The Jubalaires
Encyclopedia
The Jubalaires were an American
gospel
group active during the 1940s and 1950s. They were playing as the Royal Harmony Singers in Florida as far back as 1936, and under that name reached #10 on the R&B charts on November 14, 1942 with "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
", a song adapted from the speech of a naval chaplain in response to the attack on Pearl Harbour the previous year. In 1946, they secured a spot on Arthur Godfrey
's CBS radio
show. Willie Johnson left the Golden Gate Quartet to take the lead of the group in 1948, and in 1950 the band appeared in the musical comedy film Duchess of Idaho
.
Much of their music was issued by King Records, some initially on their Queen Records label (devoted to African-American music) that was subsequently re-issued on the King label. The band recorded with Andy Kirk
on November 27, 1945, a session which produced the 78 record
"I Know" / "Get Together with the Lord", released on Decca Records
and credited to Andy Kirk and His Orchestra, with The Jubalaires. A third track recorded during the session, "Soothe Me", went unreleased. Other Jubalaires releases included "Before This Time Another Year" / "Ezekiel Saw The Wheel a-Rollin'" (Decca), "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down" / "Go Down Moses" (King), and "My God Called Me This Morning" / "Ring That Golden Bell" (King).
Their record "Dreaming of the Ladies in the Moon" (Crown Records
) attracted the praise of The Billboard
, who in their April 17, 1954 review gave the record a mark of 78/100, commenting that "The boys here come thru with a strong reading here on a bright ballad with an evocative flavor". The reviewer compared their treatment of the song with the style of the Mills Brothers
, and predicted it could become a break-out hit. The same publication praised the group's performance on "David And Goliath" / "I've Done My Work" (Capitol Records
) in their December 15, 1951 issue, and in more muted terms the split "Rain is the Teardrops of Angels" / "Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" on August 4 of the same year.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group active during the 1940s and 1950s. They were playing as the Royal Harmony Singers in Florida as far back as 1936, and under that name reached #10 on the R&B charts on November 14, 1942 with "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" is an American patriotic song written by Frank Loesser and published as sheet music in 1942 by Famous Music Corp. The song was a response to the attack on Pearl Harbor that marked United States involvement in World War II.The song describes a chaplain ...
", a song adapted from the speech of a naval chaplain in response to the attack on Pearl Harbour the previous year. In 1946, they secured a spot on Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
's CBS radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
show. Willie Johnson left the Golden Gate Quartet to take the lead of the group in 1948, and in 1950 the band appeared in the musical comedy film Duchess of Idaho
Duchess of Idaho
Duchess of Idaho is a musical romantic comedy produced in 1950 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, it was the fourth film pairing Esther Williams and Van Johnson...
.
Much of their music was issued by King Records, some initially on their Queen Records label (devoted to African-American music) that was subsequently re-issued on the King label. The band recorded with Andy Kirk
Andy Kirk
Andrew Dewey Kirk was a jazz saxophonist and tubist best known as a bandleader of the "Twelve Clouds of Joy," popular during the swing era....
on November 27, 1945, a session which produced the 78 record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
"I Know" / "Get Together with the Lord", released on Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and credited to Andy Kirk and His Orchestra, with The Jubalaires. A third track recorded during the session, "Soothe Me", went unreleased. Other Jubalaires releases included "Before This Time Another Year" / "Ezekiel Saw The Wheel a-Rollin'" (Decca), "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down" / "Go Down Moses" (King), and "My God Called Me This Morning" / "Ring That Golden Bell" (King).
Their record "Dreaming of the Ladies in the Moon" (Crown Records
Crown Records
-Modern Records subsidiary:One Crown Records was a Budget Albums record label founded as a subsidiary of Modern Records.-Singles:* 19??: "Musso's Boogie" b/w "Sing Sing Sing" * 19??: "???" b/w "???" * 19??: "???" b/w "???"...
) attracted the praise of The Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, who in their April 17, 1954 review gave the record a mark of 78/100, commenting that "The boys here come thru with a strong reading here on a bright ballad with an evocative flavor". The reviewer compared their treatment of the song with the style of the Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
, and predicted it could become a break-out hit. The same publication praised the group's performance on "David And Goliath" / "I've Done My Work" (Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
) in their December 15, 1951 issue, and in more muted terms the split "Rain is the Teardrops of Angels" / "Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" on August 4 of the same year.
External links
- "The Jubalaires" – extensive article by Karen Caplan prepared for the 8th annual United in Harmony Association Hall of Fame Ceremony held on April 4, 1998