Still active to this very day (in an obviously new incarnation), The Golden Gate (Jubilee) Singers was one of the original and most influential male gospel and spiritual vocal groups. The original team of Willie Johnson/b, William Langford/t, Henry Owens/t and Orlandus Wilson/b became best known when producer John Hammond included them in the famed “Spirituals To Swing” concert in 1938 along with swing icon Benny Goodman. This 3 disc, 83 song collection includes material all the way up to 1943 with a few personnel changes along the way never getting in the way of the musical message.
Most known is the haunting take of “John The Revelator” which later became inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2005, but their impact during the Depression years leading up to WWII cannot be underestimated. Their earlier material included Sunday School stories like “Jonah”, “Samson and Delilah”, “Noah”, “way Down In Egypt Land” and “Dese Bones Gonna Rise Again” while spirituals included the chug a lugging “Golden Gate Gospel Train” and “When The Saints Go Marching In”. During the war, they produced patriotic fare like “Stalin Wasn’t Stallin”. If you’re looking for some music to get your perspective a bit more eternal, here’s a great place to start.