Jesus Is The Best Thing

Not to be confused with version of this song with the same title that was a christian adaptation of Gladys Knights “You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” popularized by both James Cleveland and Desmond Pringle, this is another song altogether. It simply says “Of all the best things that could ever happened for me, it’s Jesus…my Jesus!


  1. Jesus Is The Best Thing Dallas Fort Worth Mass Choir 5:55

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You’re My Everything

Ricky Dillard and his New Generation Chorale has always been one of the finest gospel groups around. Dillard is a real stickler for details and excellence and it shows in all his work. Here is an old song from 1996, “You’re My Everything”, not to be confused with Richard Smallwood’s song “My Everything“.


  1. You're My Everything Ricky Dillard and The New Generation Chorale 5:03

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I Won’t Complain

A few of the the fabulous Clark Sisters..at least Twinkie and Karen, traveled to Florida in 1996 to have a concert with The Florida A&M University Choir. The event was taped and recorded and it was quite something.

This is the classic song “I Won’t Complain” that was first popularized by the late Rev. Paul Jones. Karen Clark-Sheard is singing the lead vocal, and her vocal “olympics” are always quite something. This version is uptempo when the choir cuts in which is a nice contrast to Karen’s voice.

  1. I Won't Complain Twinkie Clark and Florida A&M University 4:37

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Lord Help Me

This song has a wonderful “down home” sound to it. The gospel is raw and real, the soloist not slick or having a particularly great voice, but it works perfectly with the song and its title. This was recorded in 1980, but it sounds so authentic, you’d think it was straight from the roots of gospel. Enjoy

  1. Lord Help Me Rev. R.L. White and The Mount Ephraim Baptist Church Choir" 3:30

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Until I Found The Lord

This is a wonderful old 1975 version of “Until I Found The Lord” which was popularized by Walter Hawkins in 1978…which I just noticed I have yet to post…I’ll do that someday in the future. I love this rough recording because it is just good old-time church music.

  1. Until I Found The Lord The Birmingham Community Choir 1:56

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It’s Another Day’s Journey

Here’s a classic from James Bignon’s Georgia Mass Choir. I’ve posted the version of this song recorded by LaShun Pace Rhodes, but that was released in 1998, 11 years after this recording was made.

  1. It's Another Days Journey Georgia Mass Choir 3:28

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The Struggle Is Over

I love this song. EVERYONE goes through hard times, but young black kids growing up in urban setting can have it really hard, so when these young men and women sing “You’ve been in this place long enough, and your mountainside has been rough…the struggle is over for you”…it goes right to my heart.

  1. The Struggle Is Over Youth For Christ 7:52

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The Youth for Christ Choir, led by T.L. Barrett, was an approximately 40-member ensemble of children ages 12 to 19, which grew out of his Tuesday night weekly choir meetings.

T.L. Barrett is a complicated figure. Context colors perceptions of the man. To many on Chicago’s South Side, Barrett has been known for more than four decades as an activist and pastor, an influential figure in the city’s black community, and an active participant in numerous projects and initiatives intended to improve social and economic conditions on the South Side.

In the 1970s, Barrett’s congregation included many noteworthy Chicago-area musicians, such as Maurice White and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Donny Hathaway, and Phil Cohran. Barrett, recording as Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir, released the album Like a Ship (Without a Sail) in 1971. The album featured instrumental contributions from Phil Upchurch, Gene Barge, Charles Pittman, and Richard Evans (of Rotary Connection). It was reissued by Light in the Attic Records in 2010 to critical acclaim and praise from musicians such as Jim James and Colin Greenwood. Barrett also released several further albums of music over the course of the 1970s, as well as discs of sermons; he also recorded as Rev. T.L. Barrett.

Something About God’s Grace

So here we have the same song from two choirs both brought to America’s attention by Rev. James Cleveland; The Charles Fold Singers and The Donald Vail Choraleers.

So, the question for today is, how far into the song do you have to go until you figure out the tune or song that THIS song was based on. You’ll know when you hear it…the riff/chord structure just makes you think…”I KNOW that…it’s from….uh…________!!!! (You fill in the blank.) So, two versions of the same song, each given their own unique treatment by the artist.

  1. Something About God's Grace James Cleveland Presents The Donald Vails Choraleers 4:20
  2. Something About God's Grace Rev. James Cleveland & The Charles Fold Singers 5:17

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Lord Give Me A Patient Spirit

Here is a real oldie from on of Rev. James Cleveland’s early choirs, The Southern California Community Choir. This is real deal gospel, from the roots of old school mass choir recordings.

  1. Lord Give Me A Patient Spirit Rev. James Cleveland and The Southern California Community Choir 4:19

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Abundantly Blessed

There are some songs and some performances that one never forgets and this is just one of those songs. It was performed by The New England Gospel Ensemble that was originally started at The New England Conservatory by James Early and Donnell Patterson, as I understand it. It still continues to this day under the directorship of Renese King.

The NEGE performed this song during the intermission at a Joyful Voices concert in Waltham years ago and it bowled me over. The solo was sung by Eddie Mallory and was exquisite, as was the entire song. This is a version of Abundantly Blessed that makes me recall that performance. It’s a great song because each of it’s three sections are great. Enjoy.

  1. Abundantly Blessed Dr. Ed Montgomery · The Abundant Life Cathedral Choir 6:56

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