchy name matching their new image. After contacting the former publicist for the independent project, I was later connected with album producer and percussionist Austin Moore to get more details on the history and evolution of the group. The engaging conversation literally felt like an interview that should have been aired on FOX’s Hannity & Colmes. Of course, Moore defended all decisions behind the project’s “new” direction and attempted to extinguish any fires of doubt behind the label’s choices. He made it perfectly clear that the original “mass choir” concept would not sale well in today’s markets and knew that a mass choir would be too expensive and risky of an idea for the label to promote. And with the album producer also addressing the protest of organizing an area mass choir from local COGIC pastors, it became more and more apparent that in order for the album to prosper in the markets it had to distance itself from its early origins - even if Bishop A. T. Moore envisioned, approved and welcomed the idea from the very beginning.
The story almost bears an eerie similarity to another story in the history of the COGIC church. In 1968, Edwin Hawkins - at the tender age of seven - organized along with Betty Watson the Oakland-based Northern California State Youth Choir. The community choir consisted of over fifty of the area’s church members. The group decided to record an album at Berkeley’s Ephesian Church of God in Christ; hoping to sell 500 copies of the album to help raise funds for their newly formed auxiliary. Today, Edwin Hawkins chuckles about the popular song that remains synonymous with contemporary gospel music. “"Oh Happy Day" was not our favorite song to perform,” he says. “It just happened to be one of the songs we sang.” When the record was finally released, it gained some airplay on gospel radio. But it wasn’t until a San Francisco DJ decided to play the B-side of the record, which featured "Jesus, Lover of My Soul”, when mainstream pop radio began playing the song non-stop. The song ended up being a major crossover success; peaking at number four on the pop charts in 1969. Because of the song’s growing popularity, major labels stepped in to cover large manufacturing and nationwide distribution. Pavilion was first, Buddah Records was next. The hit song was given the A side and the single continued to soar on the charts. The group was later christened as the Edwin Hawkins Singers and downsized to a small ensemble; enabling them to travel easier across the country during their peak of demand. In a nervous tone, Austin Moore showcased a bit of cautious amazement that his situation was being compared with the infamous Edwin Hawkins epic. But there are a number of reasons why a contrasting comparison of the two stories would take place. But without any serious marketing changes, is it possible to imagine “Oh Happy Day” becoming a nationwide hit even if the artist name wasn’t changed? Would the great history of the song be voided if the new marketing plans did not interfere with the original formula of the 50-voice group? Regardless of one’s perception of gospel music, “Oh Happy Day” was a successful goldmine. But is it possible to believe that the song itself had other factors that went into its overwhelming fortune? Today, we look back at the landmark recording of the Northern California State Youth Choir and realize that every individual that volunteered and labored on the project made it the cultural icon it is today. Most gospel music purists don’t pay much attention to the behind-the-scenes’ details of the song’s comprehensive marketing but we remain fascinated in the work itself. While the idea of the Kentucky First Jurisdictional Mass Choir reaching the number one spot on the gospel charts is far from being conceivable in today’s tough gospel market (just like the Northern California State Youth Choir of 1968 remains mostly forgotten in the halls of gospel history), we still praise their past hardworking efforts that now represents Nu Tradition’s pride and glory. At least Edwin Hawkins takes pride in the original story of “Oh Happy Day.” Unfortunately for us today, we put more faith and confidence in names and titles to take us to the top. It is the look and the image - and the idea of altering the truth - that trumps over real talent and important facts. Good talent will just have to finish second place. OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO:
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